RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Khosrowpanah’s research encompasses applied and fundamental aspects of surface water hydraulics, watershed management, soil erosion and sedimentation.  He is currently developing optimum operation scenarios for the water system in Saipan (CNMI).  This includes developing a computer model to predict realistic residential and commercial water demands for the entire system.  The model uses recent census population data, satellite imagery and ArcMap GIS applications.  Dr. Khosrowpanah leads the Watershed Management Program and is developing best watershed management practices for Guam and the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.  Hydrological parameters such as rainfall, streamflow, and turbidity have been collected for three watersheds to determine the impact of man’s activities.  Dr. Khosrowpanah also heads the Soil Erosion, Monitoring and Mitigation Program the current activities of which have recently developed a GIS based soil erosion model for the Ugum Watershed in Guam. This model integrates the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with the ESRI GIS software package to predict the soil erosion potential within a watershed and identifies land areas with highest erosion potential.  The model is currently used for determining the effectiveness of various vegetative cover schemes in reducing soil erosion and estimating the relative costs of applying these erosion prevention schemes.

PROJECTS
Ongoing projects

• Identifying the Optimum Land Coverage Practices for Southern Guam Watersheds:

This project uses a recently developed GIS soil erosion model to investigate the effectiveness of various vegetative cover schemes in reducing soil erosion and is estimating the relative costs of implementing such erosion prevention techniques.  Expected completion date: March 2008 (Funding source: NOAA and US Geological Survey).  Participating student: Michael Park.   

• Development of Realistic Residential and Commercial Water Demands for Use with the Saipan Water Distribution System Mode

This project proposes to better refine estimates of both the quantities and spatial distribution of water demands of both residential and commercial customers of the Saipan CUC water system.  Expected completion date: March 2008 (Funding source: US Geological Survey).  Participating student: Christian Muli.  

• Watershed Management for Senpehn Watershed, Pohnpei Island, the Federated States of Micronesia:

The overall objective of this project is to study the impact of man’s activities on the quality of the watershed and make recommendations to reduce the impact of these activities.  The specific objectives are to: 1) install stream flow, sediment, and rain gages for selected sites within the Senpehn Watershed; 2) monitor the stream gages and develop a streamflow vs. stage rating curve for the selected site; 3) develop a correlation between stream flow, sediment load and rainfall; and 4) make a comparison with the findings of the other watersheds such as Enipein and Nanpil Watersheds that were monitored during previous studies.  Expected completion: July 2008 (Funding source: Guam Hydrologic Survey).  Participating student: Roseo Marques.

• Developing a Digital Watershed Atlas for Southern Guam:

Protecting streams from pollution, soil from erosion, and the coastal environment from degradation requires an effective management plan.  An effective management plan requires accurate baseline information.  The goals of this project are to develop a GIS database that includes the physical and environmental characteristics of all southern Guam watersheds and to make this information easily accessible to local and federal agencies as well as teachers, students and all interested parties.  Expected completion date: October 2008.  (Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA)

Recent projects

• Developing a GIS Soil Erosion Model for Southern Guam Watersheds:

Completed March 2007, this project combines the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with the computer capabilities of a GIS, specifically the commercial software package ArcGIS for estimating upland erosion.  The technique is being used to rank Southern Guam watersheds according to their management needs.  It also is being used for identifying areas within each watershed that contributes most soil erosion.  A Masters degree thesis and technical report were the outcomes of this project (see WERI Technical Report No. 117) and a manuscript is currently being prepared for publication.  (Funding source: NOAA).  Participating student: Michael Park.  

• Development of a Source, Transmission and Storage Model of the Saipan Water System

Water hours and low delivery pressure have long been a part of the daily lives of the people in the islands of the Western Pacific.  In Saipan, Commonwealth Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), large investments have been made in system improvements, but delivery problems still exist.  A stated goal of the CNMI government is to provide 24-hour water to all residents served by the Commonwealth Utility Corporation (CUC) water system.  With financial support from the CUC, research engineers at WERI developed a water system management plan with the goal of providing 24-hours water services through out the island.  The plan included: 1) development of a hydraulic model of the distribution system, 2) training personnel on how to operate the system, and 3) skeletonization of the water distribution system for system operation.  With the results of this ongoing project the CUC has been able to provide 24-hours delivery for part of the island.  (Funding source: US Geological Survey and Saipan Commonwealth Utility Corporation)

COURSES

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EV 513, fall semester, 2 credit hours)

One of the core courses of the University of Guam’s Environmental Science Master’s Degree Program, it involves discussing, structuring, writing, and evaluating environmental impact assessments.  The course focuses on the production of formal environmental impact statements for actual, proposed, and hypothetical projects on Guam.

• Hydrology: Geology & Engineering (EV 511, spring semester, each year, 3 credit hours)

Another core course of the Environmental Science MS Program, this course surveys the key aspects of geology and engineering that environmental scientists should be familiar with.  Team taught by the WERI faculty, topics include meteorology, surface hydrology, open channel flow, erosion and sedimentation, and groundwater hydrology.

• Engineering Orientation (ES 100, fall semester, each year, 1 credit hours)

This course is designed to give freshmen students’ insight into the nature of technology and an engineer’s role in society.  This is the first course of the Pre-Engineering Undergraduate Program at the University of Guam.

• Engineering Graphics (ES 101, spring semester, each year, 3 credit hours)

Concept and methods of communications by graphical means, freehand and instrument drawing, orthogonal projections, and descriptive geometry are covered in this course.  All instrumental drawings are done using the latest AutoCAD program.

• Engineering Statics (ES 201, fall semester, each year, 3 credit hours)

      This course covers forces, resultants and equilibrium, the analysis of trusses, frames, machines, centroid, moment of inertia, and friction.

• Engineering Dynamics (ES 202, spring semester, each year, 3 credit hours)

This course covers kinematics and kinetics of translation, rotation, plane motion, works, energy, power, impulse, momentum, impact, kinetics of variable mass, and introduction to vibration.

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

• Water Resources Training for Western Pacific Islands (week long training, each year)

As part of WERI’s information dissemination activities, the Institute provides annual funding for water resources outreach activities in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marinas islands.  Primary audiences are water utilities personnel and professionals in related disciplines.  They receive broad instruction on locally and regionally important water quality and water quantity issues including water distribution systems, pump maintenance and repair.  I teach the function, operation, and maintenance portions of the water distribution systems training.

• Training on Water System Modeling using MWH Soft H2oMAP and Haestad WaterCAD  (CEU, 6 credit hours)

This course covers hydraulics fundamentals, pipe flow and network hydraulics, pump performance modeling, fire flow analysis, and modeling of various water distribution systems.

PUBLICATIONS

Five Most Recent Publications

1.   Khosrowpanah, S., L.F. Heitz, and M. Park (2007).  Developing a GIS-Based Erosion Potential Model for Ugum Watershed, Technical Report No. 117, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923.

2.   Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F. Heitz (2006).  Sources to Tap: Virtual Management of a Water Delivery System , Proceeding of 2006 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 18-20, 2006.

3.   Khosrowpanah, S., M. Lander and L.F. Heitz (2005).  Pohnpei-the wettest island on earth? Tools for managing watershed.  Proceeding of the Institutions for Sustainable Watershed Management, American Water Resources Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 27-29, 2005

4.   S. Khosrowpanah, and John Jocson (2005).  Environmental Assessment for Non-Point Sources of Pollution for Ugum Watershed”, Technical Report No. 109, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923.

5.   Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F.Heitz (2003).  Water Resources Management: A Challenging Issue for Tropical Islands in the Western Pacific.  Journal of Water Resources, American Water Resources Association, 5 (3), May 2003.

Publications List

Journal Articles and Technical Reports

Khosrowpanah, S. and J. Jocson (2005).  Environmental Assessment for Non-Point Sources of Pollution for Ugum Watershed.  Technical Report No. 109, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Lander, M. and S. Khosrowpanah (2004).  Rainfall Climatology for Pohnpei Island the Federated States of Micronesia Technical Report No. 104, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F. Heitz (2003).  Slow Sand Filter Conceptual Design for the Federated States of Micronesia.  Technical Report No. 101, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923.

Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F. Heitz (2003).  Water Resources Management: A Challenging Issue for Tropical Islands in the Western Pacific.  Journal of Water Resources, American Water Resources Association, 5: (3) May 2003.

Khosrowpanah, S., L.F. Heitz and C. Beausoliel (2001).  The Application of Slow Sand Filtration Technology for Kosrae State, FSM: A Pilot Project.  Technical Report No. 91, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Heitz, L.F., S. Khosrowpanah and J. Nelson (2000).  Sizing of Surface Water Runoff Detention Ponds for Water Quality Improvement.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 36: (3), June 2000, pp. 541-548.

Heitz L.F. and S. Khosrowpanah (1997).  Sizing of Surface Water Runoff Detention Ponds”, Technical Report No. 80, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923

Khosrowpanah, S., M.L. Albertson & A.A. Fiuzat (1988).  Design of the Cross-Flow Turbine.  Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineering, 114: (3). March 1988.

Khosrowpanah, S. (1987).  Improving the Water Distribution System at Kolonia, Pohnpei State Through Use of a Digital Water Distribution Model.  Technical Report No. 66, Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) of the Western Pacific, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam 96923.

Conference Proceedings, Presentations and Abstracts

Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F Heitz (2006).  Sources to Tap: Virtual Management of a Water Delivery System.  Proceeding of 2006 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 18-20, 2006.

Khosrowpanah, S., M. Lander and L.F. Heitz (2005).  Pohnpei-the Wettest Island on Earth?  Tools for Managing Watershed.  Proceeding of the Institutions for Sustainable Watershed Management, American Water Resources Association, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 27-29, 2005.

Khosrowpanah, S. and N. Scheman (2003).  Badland Erosion rates and Sources in a Tropical Watershed”, Proceedings of 2003 Annual Conference, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Spokane, Washington, July 2003

Khosrowpanah, S. (2002).  Rainfall Erosivity Factors for Selected Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.  Proceedings of the Coastal Water Resources, American Water Resources Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 2002. pp. 225-230.

Heitz, L.F. and S. Khosrowpanah (1998).  The Performance of Roof Top Rainwater Catchment Systems on a Small Pacific Atoll Island During the Drought of 1997-1998.  Proceedings of the International Symposium and 2nd Chinese National Conference on Rainwater Utilization. Xuzhou, China September 1998.

Heitz, L.F. and S. Khosrowpanah (1998).  A Simulation Model for Drought Proofing Roof Top Rainwater Catchment Systems.  Proceedings of the International Symposium and 2nd Chinese National Conference on Rainwater Utilization, Xuzhou, China September 1998.

Khosrowpanah, S. and P-P.G. Dumaliang (1998).  Soil Erosion in Micronesia”, American Water Resources Association.  3rd International Symposium on Tropical Hydrology and 5th Caribbean Islands Water Resources Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 12-16, 1998.

Khosrowpanah, S., L.F. Heitz and C. Guard (1998).  The Response of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Application Center in Minimizing the Impact of the 1998 Drought in Western Pacific”.  American Water Resources Association: 3rd International Symposium on Tropical Hydrology and Fifth Caribbean Islands Water Resources Congress, San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 12-16, 1998.

Heitz L.F., S. Khosrowpanah and S. Winter (1997).  Design of Rooftop Rain Catchment Systems in Micronesia.  Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Rainwater Catchment Systems, April 25-29, 1997, Tehran, Iran.  pp. 393-399,

Khosrowpanah, S. and L. Heitz (1997).  Water Resources Educational Program for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).  Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association Symposium, Education, Training, and Practice, Opportunities for the Next Century, Keystone, Colorado, pp. 625-631, June 1997.

Heitz L.F. and S. Khosrowpanah (1995).  Living Without Water: A case Study of the Drought of 1992 in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. The 1st Annual Pacific Northwest Water Issues and 1995 Pacific Northwest/Oceania Conference, Portland, Oregon, February 27-28, 1995.

Khosrowpanah, S. (1991).  Defining USLE Factors for the Southern Guam.  Proceedings of the Non-pointSource Pollution Conference: The Unfinished Agenda for the Protection of Our Water Quality, Tacoma, Washington, pp.329-338, March 20-21, 1991.

R. Hunter-Anderson, and S. Khosrowpanah (1989).  Using the Universal Soil Loss Equation to Discuss the Causes of Sedimentation in Guam, Mariana Islands.  Proceedings of the Headwaters Hydrology Symposium, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, June 1989.

Khosrowpanah, S. (1988).  A New Approach to the Use of Computerized Pipe Network Models in Micronesia.  Proceedings of the International Symposium on Computer Modeling of Water Distribution Systems, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, May  12-13, 1988.

Khosrowpanah, S., M.L. Albertson & A.A. Fiuzat (1988).  Design of the Cross-Flow Turbine.  Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineering, 114: (3). March 1988.

Khosrowpanah, S. and R. Hunter-Anderson (1987).  Socio-Political Impacts on the Water Distribution System of Kolonia, Pohnpei, Capital of the Federated States of Micronesia.  Proceedings of the International Conference on Resource Mobilization for Drinking Water and Sanitation in  Developing Nations, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 1987, pp. 84-91.

Khosrowpanah, S. and L.F. Heitz (1987).  Use of Appropriate Technology in the Design of Water Systems in Micronesia.  Proceedings of the International Conference on Resource Mobilization for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Developing Nations, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 1987, pp.  399-406.