Research collaboration aims to improve nationwide water quality, restore wetlands
Researchers from the University of South Florida and EPA developed a new classification system that will help improve methods for targeting wetland restoration and protection
Peer-Reviewed PublicationIMAGE: AERIAL VIEW OF WETLANDS IN ALASKA, NEAR KATMAI AND LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARKS. view more
CREDIT: MARK RAINS, USF
TAMPA, Fla. (April 20, 2023) – Wetlands, such as swamps and marshes, are home to some of the planet’s most valuable ecosystems.
They act as sponges, preventing pollution from seeping into streams and other bodies of water, yet the depth of their federal protection is murky. In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a University of South Florida geologist has developed the first-ever classification system for wetland connectivity, helping improve water quality and management nationwide.
The new classification system, published recently in Nature Water, demonstrates the effects wetlands have on water quality at a continental scale – invaluable data that can be used to better define whether wetlands are federally regulated under the U.S. Clean Water Act.
“Since the Clean Water Act was established in 1972, we have continued to debate what constitutes our ‘nation’s waters,’ and wetlands continue to be lost due to draining and filling, despite their immense value in controlling the water quality in our major waterways,” said USF geology Professor Mark Rains, who was appointed by the state in 2021 to serve as Florida’s chief science officer. “However we define the ‘nation’s waters’ will have a huge influence on whether we continue to protect the remaining wetlands or if we will lose more.”
The researchers categorized freshwater wetlands into four classes based on their proximity to streams and whether water flows between them at or below the surface. They then used the new classification system to show that wetlands play important roles in controlling a stream’s water quality.
The goal is to provide a better understanding of how wetlands contribute to the chemical, physical and biological integrity of downstream waters, especially nutrient runoff that can cause damaging algal blooms.
“It’s the disruption of these processes that has led to many of the water quality challenges we face today,” Rains said. “My hope is this will be the start of change for the way we think about wetlands, especially those not directly adjacent to streams. This was the most rewarding collaboration of my career – it was a great group of people who were really committed to doing science that serves the public.”
The EPA plans to make this classification system available for researchers to download and use. In addition to its impact on water quality, the system provides researchers and resource managers insight into improved methods for spatially targeting wetland restoration and protection.
“Until now, there hasn’t been a way to classify how wetlands connect to other waters at large scales,” EPA Research Ecologist Scott Leibowitz said. “This has limited our ability to understand how wetland connectivity might contribute to water quality in watersheds.”
Rains says the research doesn’t stop here, as this classification system will likely lead to more projects in the near future. “We still have much to learn about how wetlands connect to downstream waters in different geographic regions,” Rains said. “This classification system gives us a place to start.”
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About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
JOURNAL
Nature Water
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Observational study
ARTICLE TITLE
National hydrologic connectivity classification links wetlands with stream water quality
Opportunities and challenges for geological and hydrogeological work in China in the new era
The paper is an important speech made by Min Wang, Vice Minister of the former Ministry of Land and Resources of the PRC, at the seminar “Groundwater and Healthy & Green Development”, which indicated the problems of geological and hydrogeological work over the past decades, and what should we do next. Although significant progress in geological work has been made in China, there are still many challenges need to be done, “going one step further” is very important. It is necessary to promote the transformation of geological work, such as innovation in theory and technology, getting out of the traditional ways of thinking and working, broadening and deepening the application of geological work to improve the level of geological services to the society, etc.
The paper was published in the journal Journal of groundwater science and engineering on March 20, 2023. (https://doi.org/10.26599/JGSE.2023.9280001)
Groundwater is a valuable resource, and a significant geologic agent that plays an active and sensitive role in the environment. As groundwater research progressed from the hydrogeology stage to the ecological environment stage, accurately describing particle motion and pollutant migration of groundwater became challenging. Unfortunately, this issue has not yet been resolved.
Groundwater plays a distinct environmental function compared to surface water. In the past, we have placed a greater emphasis on the resource function and water supply capacity of groundwater, particularly the potential of deep groundwater for large-volume, high-quality water supply. However, this approach led to excessive groundwater exploitation, resulting in numerous ecological and environmental problems.
There are two main issues with groundwater utilization. Firstly, due to pollution and the limited capacity for single-well water recovery, shallow groundwater that is easily recharged and circulated and is often left unused. This leads to the continuous rise in the phreatic surface and a thinner vadose zone, resulting in the development of swampy conditions. Secondly, excessive exploitation of deep confined groundwater leads to extensive land subsidence and ground cracking, which severely limits regional economic and social development.
Previous research has provided some insights regarding the understanding of the formation, evolution, recharge mechanisms, and environmental effects of groundwater resources. The evaluation of the composition of groundwater resources, especially the groundwater recharge volume, and the questions of whether, where, how much, and how groundwater can be exploited have also been addressed. However, these insights have not been fully valued.
Groundwater can be considered as a large natural chemical laboratory. Throughout the process from recharge to runoff and finally discharge, groundwater inevitably interacts with surrounding rocks via various leaching, dissolution, and deposition processes under different conditions such as temperature, pressure, acidity, oxidizing and reducing reactions. As a result, various exchange of energy and matter, as well as physicochemical and biochemical processes take place, which have a long lasting impact on the quality of the ecological environment. Therefore, if the relationship between humans and the land is considered the most important foundation for promoting harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, then hydrogeology is the “golden key” to unlocking this mystery.
Although significant progress has been made in many areas after years of efforts, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to promote the construction of a beautiful and healthy China. Despite the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, water bodies, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand, the role of groundwater and its assessment, conservation, and regulation are still being determined based on concepts and principles. There is a lack of systematic and in-depth research on the impact of the subsurface environment on the human living environment, as well as the relationships between the geological environment and the production, living, and ecological space.
Groundwater is an extremely valuable carrier of information, interacting with water-bearing media and other relevant environmental elements to form rich traces that can be used for source identification and indication of environmental changes. As such, it is crucial for future hydrogeological research to focus on accurately describing these traces and gaining a comprehensive understanding of groundwater through interdisciplinary research and the comprehensive application of various techniques and methods.
Hydrogeology develops mainly through theoretical research, experimental research, and the application of techniques and methods. However, it is widely recognized that basic research has been weakened since the adjustment of hydrogeological disciplines. In particular, large-scale laboratory simulation experiments and observations, which were once vibrant, are hard to see now. Traditional theories, techniques, and methods are still widely applied, indicating a lack of innovation. The current situation is certainly unfavorable for the development of hydrogeology.
Finally, I would like to address the importance of “going one step further” in geological work. While geological work is highly fundamental in many aspects, it is crucial to break through the limitations of expertise, systems, and mechanisms in order to drive it to serve a wide range of fields. These limitations are not limited to the separation between prospecting and mining, as seen in soil geochemical surveys. Large-scale soil geochemical surveys have been performed across China, revealing both large areas of soil contamination and the distribution of many beneficial elements. However, taking the next step to conduct appropriate follow-up studies and provide in-depth services has rarely been done. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt our working methods and research contents to meet the latest demands. Taking that extra step forward can lead to the emergence of a new scene.
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About Journal of groundwater science and engineering
Journal of groundwater science and engineering was founded in 2013 to foster understanding of groundwater sciences and engineering, sponsored by China Chapter, International Association of Hydrogeologists, the Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology under CAGS, and Commission on Hydrogeology, Geological Society of China. It is a peer-reviewed and open access journal, which publishes quarterly in English, without any charge. It is included in ESCI, SCOPUS, DOAJ, CAS, CABI, GeoRef, AJ, CNKI, CQVIP, etc. It mainly reports the latest and most important achievements in cutting-edge and emerging topics, as well as the traditional topics referring to new methodology, technology, applications and theoretical research in groundwater science and engineering, including review papers, research papers and reports etc.
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JOURNAL
Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering
ARTICLE TITLE
Opportunities and challenges for geological work in China in the new era
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