Decision Support System for Arid Land Wetland & Riparian Zones
Investigators (most current known information)
Proposal Abstract
This project focused on developing tools for assisting decision makers better understand the impacts of alternative decisions on the wetland system that they are managing. This critical link in wetlands is the interaction between the surface and ground waters. To properly manage these systems, this link must be understood. To this end, two numerical models of flow in groundwater/surface water systems were developed. These models were incorporated in a decision support system (DSS) for the Lake Hula valley in Israel. The decisions at Lake Hula are to determine releases through a series of unlined canals. Infiltration through the canals maintains groundwater levels in the underlying peat soils. A second DSS (RRZ-DSS) was developed for assisting determining how a riparian zone vegetation should be planted to restore the ecosystem to a more natural condition.
HANDSS is a decision support system tailored specifically for the needs for the Hula valley project in Israel. Lake Hula was drained in the 1950's to promote agricultural development; however, over time it was recognized that the benefits of the project were outweighed by its costs including detrimental environmental impacts due to low groundwater levels. The groundwater levels dried the peat soils in the valley and caused subsidence and dust storms. HANDSS links a series of support programs. The goal of HANDSS is to make the mathematical and optimization methods accessible to a non-modeler by linking them with visualization and a geographic information system. Personnel on the Hula project are using HANDSS and researchers at the Technion are continuing to improve the optimization methods.
Many riparian zones have also been impacted by human intervention. Often, groundwater levels and vegetation have been detrimentally affected. Restoration of these zones requires replanting of a range of vegetation. However, as vegetation is planted evaporation increases and is related to the rate of type of vegetation. Given the high water tables and the strong link between groundwater levels, the selection and survivability of different species depends upon the plant type and their distribution in the wetland. A decision support system (RRZ-DSS Restoration of riparian zones - Decision Support System) has been developed to assist mangers make decision regarding the plant distribution for a riparian restoration project. It has been applied to Bingham Cienega in the San Pedro river basin in Southern Arizona. The goal in the DSS is to assist the modeler in identifying a distribution of plant species that will survive and maximize their internal objective. Alternatively, it can be used to study the impact of groundwater pumping on a prescribed plant distribution. RRZ-DSS consists of visualization, groundwater simulation, and knowledge of plant characteristics. Both DSS's and detailed papers on them are available from the authors. This project focused on developing tools for assisting decision makers better understand the impacts of alternative decisions on the wetland system that they are managing. This critical link in wetlands is the interaction between the surface and ground waters. To properly manage these systems, this link must be understood. To this end, two numerical models of flow in groundwater/surface water systems were developed. These models were incorporated in a decision support system (DSS) for the Lake Hula valley in Israel. The decisions at Lake Hula are to determine releases through a series of unlined canals. Infiltration through the canals maintains groundwater levels in the underlying peat soils. A second DSS (RRZ-DSS) was developed for assisting determining how a riparian zone vegetation should be planted to restore the ecosystem to a more natural condition.
HANDSS is a decision support system tailored specifically for the needs for the Hula valley project in Israel. Lake Hula was drained in the 1950's to promote agricultural development; however, over time it was recognized that the benefits of the project were outweighed by its costs including detrimental environmental impacts due to low groundwater levels. The groundwater levels dried the peat soils in the valley and caused subsidence and dust storms. HANDSS links a series of support programs. The goal of HANDSS is to make the mathematical and optimization methods accessible to a non-modeler by linking them with visualization and a geographic information system. Personnel on the Hula project are using HANDSS and researchers at the Technion are continuing to improve the optimization methods.
Many riparian zones have also been impacted by human intervention. Often, groundwater levels and vegetation have been detrimentally affected. Restoration of these zones requires replanting of a range of vegetation. However, as vegetation is planted evaporation increases and is related to the rate of type of vegetation. Given the high water tables and the strong link between groundwater levels, the selection and survivability of different species depends upon the plant type and their distribution in the wetland. A decision support system (RRZ-DSS Restoration of riparian zones - Decision Support System) has been developed to assist mangers make decision regarding the plant distribution for a riparian restoration project. It has been applied to Bingham Cienega in the San Pedro river basin in Southern Arizona. The goal in the DSS is to assist the modeler in identifying a distribution of plant species that will survive and maximize their internal objective. Alternatively, it can be used to study the impact of groundwater pumping on a prescribed plant distribution. RRZ-DSS consists of visualization, groundwater simulation, and knowledge of plant characteristics. Both DSS's and detailed papers on them are available from the authors.
Outcome
Articles in Journals
Muzaffar, E., A. Ostfeld and K. Lansey. 2000. "Decision support system for the Lake Hula project." Journal of Environmental Modeling and Software.
Ostfeld, A., E. Muzaffar and K. Lansey. 2000. "A multiplex element model for managing surface-water groundwater interactions." ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.
Ostfeld, A., E. Musaffar and K. Lansey. 2000. "Decision support system for the Lake Hula Valley project." Environmental Modeling and Software.
Ostfeld, A., E. Muzaffar and K. Lansey. 1999. "Analytical ground-water flow solutions for channel-aquifer interaction." Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, ASCE, 125(5):96-202.
Lansey, Kevin, Avi Ostfeld and Thomas Maddock III. 1998. "Decision support system for arid land wetland and riparian zones." American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Irrigation and Drainage.
Presentation
Muzaffer, E., A. Helwa, K. Lansey and T. Maddock. 2001. "A decision support system for assisting in restoration of riparian zones." Presented at the ASCE Specialty Conference on Integrated Surface and Ground Water Management. May.