At the end of the 13 yr war in Afghanistan and over $100 billion in development efforts, Afghanistan is beginning anew with her first peaceful and democratic transfer of political power. This transition, unfortunately, is occurring in the most fragile state outside of sub-Saharan Africa and during diminishing stability and development gains due to Islamic jihadist rebel actions in Iraq. In order for Afghanistan’s transition to the world stage to maintain a positive trajectory and be lasting, aid needs to be reformed to better meet the long-term needs of the Afghan people. Keen planning by the U.S. Army provided such an outlet for military-development assistance, the Agriculture Development Teams (2008–2014). These special teams supported Afghanistan’s primary driver of survival, employment, and productivity: water/agriculture. Using only 0.04% of U.S. development funding, these teams provided an improved approach to development by using widespread, community-accepted, sustainable projects, which included educational and training components using an “Afghan first” focus on contracting, materials, and labor. Water projects developed and implemented with the Afghan people focused on infrastructure and educational needs, providing a step forward in the progression of Afghanistan from subsistence to economic agriculture. Although these professional, egalitarian military teams are now inoperative, their efforts are being analyzed and included into new warfare expectancies. U.S. military might has become holistic and is leveraging all expertise to make future endeavors successful for the affected state. Using this improved approach to military aid, future operations should provide better, more meaningful support, increasing the likelihood of development success.

Efforts to improve water quality and quantity, and sanitation in the world are impeded by a variety of technical and socioeconomic issues often unfamiliar to well-motivated individuals. Sustainable technological improvement can be thwarted by the lack of consideration of regional norms, customs, mores, and traditions, and by the absence of feasibility assessment and coordination with the community both before and during instatement of local improvements. Specifically, the absence of coordination means not fully allowing users to define their needs, resources, issues, and maintainable solutions, and not understanding local and regional power dynamics and the ability of the community to provide long-term project stewardship. Other mistakes can include: a lack of long-term planning; inadequate scientific and engineering design and construction; lack of anticipation of contingencies and complicating issues and lack of adaptive management to deal with these unforeseen events; use of inappropriate technology; absence of educational efforts (both for the community to understand and provide stewardship for the project, and for the education of those installing the facilities in the community); lack of follow-up; and lack of technical expertise and leadership. There is no single approach to water and sanitation development that fits all situations. However, avoiding common pitfalls can bring these important resources to villages worldwide, and in the process empower communities, reduce sickness and mortality, and improve the human condition.

Abstract Upper North Chickamauga Creek in Hamilton and Sequatchie Counties, Tennessee, is severely impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) emanating from more than 15 abandoned coal mines in headwater tributaries. AMD is formed when pyrite and other sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water during coal mining. It is characterized by low pH (<2.8) and elevated concentrations of acidity, iron, aluminum, sulfate, and other pollutants. These attributes tend to be toxic to most aquatic life and result in reduced aesthetics and potential uses of the water. The North Chickamauga Creek Watershed Restoration Project is a multi-organizational effort to restore the upper 18 miles of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed to a level that will support a warm-water fishery. Several passive treatment systems (PTS) have been installed at abandoned mining sites in the North Chickamauga Creek watershed where AMD is generated and is flowing into surface waters. PTS is the engineered use of natural and enhanced geological, biological, chemical, and physical processes to prevent pollutant generation or to remove pollutants from aqueous discharges. PTS include technologies such as constructed wetlands, anoxic limestone drains, mine seals and flooding, successive alkalinity-producing systems, limestone trenches, and other components. During this field trip to the upper reaches of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed, we will visit several of the operational systems and observe untreated AMD. Participants will gain an understanding of how AMD is generated, its impacts and characteristics, and how it can be prevented or treated. This field trip requires extensive hiking over moderate slopes and sometimes vegetated terrain.

Abstract Acidic metal-contaminated drainages are a critical problem facing many areas of the world. Acid rock drainage results when metal sulfide minerals, particularly pyrite, are oxidized by exposure to oxygen and water. The deleterious effects of these drainages on receiving streams are well known. To address this problem, efforts are being made to use biological processes as an innovative, cost-effective means for treating acidic metal-contaminated drainage. Biological sulfate reduction (BSR) technology can be adapted to diverse site conditions and water chemistry. The Lilly mine near the community of Elliston, Montana, illustrates some of the specific conditions that can challenge effective application of BSR technology.

The Spring Mill Lake watershed is located in the Mitchell Plateau, a karst area that developed on Mississippian carbonates in southern Indiana. Spring Mill Lake is a reservoir built in the late 1930s and is located in Spring Mill State Park. Within the park, groundwater from subsurface conduits issues as natural springs and then flows in surface streams to the lake. From 1998 to 2002, surface and subsurface hydrology and water quality were investigated to determine the types and sources of potential contaminants entering the lake. Water samples collected during base flow and a February 2000 storm event were analyzed for selected cations, anions, trace elements, selected U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary and secondary drinking-water contaminants, nitrogen isotopes, suspended solids, Escherichia coli , and pesticides. All of the water samples met the EPA drinking-water standards for inorganic constituents, except those collected at five sites in August 1999 during a drought. Nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 -N) concentrations were highest during base-flow conditions and displayed a dilutional trend during peak-flow periods. The NO 3 -N concentrations in water samples collected during the 2001 spring fertilizer applications tended to increase from early to late spring. All of the δ 15 N values were low, which is indicative of either an inorganic source or soil organic matter. Storm discharge contained increased concentrations of total suspended solids; thus, storms are responsible for most of the sediment accumulation in the lake. E. coli levels in 24% of the samples analyzed contained a most probable number (MPN) greater than 235/100 mL, which is the maximum acceptable level set for recreational waters in Indiana. E. coli does appear to be a potential health risk, particularly at Rubble spring. The sources of E. coli found at this spring may include barnyard runoff from a horse barn or wastes from a wastewater treatment facility. The pesticides atrazine, metolachlor, acetochlor, and simazine were detected during the spring of 2001. Atrazine, metolachlor, ace-tochlor, and simazine are used to suppress weeds during corn and soybean production. Additional sources of atrazine and simazine may result from application to right-of-ways, orchards, and managed forest areas.