Improved Watershed Assessment: New Tools in
Google Earth
Rebecca Phillips, Ofer Beeri, and Moffatt Ngugi,
USDA-Agricultural Research Service Wetland Condition Assessment Workshop
March 17 2010
Outline
Introduction – purpose of the work
Approach used
Results
Interpretation – specific potential applications
Demonstration – Accessing results in Google Earth
Conclusions/recommendations/suggestions
Outline
Introduction
Regional Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Work Group (Apr 26 2008)
Stated Goal:
Demonstrate how project results can be reported to the public and restoration practitioners to
inform management decisions
The federal mitigation rule demands a “Watershed Approach”
Problem Statement
Souris
river
Missouri
river
Sh
eri
dan
Co
un
ty
Mc
He
nry
Co
un
ty
McL
ean
Co
un
ty
Wa
rdC
ou
nty
Sheyenn
e river
basin
North Dakota
100°0'0"W101°0'0"W
101°0'0"W
48
°0'0
"N
48
°0'0
"N
47
°30
'0"N
47
°30
'0"N
0 10 205 Miles
¯Some Watersheds in Central North Dakota
Legend
Souris
Sheyenne
Missouri
Large Rivers
Delineation of watersheds: Approach
• A quantitative characterization
• Primary data source
– DEM ~ topographic/elevation data
• GIS – Processing software ArcGIS (ESRI)
100°0'0"W101°0'0"W
101°0'0"W
48
°0'0
"N
48
°0'0
"N
47
°30
'0"N
47
°30
'0"N
0 10 205 Miles
¯Some Watersheds in Central North Dakota
Legend
Souris
Sheyenne
Missouri
Large Rivers
Digital Elevation
Model (DEM)
Flow Direction
Watersheds
Pour Points
Drainage Lines
Basins
Flow Accumulation
Approach used: Delineation of watersheds
Approach used: Delineation of watersheds
Results
Interpretation: specific potential applications
Interpretation: specific potential applications
Water shed total area: 3800 acres
Sum of catchment surface area: 370 acres
Sum of catchment potential volume: 1,432,859
Water shed total area: 3370 acres
Sum of catchment surface area: 314 acres
Sum of catchment potential volume: 1,495,325
~641 acres
Interpretation: specific potential applications
Contributing area
= 2379 acres
Contributing
area = 2.1 acres
Demonstration: Accessing the results in Google Earth
• USDA-ARS Mandan website
• http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=19461
Conclusions/recommendations/ suggestions
• Website : http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=19461
• Potential applications: – Mitigation design and planning,
– restoration,
– flood control,
– habitat assessment,
– evaluating populations of wetlands,
– agricultural drainage, grazing allotment planning
NWI data/USGS
