Characterization and Prioritization of the Watersheds of Niagara County, New York

In recognition of the need to acquire a uniform, organized approach to addressing surface 6 water degradation and given the diverse nature of non-point sources of pollution within the County, the Soil and Water Conservation District formed a committee known as the Niagara County Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC). Since little was known about the environmental status of other major creeks in Niagara County, the WQCC recommended a study to evaluate nutrient and soil loss from 17 watersheds and their creeks. The purpose of the monitoring program was to collect water quality data to quantify the concentration and loading of nutrients and suspended sediments transported from 17 Niagara County Creeks to Lake Ontario and to evaluate the health of the creek and its impact on Lake Ontario. In addition, the data serve as a database to make informed water quality management decisions including the development of a watershed management plan, and as a benchmark of discharge and nutrient data to measure the success of future remediation efforts and to suggest a priority listing of water quality goals

The United States' Next Generation of Atmospheric Composition and Coastal Ecosystem Measurements: NASA's Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Mission

The Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission was recommended by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Earth Science Decadal Survey to measure tropospheric trace gases and aerosols and coastal ocean phytoplankton, water quality, and biogeochemistry from geostationary orbit, providing continuous observations within the field of view. To fulfill the mandate and address the challenge put forth by the NRC, two GEO-CAPE Science Working Groups (SWGs), representing the atmospheric composition and ocean color disciplines, have developed realistic science objectives using input drawn from several community workshops. The GEO-CAPE mission will take advantage of this revolutionary advance in temporal frequency for both of these disciplines. Multiple observations per day are required to explore the physical, chemical, and dynamical processes that determine tropospheric composition and air quality over spatial scales ranging from urban to continental, and over temporal scales ranging from diurnal to seasonal. Likewise, high-frequency satellite observations are critical to studying and quantifying biological, chemical, and physical processes within the coastal ocean. These observations are to be achieved from a vantage point near 95°–100°W, providing a complete view of North America as well as the adjacent oceans. The SWGs have also endorsed the concept of phased implementation using commercial satellites to reduce mission risk and cost. GEO-CAPE will join the global constellation of geostationary atmospheric chemistry and coastal ocean color sensors planned to be in orbit in the 2020 time frame.Earth and Planetary SciencesEngineering and Applied Science

Nutrient and Soil Losses from the Eighteenmile Creek Watershed

Determination of sources and magnitude of soil and nutrient losses from a watershed is prerequisite to remedial action and essential to making cost-effective land management decisions as it reduces the likelihood of costly miscalculations based on the assumption of soil and nutrient sources and modeling rather than their actual identification. This process enhances the ability of concerned groups to obtain external funding for demonstration and remedial projects. In July 2003, the Niagara County Soil & Water Conservation District (NCSWCD), in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Sciences and Biology at SUNY Brockport, began a monitoring program for Eighteenmile Creek, located in Niagara County, New York. The purpose of the monitoring program was to collect water quality data to quantify the concentration and loading of nutrients and suspended sediments transported from Eighteenmile Creek to Lake Ontario and to evaluate the health of the creek and its impact on Lake Ontario. In addition, the data serve as a database to make informed water quality management decisions including the development of a watershed management plan, and as a benchmark of discharge and nutrient data to measure the success of future remediation efforts. This report, prepared by SUNY Brockport and the Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District, provides information on the nutrient/sediment monitoring program of Eighteenmile Creek. Included are methodologies, results of the monitoring including documentation on types and amounts of nutrients that may be adversely impacting water quality and the conditions which generate them. Lastly, the report serves as a mechanism of transmittal of results and conclusions to all concerned parties and stakeholders of the Eighteenmile Creek watershed

Nutrient and Soil Losses from the Eighteenmile Creek Watershed

Project Funded by the Finger Lakes- Lake Ontario Watershed Protection AllianceDetermination of sources and magnitude of soil and nutrient losses from a watershed is prerequisite to remedial action and essential to making cost-effective land management decisions as it reduces the likelihood of costly miscalculations based on the assumption of soil and nutrient sources and modeling rather than their actual identification. This process enhances the ability of concerned groups to obtain external funding for demonstration and remedial projects. In July 2003, the Niagara County Soil & Water Conservation District (NCSWCD), in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Sciences and Biology at SUNY Brockport, began a monitoring program for Eighteenmile Creek, located in Niagara County, New York. The purpose of the monitoring program was to collect water quality data to quantify the concentration and loading of nutrients and suspended sediments transported from Eighteenmile Creek to Lake Ontario and to evaluate the health of the creek and its impact on Lake Ontario. In addition, the data serve as a database to make informed water quality management decisions including the development of a watershed management plan, and as a benchmark of discharge and nutrient data to measure the success of future remediation efforts. This report, prepared by SUNY Brockport and the Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District, provides information on the nutrient/sediment monitoring program of Eighteenmile Creek. Included are methodologies, results of the monitoring including documentation on types and amounts of nutrients that may be adversely impacting water quality and the conditions which generate them. Lastly, the report serves as a mechanism of transmittal of results and conclusions to all concerned parties and stakeholders of the Eighteenmile Creek watershed.SUNY BrockportTechnical Reports (Water Resources

Characterization and Prioritization of the Watersheds of Niagara County, New York

Project Funded by the Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FLLOWPA)In recognition of the need to acquire a uniform, organized approach to addressing surface 6 water degradation and given the diverse nature of non-point sources of pollution within the County, the Soil and Water Conservation District formed a committee known as the Niagara County Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC). Since little was known about the environmental status of other major creeks in Niagara County, the WQCC recommended a study to evaluate nutrient and soil loss from 17 watersheds and their creeks. The purpose of the monitoring program was to collect water quality data to quantify the concentration and loading of nutrients and suspended sediments transported from 17 Niagara County Creeks to Lake Ontario and to evaluate the health of the creek and its impact on Lake Ontario. In addition, the data serve as a database to make informed water quality management decisions including the development of a watershed management plan, and as a benchmark of discharge and nutrient data to measure the success of future remediation efforts and to suggest a priority listing of water quality goals.SUNY BrockportTechnical Reports (Water Resources

An Introduction to the \u27Oceans and Society: Blue Planet\u27 Initiative

We live on a blue planet, and Earth’s waters benefit many sectors of society. The future of our blue planet is increasingly reliant on the services delivered by marine, coastal and inland waters and on the advancement of effective, evidence-based decisions on sustainable development. ‘Oceans and Society: Blue Planet’ is an initiative of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) that aims to ensure the sustained development and use of ocean and coastal observations for the benefit of society. The initiative works to advance and exploit synergies among the many observational programmes devoted to ocean and coastal waters; to improve engagement with a variety of stakeholders for enhancing the timeliness, quality and range of information delivered; and to raise awareness of the societal benefits of ocean observations at the public and policy levels. This paper summarises the role of the initiative, current activities and considerations for future directions

Measuring emotional and social wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations: an analysis of a Negative Life Events Scale

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience widespread socioeconomic disadvantage and health inequality. In an attempt to make Indigenous health research more culturally-appropriate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have called for more attention to the concept of emotional and social wellbeing (ESWB). Although it has been widely recognised that ESWB is of crucial importance to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, there is little consensus on how to measure in Indigenous populations, hampering efforts to better understand and improve the psychosocial determinants of health. This paper explores the policy and political context to this situation, and suggests ways to move forward. The second part of the paper explores how scales can be evaluated in a health research setting, including assessments of endorsement, discrimination, internal and external reliability