By

 To develop a flood and drought forecasting tools for local, regional and continental scale Using USDA-
NRCS-SCAN data.
 To archive and provide near-real time data (tabular and graphical data) through the internet to end-users.
 To provide decision making tools for environmental managers.

ALMNet was established by
Alabama A&M University in 2002

 Equipped with state-of-the-art in situ sensors that continuously record
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Precipitation
Relative humidity
Soil heat flux
Soil moisture
Solar radiation
 Temperature (air & soil) and
 Wind (speed and direction)
 Depth of water table (selected sites)

Morgan County (Stanley Farm)

Marshall County
(Hodge farm)

(Bragg farm)

Limestone County
(Newby farm)

Eddy Covariance Measurement of Energy Flux (CO
2 and Water Vapor) at AAMU in Hazel Green, AL
Mr. Maheteme Gebremedhin (Doctoral Graduate Student)
Advisor (Dr. Teferi Tsegaye)

 Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown fine sandy loam
 BE--7 to 11 inches; strong brown fine sandy loam;
 Bt--11 to 30 inches; strong brown sandy clay loam
 BC--30 to 42 inches; strong brown fine sandy loam;
 Cr--42 to 60 inches; yellowish brown and strong brown, level bedded, massive, weathered, sandstone bedrock.
Nauvoo Series

 Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark reddish brown silt loam
 Bt1--7 to 20 inches; dark reddish brown silty clay loam
 Bt2--20 to 72 inches; dusky red clay
 Bt3--72 to 120 inches; dusky red clay, few fragments of chert
Decatur Series

Bodine Series
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown gravelly silt loam
E--5 to 10 inches; pale brown gravelly silt loam
Bt1--10 to 28 inches; yellowish brown very gravelly silt loam, 50 percent fragments of chert
Bt2--28 to 60 inches; yellowish brown very gravelly silt loam with red and pale brown mottles,
50 percent fragments of chert

Distribution of Soil Moisture (%) at 5 cm
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
113 133 153
HARTSELLE
173 193
HODGES
213 233
Julian day
(2002)
253
HYTOP
273
NEWBY
293 313
WTARS
333

Distribution of Soil Temperature ( 0 C) at 5 cm
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
113 133 153 173
HARTSELLE
193 213 233 253
Julian day
(2002)
HODGES HYTOP
273
NEWBY
293 313
WTARS
333


The data is accessible through the Internet.
• Data may be viewed on the Internet at:
 http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan/Alabama/alabama.html
• Graphical results are available at:
 http://wx.aamu.edu/ALMNET.html

Knowledge of the quality of North Alabama’s rivers and streams is important because of the impact that it has on human and aquatic health.
Integrated use of in-stream water quality data and modeling will likely improve the assessment and management of streams at the watershed scale.

Cont’d
•Historically, North Alabama has been plagued with environmental problems.
•According to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory,
Alabama is the sixth most polluted state in the nation.
•Four of Alabama’s river systems are rated in the top ten most threatened rivers in the country.

 A large number of water bodies in North Alabama fail to attain water quality standards due to the presence of one or more pollutants.
 Currently, there is a lack of water quality data to adequately address the status of water quality in North Alabama.
 Even though significant progress has been achieved in stemming pollution from point sources, major challenges remain from non-point sources.
 These challenges call for a focused effort to identify polluted waters for the purpose of developing TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) and implementing more effective BMPs (best management practices).


Cont’d
According to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management
(ADEM) agriculture causes about 40% of the non-point source pollution (NPS) problems in Alabama.
Major type of agriculture = row crop
-cotton
-corn
-soybean
Two major sources of agricultural pollution
-eroded sediment
-animal wastes

Streams and Rivers in Northern Alabama
• In 2002, the USGS found that concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in water samples obtained from Flint
River generally exceeded thresholds indicating eutropic potential.
• Input of dissolved and suspended chemicals from the
Flint River during storms influences water quality in the reach of the Tennessee River from which the City of Huntsville,
Alabama, withdraws about 40% of its drinking water .

Streams and Rivers in Northern Alabama

Past Research (1999-2005)
 Integration of Remote Sensing and Geographic
Information System with a hydrology model to assess water quality in northern Alabama, (Tadesse and
Tsegaye, 2001).
 Assessment of non-point pollution sources in northern
Alabama using Geographic Information System and
Global Positioning System technologies, (Sheppard and
Tsegaye, 2002).
 A soil nutrient and water quality assessment for eight counties in central Alabama, (Long and Tsegaye, 2003).
 Assessment of Water Quality in the Flint River and
Flint Creek Watersheds for Future TMDL
Development, (Abdi and Tsegaye 2005).

YSI 6600 EDS - Extended
Deployment System
YSI 650 MDS Multi-parameter
Display System
FRV1MAR.DAT
12.20
11.30
10.40
9.50
8.60
7.70
15:41
1358.0
1061.4
764.8
468.2
171.6
-125.0
15:41
25.0
22.0
19.0
16.0
13.0
10.0
15:41
03/14/03
10:42
10:42
10:42
03/18/03
05:42
05:42
00:43
00:43
05:42 00:43
03/22/03
DateTime(M/D/Y)
03/26/03
19:44
19:44
19:44
03/29/03
388.0
285.4
182.8
80.2
-22.4
14:45
04/02/03
0.208
0.160
0.112
0.064
0.016
14:45
8.38
7.70
7.02
6.34
5.66
14:45

Spatio-temporal variability of nutrients in streams of
Flint River, Flint Creek, Indian Creek, Huntsville Spring
Branch, and Sipsey Fork Watersheds
Ms. Karnita Golson-Garner (Research Associate and
Doctoral graduate Student)
Advisor (Dr. Teferi Tsegaye)

BOD & Fecal Coliform
Heavy Metals & Phosphorus
TSS

Spatio-temporal variability of Heavy Metals in streams of Flint River, Flint Creek, Indian Creek,
Huntsville Spring Branch, and Sipsey Fork
Watersheds
Ms. Karnita Golson-Garner and
Mr. Dirk Spencer
(Research Associates)

Spatio-temporal variability of Organo-Chlorine and
Organo-Nitrogen Pesticides in streams of Flint River,
Flint Creek, Indian Creek, Huntsville Spring Branch, and Sipsey Fork Watersheds
Mr. Paul Okweye (Doctoral Graduate Student)
Advisor (Dr. Teferi Tsegaye)

Bio-assessment of aquatic organisms as indicators of water quality in streams of Flint River, Flint Creek,
Indian Creek, Huntsville Spring Branch, and Sipsey
Fork Watersheds
Dr. Rufina Ward
Ms. Allison Bohlman (Research Associate)



Three Classes of Pollution Tolerance or Sensitivity
Class 1: Macroinvertebrates Intolerant to Pollution
Ephemeroptera :
Mayfly
Plecoptera : Stonefly Trichoptera : Caddisfly www.epa.gov
Coleoptera : Water
Penny www.epa.gov
Coleoptera : Riffle
Beetle www.cals.ncsu.edu
Megaloptera : Hellgrammite

 2. Facultative Macroinvertebrates: Can Tolerate Some Pollution
Odonata : Dragonfly &
Damselfly
Diptera : Black Fly
Gastropoda :
Gilled Snail

 3. Tolerant Macroinvertebrates to Pollution
Diptera : Midges, Crane Fly, & Rat Tailed Maggots
Hirudinea : Leech
Gastropoda : Air
Breathing Snail

Screening Aerobic and anaerobic coliforms
µ-Trac 4200 Microbiological Analyzer
This compact impedance analyzer is user friendly and easy to operate, even by non-experts. The concept of 21 measuring places each one separately programmable in a dry block thermostat and administrated by a laptop computer is unchallenged in performance and possibilities. The µ-Trac reveals its strengths wherever microbiology is being performed on an absolutely minimum budget. The availability of pre-filled measurement cells eliminates the whole media preparation process. All hygiene-relevant microbiological parameters of production plants can be covered by this tiny genius in the simplest possible way.

 Preliminary Trends
• High Growth Rates
 Exponential Growth Curves
• Coliform Presence Positive over 95% in all samples
• Visual Confirmation:
Purple Yellow

Source Tracking and DNA-Fingerprinting of pathogenic and non-pathogenic organisms in streams of Flint River, Flint Creek, Indian Creek, Huntsville
Spring Branch, and Sipsey Fork Watersheds
Dr. Leonard Williams

800 bp
500bp
100 bp
Figure 1. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis of isolates detected from selected water samples.

Figure 2. Dendrogram based on UPGMA cluster analysis of 10 different RAPD obtained in this study.


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
Simulation model that links pollutants to aquatic life
Integrates fate & ecological effects
• fate & bioaccumulation of organics
•
• food web & ecotoxicological effects
• nutrient & eutrophication effects
• Predicts effects of multiple stressors
• nutrients, organic toxicants temperature, suspended sediment, flow etc…

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Managers need to know:
• Which of several stressors is causing the impairment?
Will proposed pollution control strategy lead to restoration of desirable aquatic community, as well as to improved chemical water quality?
Will there be any unintended consequences?
How long will recovery take?

AQUATOX Simulates Ecological Processes &
Effects within a Volume of Water Over Time

Output Window
Main Study Window

HC is, a tributary to the Flint River.
Hester Creek

•
It is primarily agricultural and forested land in northern Alabama and south-central Tennessee (U.S.
Geological Survey, 2002).
•
Urban and residential land represent a small (less than 1%), but growing part of land use in the watershed, as residential growth from the City of
Huntsville continues to spread.
• The Flint River is an important recreational and scenic resource.
• Local agencies are conducting riparian restoration projects to protect and enhance habitat for the diverse aquatic life along the Flint River.
• Among the several threatened species of fish and aquatic invertebrates found in the basin are the slackwater darter , Tuscumbia darter , and southern cave fish .

Hester Creek,1999-2003

0.45
Observed and Model Predicted Total Soluble
Phosphorous (mg/l)
Hester Creek,1999-2003
0.3
0.15
0
Jan-99 May-99 Sep-99 Jan-00 May-00 Sep-00 Jan-01 May-01 Sep-01 Jan-02 May-02 Sep-02 Jan-03
Observed_SOLTP Predicted_SOLTP

Observed and Model Predicted Total Ammonia-N
Hester Creek, 1999-2003
1.6
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
Jan-99 May-99 Sep-99 Jan-00 May-00 Sep-00 Jan-01 May-01 Sep-01 Jan-02 May-02 Sep-02 Jan-03
Observed_NH3-N Predicted_NH3-N

Temporal Variability of Fish Types, Population, and
Stream Flow
Hester Creek, 1999-2003
20
18
16
14
12
160000
120000
10
8
6
4
80000
40000
2
0
Jan-99 Jul-99 Jan-00 Jul-00 Jan-01 Jul-01 Jan-02 Jul-02 Jan-03
0
DOY
Shiner Bluegill Smallmouth Ba2_ Water Vol

 AQUATOX can be used as tools for assessment of nutrient and sediment pollution. However, the
AQUATOX model has large number of parameters that need to be adjusted for model.
 Measured data on discharge and other water quality parameters including NH3-N, TP, and TSS at multiple points in the watershed is critical for AQUATOX calibrations.

 Dynamics of fish, types, and population varies over time due to change temperature, stream flow and availability of food.
 The accuracy of the input parameters is critical for accurate model predictions.
 It has great potential to estimate recovery time for fish or invertebrates after reducing pollutant loads.

-School Of Agriculture and Environmental Science (AAMU)
-USDA-NRCS-SCAN
-USDA-CSREES
-Southern Region Water Quality Program
-Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
-U.S. Geological Survey
-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
-All Collaborating Research Investigators and Students