Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
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Date of Graduation
Spring 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Department of Engineering
Advisor(s)
Bradley Striebig
Abstract
Water quality has become a major environmental and human welfare concern in the world today, it’s no longer just for developing countries. There have been many incidences in the US of health problems related to water quality and a shortage of water. The City of Harrisonburg and the surrounding community also have a need for a well-developed watershed management plan. The focus of this study will be the Dry River because that is a main source of the city’s water. The Dry River watershed is threatened by illegal dumping, erosion from primitive roads and future road building sedimentation, a lack of awareness about the resource, and the potential for hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. These threats suggest that the full value of the Dry River watershed is not fully understood by the community and accounted for in the public use plans of the City and US Forest Service. The goal of the research is to measure and assess the true value of the environmental services provided by the Dry River watershed, including both the land owned by the City of Harrisonburg and the George Washington National Forest (GWNF), which may assist in future management decisions. The research includes background of the area of focus, a literature summary on ecosystem services, a description of the methods used, outcomes, and recommendations for future work.
Recommended Citation
Hutchens, Julia, "Dry river watershed valuation and management plan" (2019). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019. 684.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/684
