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Central State University
Water Resources Management
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Component | Field Studies | Research
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Past Research Projects
Since its inception, the ICWRM has engaged in research
for numerous agencies such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
(ODNR), US Army Corps of Engineers, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US
EPA through Environmental Technology Commercialization Center (ETC2)
and through University of Cincinnati, and US Department of Defense.
The research areas included control of acid mine drainage in southeastern
parts of Ohio, flood control, water resources development in arid areas
using groundwater, river sedimentation, environmental technologies,
irrigation and drainage. Research is typically assisted by students
and is an effective tool of gaining valuable experience for the students
as they seek careers in the area of water resources management. Research
also enables the Center to acquire additional laboratory equipment.
Currently, the Center has operational grants with ETC2 in Cleveland,
USACE - Huntington District , US EPA and Air Force (Department of Defense).
ICWRM is also engaged in developing numerous research proposals to a
wide ranging agencies including NASA and US Department of Agriculture.
The ICWRM also has conducted important research projects overseas and
has also collaborated with the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs
(OSP) at CSU by assisting in the Senegal Water Management project. During
1990-1992 period, ICWRM studied the development of groundwater for agricultural
development in East-Oweinat area in the south- west desert area and
Wadi-El Assiuti in middle area in Egypt. The ICWRM also collaborated
with the University of Science and Technology (UST) in Kumasi, Ghana
in studying the environmental impacts of gold mining in the Obuasi Region.
Soil Sampling for US Army Corps of Engineers -Huntington
District, W.Va
ICWRM conducts at regular intervals soil sampling
tests for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) of the Huntington District,
W. Va., for river systems in Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Soil
gradation tests - sieve analysis, hydrometer tests, Atterberg limit
tests are typically investigated. ICWRM has developed improved procedures
for hydrometer tests. We have studied, Ohio, Monangahela and Illinois
river bed samples have been analyzed among other systems by the faculty
at ICWRM. During December 1999- January 2000, ICWRM assisted the Huntington
District USACE with studying the habitat structures in the Marmet Pool
of the Kanahwa River, in Huntington, W. Va.
| Dr. Sritharan accompanied
by three (3) ICWRM students carried out research for the NASA sponsored
High Performance Computing Summer Research Institute at Morgan State
University, Baltimore, Maryland during Summer of 1997. The team
performed simulation studies of surface water and sediment runoff
using CRAY J916 computer at Morgan State University. Using the USDA's
Computer Model KINEROS peak flows of runoff and sediment were correlated
with watershed parameters using different storm patterns. Equations
for peak runoff and time to peak were developed for general use
by analyzing different watersheds of extents in the range of 250-750
square miles. |
ICWRM faculty and students conducting field research
for US Army Corps of Engineers in Marmet Pool of Kanahwa River
in W. Va. High Performance Computer Applications in Hydrology |
The model is useful in tracking the after-effects
of storms in watersheds by satellite imagery. The work culminated in a
presentation by the team to NASA on evaluating satellite imagery needs
for assessing the impact of flood events.
Biospheric - Atmospheric Interactions. A faculty-student
team consisting of Dr. Sritharan and two students from the ICWRM was
assigned to the Biospheric Sciences Division of NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD during summer of 1995. They were engaged
in adapting the Simple Biospheric Model (Sib2 Model) which is a sub-component
of Global Circulation Model (GCM) for predicting evapotranspiration
and yield performance from agricultural areas using satellite data.
The team recommended new modifications to the radiation component after
finding needs for improvement in the work by NASA in this regard.
Hydraulics of Surface- Subsurface Flow Interactions. The ICWRM was engaged by the Egyptian Council of Universities with funds
from USAID to be part of the Wadi- El Assiuti Groundwater Resources
Evaluation Project, in Egypt during 1991-1992.. Drs. Okunade and Sritharan
conducted studies in collaboration with researchers from Assiut University
in Egypt. The work involved in research related to the feasibility study
of developing groundwater resources for agricultural development on
a Wadi (dry-run) basin East of River Nile in middle of Egypt. Faculty
team conducted a study of the surface hydraulics of flash floods including
sediment transport phenomena in the area as it impacts the contribution
to groundwater. The ICWRM developed a surface-subsurface flow interaction
modeling procedure involving hydraulic modeling of surface flow coupled
with the unsaturated flow in dry run (wadi) beds. This would enable
further studies by Egyptian researchers to investigate groundwater recharge
in the Wadi El Assiuti basin.
Site Visit to Wadi-El Assiuti by ICWRM Faculty and
Egyptian Researchers |
Professor Okunade and Egyptian researchers examining geological
maps of Wadi El Assiuti |
Carbondale - Acid Mine Drainage Project. During
1990-1992 period, the Division of Reclamation (DOR) of the ODNR assigned
ICWRM to undertake studies related to monitoring and evaluating a wetland
constructed by the DOR in Carbondale, Ohio to mitigate acid-mine drainage
from an abandoned coal mine site. This assignment by ODNR in an important
project in southeastern part of Ohio enabled CSU to engage and train
eleven (11) students from the areas of water resources management, chemistry
and biology. Dr. Cadance Lowell and Dr. Murthy from the Department of
Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science at CSU participated
in the study along with ICWRM faculty led by Dr. Sritharan. These students
learned the use of advanced field and laboratory equipment through this
project, which helped them in obtaining career opportunities and graduate
school admissions. Students and faculty presented these findings in
numerous conferences locally and nationally. Importantly, faculty involved
in the project presented their findings at the site to a group of international
visitors who attended an international conference on wetlands sponsored
by the Ohio State University in 1992. ICWRM presented their findings
in a final report titled " Carbondale Wetland Monitoring and Regulation
Project" in June, 1992. The study resulted in developing an empirical
relationship for iron removal efficiencies of wetlands constructed to
ameliorate effects of acid mine drainage that can be used to design
wetlands and assess existing wetlands.
 Carbondale
Wetlands, Ohio |
Field Tests in Carbondale Wetlands, OH |
Eastern Oweinat Groundwater Evaluation Project.
| Egypt is vigorously looking for sources
of water besides the Nile River. Preliminary studies indicated that
groundwater is available in the Eastern Oweinat region in the southern
part of Egypt near to Sudanese border - West of Lake Nasser. Dr.
Daniel Underwood and Dr. Sritharan from ICWRM studied, in collaboration
with a team researchers from Cairo University, investigated the
energy requirements, groundwater modeling, water use and cropping
pattern issues for the proposed development of 190,000 acres of
arid land . |
Egypt is looking for sources of water besides the
Nile River |
Dr. Underwood investigated different sources of energy
for the abstraction and concluded that, at the prevailing rates of price
structure for fossil energy, using diesel engines would be an optimal
solution.
Studies conducted by the ICWRM team investigated the evapotranspiration
requirements of the traditional crops expected to be raised under the
project under high wind velocity regimes and recommended an optimal
mix of crops for the region. Dr. Sritharan investigated the effects
of uncertainties in the irrigation system parameters and recommended
lengths of basins - the traditional irrigation methods adopted by Egyptian
farmers under uncertainty regimes.
Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining in Obuasi Region
of Ghana
ICWRM in collaboration with Office of Sponsored Research
and Grants, Department of NSMCS (Chemistry) and Department of Manufacturing
Engineering at CSU collaborated with University of Science and Technology
(UST) in Kumasi, Ghana in investigating the environmental impacts of
gold mining in Ghana with funds from USAID. The ICWRM team from CSU
enabled their counterparts to investigate systematically the environmental
impacts of gold mining - especially the effects of contamination by
arsenic and mercury in the region in collaboration with NSMCS (Chemistry
)Department at CSU. The impact of hydrologic events in the distribution
of contaminants - especially with reference to mercury and arsenic was
investigated. The collaboration resulted in faculty and student exchanges
from UST to CSU and CSU to UST. The total funding received for all the
components of this project was $500,000 from USAID.
UST Researchers Examining Contaminated Soil in Obuasi
Region |
CSU Researcher Examining Contaminated Soil in Obuasi
Region |
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