Grantee Research Project Results
Regionally-Based Clean Water Activities I: Modeling and Assessment of Thermal Loading In Support of a Temperature TMDL in the Carson River Basin, Western Nevada
EPA Grant Number: R831600Center: Health Effects Institute (2005 — 2010)
Center Director: Greenbaum, Daniel S.
Title: Regionally-Based Clean Water Activities I: Modeling and Assessment of Thermal Loading In Support of a Temperature TMDL in the Carson River Basin, Western Nevada
Investigators: McKay, Alan
Current Investigators: McKay, Alan , McGwire, Kenneth
Institution: Desert Research Institute
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: February 15, 2004 through February 14, 2006
Project Amount: $217,998
RFA: Targeted Research Center (2006) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Targeted Research
Objective:
The proposed effort is a first critical step in assisting the State of Nevada with a wide variety of water quality issues. While work proposed as a supplement to this effort will have a broader technical and geographic scope, the current study will use geospatial datasets and field data collection to parameterize a stream temperature model for selected portion s of the Carson River in western Nevada where exceedances of temperature TMDL arc a concern with respect to its classification as a cold water fishery. An existing dynamic temperature model will he used to test whether hypothesized re-vegetation strategies would be expected to result in measurable reductions in river temperature.
Geospatial datasets first will be used to define river reaches in the most effective manner for temperature modeling. The DSSAMt model for stream temperature then will be calibrated using a combination of data from remote sensing, geographic information systems and field measurements. The DSSAMt model is a peer-reviewed model that has been effectively used in the neighboring Truckee River watershed. After calibration and testing, the DSSAMt model will be run using different scenarios of streamside re-vegetation projects.
Results of the DSSAMt model runs with various re-vegetation strategies will provide critical information to decision makers on the river about the expected effectiveness of such mitigation activities that could be used to meet temperature TMDL objectives.
Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.