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The US EPA Lake Erie indicators monitoring program 1983 - 2002: Trends in phosphorus, silica and chlorophyll a in the central basin. (PDF 312KB)

During the past 20 years, Lake Erie has exhibited a series of complex chemical changes resulting from changing anthropogenic influences and introductions of exotic species. Since 1990, some apparent trends in nutrient concentrations have been inconsistent with the predictions of models originally used to guide Lake Erie water quality management. We performed time trend analysis on total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a Chl a), and dissolved reactive silica (DRS) measurements collected during spring and summer in the central basin of Lake Erie between 1983 and 2001. Three distinct time trends in basin-specific, station-averaged open-water TP concentrations were observed over the 20-y period - 1983-1989 decreases, 1990-1997 increases, and 1997- 2001 decreases. Exceptionally high levels of turbidity and TP were observed in spring 2002, possibly reflecting increasing frequency of winter storm events. Open-water concentrations of TP declined during the 1980’s as annual TP loadings to Lake Erie declined below the 11,000 metric ton target level that had been expected to reduce central basin eutrophication. This was accompanied by a significant increase in available silica and in Chl a concentrations. During the period 1990-2002, when dreissenid mussels were abundant, TP concentration spring increases but summer declines were observed. Unexpected increases in spring central basin concentrations of DRS (exceeding 1 mg/L) were observed. During the same period, Chl a values declined in the spring and rose slightly during summer.

Trends in Temperature, Secchi Depth, and Dissolved Oxygen Depletion Rates in the Central Basin of Lake Erie, 1983–2002 (PDF 1.6MB)

We examined temperature trends in a 20-year set of monitoring records collected at mul- tiple deep-water stations in the central basin of Lake Erie. Data collected were statistically corrected (“deseasonalized”) to remove biases resulting from irregular sampling intervals within years. Depth- integrated summer temperature has increased by an average (±SE) of 0.037 ±0.01°C per year. An observed reduction of Secchi depth (SD) by 7 ±3 cm/y seems to be unrelated to variation in either total phosphorus (TP) or chlorophyll aconcentrations. Midsummer midbasin SD values varied widely between 4and 10 m, possibly depending on whether phytoplankton were concentrated in the epilimnion (giving shallow SD), or whether phytoplankton had settled out of the epilimnion into the lower layers, giving deeper SD values. Hypolimnetic volume-corrected oxygen depletion (HVOD) rates have also been highly variable, ranging from 2.68 to 4.72 mg/L/mo. These rates are sensitive to production of oxygen in the thermocline and hypolimnion by photosynthetically active phytoplankton that have settled from the epil- imnion. The HVOD rate in any year was correlated with the previous year’s TP loading into Lake Erie. Since TP loading trends largely reflect the consequences of improving water treatment through the 1980s and increasing contributions from tributary run-off sediments through the 1990s, there is little direct evi- dence to suggest that the appearance of dreissenids has directly influenced hypolimnial oxygen depletion rates in the central basin. The observation that central-basin HVOD tracked the reductions in TP load- ings through the 1980s may be the first affirmation that central basin hypolimnetic oxygen dynamics can be regulated by phosphorus inputs. This implies that TP loads must continue to be regulated if we wish to minimize oxygen depletion rates as a strategy to reduce the frequency of episodic central basin anoxia.

Strategies for Managing the Lakes of the Rotorua District, New Zealand (PDF 1.3MB)

The Rotorua district in New Zealand contains 12 nationally important lakes. Environment Bay of Plenty (EBOP), which has the responsibility of managing the quality of these lakes, set a routine monitoring program for these lakes and adopted the method of Burns et al. (1999, 2000) to analyse the data and calculate a numeric Trophic Level Index (TLI) value for each. In 1994, the district community indicated a goal to maintain the present condition for most of the lakes and to improve the remainder. As a result, nu- meric baseline TLI values were written into the Proposed Regional Water and Land Plan as the Rotorua District lake-water quality objectives. This plan also required formation of a community action plan for the remediation of any lake that exceeded its baseline TLI, a criterion that targeted five lakes. Deterioration in the water quality of these lakes is linked to urban expansion and gradual conversion of forested land to pasture over the past 100 years. Draft action plans identifying causes of lake deterioration, together with possible means of solving the problems, have been published for four lakes. Annual reports on the state of each lake have been published since 2000. This lake management system has resulted in valuable communication between EBOP, the Rotorua District Council and the communities living around the lakes, and has been instrumental in obtaining a cooperative approach to solving the identified problems. Methods to remediate these lakes include: converting pasture back to forest; alum dosing; creating riparian strips along streambanks; developing wetlands; installing reticulated sewage systems, and; diverting wastewater inputs from a lake into nearby forests.

EQuIS 5 Limnology (PDF, PowerPoint Presentation, 1,420 KB)

Automated Data Review (ADR) brochure (PDF 84KB)

The Business of Brownfields: Managing Risk Using EQuIS and GIS (PDF 4.5MB)

Presented by Mitchell Beard, CEO, EarthSoft, Inc.
2005 National Brownfields Conference
Technology Solution Series
November 3, 2005, Denver, Colorado

Data Error Reduction by Automation throughout the Data Workflow Process (PDF 607.2KB)

Efforts directed at establishing data quality such as data validation review can be rendered meaningless by errors that occur at other steps in the data management workflow process. Errors in field collection are often miss-entered into spreadsheets, data loaded improperly into the data repository, or uploading data to analytic applications are all prime sources of induced data error that can result in poor decision making by managers. This paper addresses the environmental data workflow process, areas susceptible to error induction, and solutions to these problems.

Using EQuIS and ArcGIS for Environmental Decision Support (PDF)

Environmental site characterization activities at a large industrial facility can be a complex and costly endeavor. The high volume of data generated from groundwater sampling, soil sampling and other field activities is often difficult to manage. As computer technologies have advanced, new data management and data visualization tools have enabled engineers and geologists to efficiently conduct these site characterization activities. This paper will discuss the use of ArcGIS and EarthSoft's EQuIS Chemistry and EQuIS Geology databases as tools for the management and visualization of environmental data at a large oil refinery. READ MORE

Geotechnical Data Management in the Army Corps -
Power Point | PDF

CO Presentation on EcoData

This presentation by Candy Thompson from Colorado HMWMD discusses CO's efforts to share data and set up data standards. This presentation discusses why, who, what kind of data, and other issues regarding the 'Data Monster'.

Real-time Data Discovery and Notification of Restoration Progress through Automated Electronic Data Delivery (PDF)
Abstract | Full Presentation

A highly scaleable, cost-effective enterprise Electronic Data Deliverable (EDD) management system has been developed to provide government project managers and industry consultants the ability to rapidly and effectively evaluate the progress of environmental restorations of contaminated geographic locations.  The system provides automated EDD acceptance, validation, and database import by standardizing data delivery formats.  The system includes an interface for real-time data discovery and monitoring.

Design and Implementation of a Comprehensive Geotechnical Database (PDF)

US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Waterways Experiment Station project summary

Application Integration and Better Remediation Decision-Making (PDF)

Electronic management of environmental data continues to become increasingly standard. An integrated data management system provides much more than just the ability to archive data electronically. Companies and government agencies worldwide are reaping the benefits of data management in a relational database integrated with improved analytical tools and enhanced visualization applications. Benefits include being able to manage data more quickly and accurately which, in turn, contributes to better decision-making and response. ESRI's ArcGIS and EarthSoft's EQuIS for ArcGIS represent tools in the GIS realm to support scientists in these efforts and are an excellent example of software integration which leverages the value inherent in the data. Case studies illustrate key benefits gained and efficiencies realized by application integration.

Applying Electronic Data Checking Tools to Environmental Data (PDF)

Thursday, April 15, 2004 9:30 AM--10:00 AM
23rd Annual National Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina, Tampa, Florida

Spatial Modeling of Environmental Data I (Introductory) (PDF)

Thursday, April 15, 2004 8:30 AM--10:00 AM
23rd Annual National Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina, Tampa, Florida

Spatial Modeling of Environmental Data II (Advanced) (PDF)

Friday, April 16, 2004 8:30 AM--10:00 AM
23rd Annual National Conference on Managing Environmental Quality Systems
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina, Tampa, Florida

Evaluating Cleanup at Hamilton Army Airfield Using EQuIS and ArcGIS (PDF)

The Sacramento District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is implementing EarthSoft's EQuIS and ArcGIS for better management, analysis, and response to landfill remedial activities being conducted at the former Hamilton Army Airfield. This former Air Force Base is located four miles south of the city of Novato, on San Pablo Bay, in Marin County, California, and is undergoing environmental clean-up a as it is returned to civilian use.

With borehole, water level, and analytical data stored in EQuIS, the ArcGIS interface facilitates seamless retrieval and display of information including analytical contours, surfaces, and geology in ArcView and in 3D Analyst. Further presentation and analysis utilizes interfaces with gINT, RockWorks, Surfer and GMS.

URS delivers EQuIS support in the Netherlands! (PDF)

Effective data management is essential for controlling environmental liabilities and risks, and also forms a critical component of any environmental project. URS provides a wide range of data management solutions, designed to bring added value to a client's operations/projects by transforming data into the information fundamental to strategic decision-making.

Strictly Business: Windows CE vs. Palm OS (PDF)

At the core of the increasing need for mobile communication is the handheld computing device, often referred to as a personal digital assistant (PDA). Currently, PDAs are available on two computer operating platforms, Palm, Inc.’s Palm OS and Microsoft’s Windows CE. Although both platforms were specifically engineered for handheld devices, there are significant differences in their ability to deliver useful functionality.

Integrating gINT, EQuIS, and AutoCAD with LagEQ (PDF)

Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. has developed an application called LANGAN gINT® EQuIS® (LAgEQ)which seamlessly integrates Microsoft® Excel, gINT®, EQuIS® Geology, Microsoft® Access, and AutoCAD® to simplify data input and quickly populate databases and generate professional looking boring logs and fence diagrams.

Integrated Environmental Site Characterization and Analysis: EQuIS in the Military (PDF)

Four sites on military installations or managed by military agencies illustrate how EQuIS has been implemented as a core component of a more comprehensive environmental program to provide information to the decision-maker. With quick and easy access to discrete sampling information, analytical and conceptual models, and GIS, these systems constitute a valuable resource management tool for both proactive and reactive decision making.

Visualizing Environmental Data using ArcView and EQuIS (Web Page)

Performing advanced analysis and visualization of environmental and geologic data can be done easily and quickly using the EQuIS ArcView GIS Interface. A consortium comprised of EarthSoft, RockWare, and ESRI has recently developed tools to facilitate better and more efficient use of environmental and geologic data than has heretofore been possible. This solution involves the integration of several industry-standard applications such as ArcView, EVS, GMS, LogPlot, RockWorks, and more to produce a world-class, customizable solution for subsurface investigation and analysis...all accessible through a spatial GIS environment.

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (PDF)

The power of EQuIS in environmental management and decision analysis: case studies in Colorado ...

Managing data quality: What does your chemical result mean? (PDF)

What does your chemical result mean? How does one result relate to another result taken 3 months earlier? Were the analytical methods the same? Were the sampling procedures the same? Are these questions that you can asnwer?

Integration of Subsurface Data Management and GIS to Facilitate Model Calibration (PDF)

The development of numerical codes, as well as pre- and post-processors to support these codes, has made the discipline of groundwater modelling increasingly more automated and efficient. The value of such modelling is reliant on site-specific data used to build and calibrate the models

A Case Study of EQuIS in Use (PDF)

An Adobe Acrobat file outlining the order of magnitude productivity gain acheived by using EQuIS

New Jersey Uses GIS, EQuIS to Collect Site Remediation Data (Web page)

EQuIS, a product of EarthSoft, Inc., of Pensacola, Florida, was selected by the NJDEP as the environmental data management system for storing and accessing data. Through a set of procedures and import routines, data are evaluated against quality criteria. Passing data go to SRB staff while data failing quality checks are rejected and must be resubmitted. Once in the EQuIS system, large volumes of chemical data may be combined with other site-specific information such as geological and hydrological data

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