A Systems Approach to Holistic Total Maximum Daily Load Policy: Case of Lake Allegan, Michigan
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 139, Issue 5
Abstract
Systems thinking and system dynamics simulation can provide insights for developing effective plans to protect the environmental integrity of natural systems impacted by human activities. In this study, a system archetype known as growth and underinvestment is hypothesized to explain the eutrophication problem of Lake Allegan in Michigan and identify policy leverage points for mitigation. An integrated system dynamics model is developed to simulate the interaction between key socioeconomic subsystems and natural processes driving eutrophication. The model is applied to holistically characterize the lake’s recovery from its hypereutrophic state and assess a number of proposed total maximum daily load (TMDL) reduction policies, including phosphorus load reductions from point sources and nonpoint sources. It is shown that for a TMDL plan to be effective, it should be considered a component of a continuous sustainability process, addressing the functionality of dynamic feedback relationships between socioeconomic growth, land use change, and environmental conditions.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0725636. The authors appreciate comments and suggestions from Daya Muralidharan, Qiong Zhang, Kaveh Madani, Alex Mayer, Martin Auer, and two anonymous reviewers. The authors also thank Meredith Ballard Labeau, Sara Alian, and Rabi Gyawali for providing data and graphics support.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 139 • Issue 5 • September 2013
Pages: 544 - 553
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 1, 2012
Accepted: May 25, 2012
Published online: May 30, 2012
Discussion open until: Oct 30, 2012
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013
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