Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Geosciences

Major Professor

Mark C. Rains, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Kai C. Rains, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Shawn M. Landry, Ph.D.

Committee Member

William J. Kleindl, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sarah P. Church, Ph.D.

Keywords

Collaborative, Decision Support, Socio-Hydrology, Spatial Modeling, Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Water is an indispensable resource for all forms of life. Water is a cornerstone for economic development, public health, and social well-being. However, increasing water demand and challenges posed by climate change, pollution, population growth, and land use change underscore the urgent need for effective water management strategies. To address these complexities and ensure the sustainable use of water resources, it is imperative to adopt science-based decision-support tools. These tools leverage data, models, and analytical techniques to provide valuable insights and recommendations that guide decision-makers in formulating evidence-based policies and practices.

Effective water management requires a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interactions between natural processes and human activities. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate the perspectives and insights of various stakeholders, including communities, industries, governments, and environmental organizations, in developing decision-support tools. By engaging stakeholders throughout the tool development process, we can ensure that these tools are not only scientifically robust but also relevant, practical, and responsive to the diverse needs and priorities of different stakeholders. This participatory approach fosters transparency, inclusivity, and ownership, empowering decision-makers to make informed choices that balance competing interests and maximize the long-term benefits of water management initiatives.

This study explores various methodologies and strategies for constructing decision-support tools tailored to water management while concurrently crafting a conceptual framework to integrate community values into physical models.

In Chapter 2, we employed remote sensing data and the analytic hierarchy process to generate a groundwater recharge potential map in a setting where people and ecosystem functions rely on properly managing groundwater resources. Additionally, during the development of the groundwater recharge potential map, we engaged with various regional stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the landscape and explore the different ways people and nature interact with water resources. Our research enhances existing methodologies and extends their application to a previously unexplored geographic area. The insights gleaned from our study are indispensable for informed decision-making in source-water protection.

In Chapter 3, we undertook in-depth interviews to gain insights into stakeholder perspectives on natural resources. Employing both the socio-hydrology and ecosystem services frameworks, we meticulously analyzed and summarized this data. Subsequently, leveraging these findings, we formulated a conceptual framework aimed at integrating social values into physical models, thereby bridging critical gaps between social dynamic considerations and scientific modeling in water resource management practices.

In Chapter 4, we introduce two distinct decision-support tools aimed at enhancing water quality. The first tool, the Conservation and Restoration Screening Tool (CReST), focuses on identifying optimal landscape locations for water quality improvements. The second tool, Landscape Assessment of Risk for Nutrient Loading to Waterbodies (LARNLoad) identifies landscape positions that pose a higher risk to potential nutrient loading to waterbodies. To develop these tools, we engaged with various stakeholders at local, regional, and state levels. These meetings and field visits provided insights into the types of data stakeholders rely on for making water-related decisions, the scale at which they make decisions, and the kinds of products and tools they would find helpful in their decision-making process.

These studies show that by actively engaging stakeholders throughout the conceptualization and development phases, we can improve the effectiveness and acceptance of decision-support tools and ultimately maximize their impact.

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