2nd UF Water Institute Symposium Abstract

   
Submitter's Name Joseph Delesantro
Session Name Poster Session: Hydrologic, Biogeochemical and Ecological Processes 2
Category Hydrologic, biogeochemical and ecological processes
Poster Number 212
 
Author(s) UF Chapter AWRA student members UF Chapter AWRA student members,  UF Chapter AWRA student members
   
  Student Driven Research by the University of Florida Chapter of the American Water Resources Association
   
  Interdisciplinary research involves graduate and undergraduate students in exploring many facets of water resources while providing opportunities for presentation and publishing. Students gain hands on experience and learn valuable field and laboratory techniques. Some past and current projects conducted by the UF Chapter of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) include coastal dune lake investigation, a study of particulate matter metal distributions from hurricane Katrina storm flows, and on campus creek restoration. Coastal dune lakes are fresh water basins that are delicately perched above the coastal salt water fringe, making them unique ecosystems. Recent development has put these lakes under a constant threat of deteriorating water quality, and salt-water infiltration. The objectives of the project were to: (i) Investigate the current condition of the lakes; including water quality, and land-use practices surrounding them. (ii) identify pertinent issues concerning the lakes, and provide recommendations that will help decision makers develop a sound lake management plan in the future. Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the levees surrounding New Orleans generated a significant detained volume of storm-water within the urban area of New Orleans. A large mass of storm-entrained particulate matter was deposited throughout inundated areas in New Orleans. This study examined the distribution of metals for post-Katrina surficial PM deposits recovered from 15 sites in New Orleans. Remediation of Bartram-Carr creek can help mitigate the negative impacts of storm-water running off of roads, parking lots, roofs, and landscaping into water bodies. Pollution, flooding and erosion can be reduced by proper management of storm-water. A segment of the creek was surveyed to evaluate the flow of water. Plant species and macroinvertabrate species were also surveyed in order to provided an assessment of water quality. Remediation work has included Invasive species removal and the planting of native species. An educational kiosk will be created to describe the creek and the rehabilitation.