Browsing by Author "Chatterson, Sarah"
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Item Christina Basin Trends, 1995-2010(2010-12-22) Kauffman, Gerald; Homsey, Andrew; Corrozi Narvaez, Martha; Chatterson, Sarah; McVey, Erin; Mack, StaceyThis report summarizes trends in the Christina Basin from 1995-2010 for (1) population, (2) land use, (3) water quality, (4) population/water quality vs. land use, (5) water temperature, and (6) streamflow. The Christina River Basin, the second largest tributary to the Delaware Estuary, lies in Chester County, Pa., and New Castle County, Del., with a small sliver in Cecil County, Md. The Christina Basin has unique interstate coordination challenges, as it is the only watershed in the entire Delaware Basin that includes more than one state. Since 1994, Delaware, Pennsylvania, the EPA, and the Delaware River Basin Commission have been working together to restore the Brandywine, Red Clay, and White Clay Creeks and Christina River to fishable, swimmable, and potable status (as per the Federal Clean Water Act) and state surface-water quality standards through a phased watershed-restoration approach.Item Economic Value of the Delaware Estuary Watershed - Summary Document(2011-06-29) Kauffman, Gerald; Homsey, Andrew; Chatterson, Sarah; McVey, Erin; Mack, StaceyWhat do Boeing, Sunoco, Campbell’s Soup, DuPont, Wawa, Starbucks, Iron Hill Brewery, the Philadelphia Eagles, Salem Nuclear Power Plant, and the United States Navy have in common? They all depend on the waters of the Delaware Estuary to sustain their business. The natural resources of the Delaware Estuary watershed provide tremendous economic value to our region. This report examines that value in three distinct ways: • Economic value directly related to the Delaware Estuary’s water resources and habitats: Using economic activity as a measure of value, the Delaware Estuary contributes over $10 billion in annual economic activity from recreation, water quality and supply, hunting and fishing, forests, agriculture and parks. • Value of the goods and services provided by the Delaware Estuary’s ecosystems: Using ecosystem goods and services as a measure of value, the ecosystems of the Delaware Estuary (such as wetlands, forests, farms, and water) provide $12 billion annually in goods and services in 2010 dollars, with a net present value of $392 billion calculated over a 100-year period. • Employment related to the Delaware Estuary’s water resources and habitats: Using employment as a measure of value, the Delaware Estuary directly and indirectly supports over 500,000 jobs with over $10 billion in wages annually. This does not include the thousands or even millions of jobs in companies and industries that rely on waters of the Delaware Estuary for their industrial and commercial processes.Item The Effect of Spent Mushroom Substrate on Landscape Plant Establishment(University of Delaware, 2009-05) Chatterson, SarahSpent mushroom substrate (SMS) is compost that had been used to grow mushrooms, then steamed and pasteurized once it was discarded after mushroom production. Spent mushroom substrate has the potential to improve soil structure and provide nutrients when tilled into the soil as an amendment to a planting bed or when used as a topdressing mulch during landscape establishment (Guo 2004). The research objective was to determine the effectiveness of SMS for use in landscaping as a soil amendment or as a topdressing. This study observed plant growth and health in four landscape plants over the course of one growing season. The effect of incorporating and topdressing with SMS and the effect of tilling on successful plant establishment on two species of woody shrubs and two species of perennials were measured. This study concluded that SMS is as effective as using fertilizer without tilling the soil but has the added benefits of adding organic matter to the soil, preventing soil borne pathogens, improving soil structure, maintaining or increasing pH, increasing cation exchange capacity, and reusing organic waste. SMS should be used with caution, however, to avoid excessive levels of phosphorus and soluble salts.