Coastal Watershed Management

Coastal watersheds differ from others by their unique features, including proximity to the ocean, weather and rainfall patterns, subsurface features, and land covers. Land use changes and competing needs for valuable water and land resources are especially more distinctive to such watersheds. This book covers recent research relevant to coastal watersheds. It addresses the impact of a stream’s chemical, biological, and sediment pollutants on the quality of the receiving waters, such as estuaries, bays, and near-shore waters. The contents of the book can be divided into three sections; a) overview of hydrological modelling, b) water quality assessment, and c) watershed management. This book differs from other hydrology books by dealing with coastal watersheds which are characterized by their unique features: including weather and rainfall patterns, subsurface characteristics, and land use and cover. In addition to academia, the book should be of interest to organizations concerned with watershed management, such as local and federal governments and environmental groups. Overall, the book is expected to satisfy a great need toward understanding and managing critical areas in many parts of the world.

Coastal Governance provides a clear overview of how U.S. coasts are currently managed and explores new approaches that could make our shores healthier. Drawing on recent national assessments, Professor Richard Burroughs explains why traditional management techniques have ultimately proved inadequate, leading to polluted waters, declining fisheries, and damaged habitat. He then introduces students to governance frameworks that seek to address these shortcomings by considering natural and human systems holistically. The book considers the ability of sector-based management, spatial management, and ecosystem-based management to solve critical environmental problems. Evaluating governance successes and failures, Burroughs covers topics including sewage disposal, dredging, wetlands, watersheds, and fisheries. He shows that at times sector-based management, which focuses on separate, individual uses of the coasts, has been implemented effectively. But he also illustrates examples of conflict, such as the incompatibility of waste disposal and fishing in the same waters. Burroughs assesses spatial and ecosystem-based management’s potential to address these conflicts. The book familiarizes students not only with current management techniques but with the policy process. By focusing on policy development, Coastal Governance prepares readers with the knowledge to participate effectively in a governance system that is constantly evolving. This understanding will be critical as students become managers, policymakers, and citizens who shape the future of the coasts.

Covers the watershed approach to managing water resources in a sustainable fashion with case studies to show how the concept of watershed management is being implemented. Modelling is used to show how systems can be successfully managed in the future. Useful for students on water supply and management courses as well as those already in the field.

Applicable to watershed protection and restoration efforts in both coastal and non-coastal areas, this handbook describes 28 watershed management approaches. It features principles and lessons that examine approaches to integrating science and management, fostering collaborative decision-making, and involving the public.

Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Soil and Water Management discusses the latest approaches for monitoring soil and water degradation in coastal regions under current climate conditions as well as potential further changes in the future. It presents an overview of climate change impacts on soil and water resources and summarizes the adaptation of practical options and strategies to minimize the potential risks, such as land degradation, seawater intrusion, droughts, ocean acidification, etc. The book aims to promote the adoption of best practices, which can be selected and implemented according to the respective local conditions. In addition, the recommendations for specific soil and water use planning strategies to address climate change can also be incorporated into national and international development plans. Features: • Presents the general properties and analysis of soil and water resource conditions for coastal regions • Offers practical advice for adapting to climate change through case studies from diverse coastal settings around the globe • Presents information in an accessible format for practitioners in soil and water sciences, as well as for those working in related disciplines • Includes end-of-chapter summaries and homework problems Written primarily for practicing soil, water, agricultural, and environmental scientists, this book provides the latest research on soil and water resources management, soil processes and properties, and the related effects of climate change. It assesses the effectiveness of the methods currently in use and under future climate change scenarios as well.

Watershed management is an integrated approach that evaluates system-wide implications of natural resource problems. It has received considerable attention among communities and resource managers as an appropriate approach to deal with complex problems. Problem-solving is an important aspect of watersheds that involves diagnosis, assessment, solution, and implementation issues that often mean processing an enormous amount of information. A typical problem requires compilation of information from a variety of sources and is time consuming. This book will use a problem-based approach to present information on each problem facing watersheds. The subject area derives from a variety of disciplines and experiences and is presented clear and systematically throughout for easy reading and understanding. The problems covered in the book are major ones facing watersheds through the globe. The first chapter introduces principles of watershed management and is followed by chapters that are problem specific. Each problem is dealt with systematically with introduction, analysis, strategies, and further references. Watershed Management provides a valuable reference to professionals, students, scientists, and common citizens who are interested in learning about the variety of problems and approaches in watershed management.

This volume provides readers with an opportunity to learn from front line water managers of watershed-based agencies across Canada about integrated water management (or integrated water resource management). In common with practice in much of the world, the responsibility for implementing integrated watershed management in Canada is fragmented. Each province and territory in Canada has developed unique approaches or governance models to guide decision making in that regard. Thus, this edited volume enables readers from around the world to gain insight on the best practices in Canada for achieving success and addressing barriers to implement IWM. Although there remains non consensus about how to "best" approach river basin management, some of the main observations include: There is a need to balance a focus on "the big picture," with scoping the scale and scope of planning activities in order that feasible and effective solutions can be implemented Three types of integration are popular among the agencies included in the book: (i) among environment, economy and society, (ii) interactions between people and the environment and (iii) integration (or coordination) of administrative activities. Much more attention is required to achieving effective engagement from Indigenous communities The chapters were originally published in a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.

Applicable to watershed protection and restoration efforts in both coastal and non-coastal areas, this handbook describes 28 watershed management approaches. It features principles and lessons that examine approaches to integrating science and management, fostering collaborative decision-making, and involving the public.