National Conference on Environmental
Problem Solving
with
Geographic Information Systems
";. Sponsored by
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Abstract Collection
September 21-23, 1994
Cincinnati, Ohio
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NOTICE
The work and opinions described in these abstracts are those of the authors and therefore do not
necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. No official endorsements
should be inferred.
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CONTENTS
Page
SESSION A
A-l GIS Uncertainty and Policy: Where Do We Draw the
Twenty-Five Inch Line?
James E. Mitchell* 1
A-2 Developing and Using Interpretive Hydrogeologic Maps
Donald A Keefer* and Richard C. Berg 2
A-3 "You Can't Do That With This Data"
or Uses and Abuses of Tap Water Monitoring Analyses
Michael R. Schock* and Jonathan A Clement 3
SESSION B
B-l Wetlands Mapping and Assessment in Coastal North
Carolina: A GIS-Based Approach
Lori A Surfer* and James E. Wuenscher 4
B-2 The Watershed Assessment Project:
Tools for Regional Problem Area Identification
Christine L Adamus* 6
B-3 Riparian/Wetland Corridor Planning With GIS
Margaret A Fasf* and Tina K. Ra/afa 7
SESSION C
C-1 Small Is Beautiful: GIS and Small Native American
Reservations—Approach, Problems, Pitfalls and Advantages
Jeff Besoug/off* 8
C-2 Facilitation of Water-Surface-Profile Computations
by Use of a GIS
Ralph J. Haefner*, K. Scoff Jaclcson, and James M. Sherwood 9
C-3 Data Quality Issues Affecting GIS Use for
Environmental Problem Solving
Carol B. Griffin* 10
* indicates presenter
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CONTENTS (cont.)
Page
SESSION D
D-l Development of Landscape Level Habitat Units Using
Multi-Temporal/Multi-Scale Remote Sensing and
Ancillary Landscape Data for a Biodiversity
Assessment for the Central Appalachians
Charles Yuill, Ree Brannon*, and Sue Perry 11
D-2 An Investigation Using GIS To Assist in Aquatic Macrophyte
Management for Legend Lake, Menominee County, Wisconsin
Michael F. Troge* and Byron Shaw 12
D-3 GIS-Assisted Riparian Characterization and Temperature
Modeling of the Upper Grande Ronde River Basin in
Northeast Oregon
Doug las J. Norton*, John R. Cannell, John P. Craig, Jim Staley,
Mark Flood, Liz Porter, David Chen, and Bruce Mclntosh 13
SESSION E
E-l Verification of Contaminant Flow Estimation With
GIS and Aerial Photography
Thomas M. Williams* 15
E-2 Taking a GIS Into the 3rd and 4th Dimensions To
Solve Ground-Water Remediation Problems
Dennis R. Smith* 16
E-3 Use of a GIS To Estimate Ground-Water
Availability in West Central Georgia
Bruce J. O'Connor, William H. McLemore*,
and Victoria P. Trent 17
SESSION F
F-l A Watershed-Oriented Database for Regional
Cumulative Impact Assessment and Land Use Planning
Sfeven J. Stichter* 18
F-2 Watershed Stressors and EMAP Estuarine Indicators for South
Shore Rhode Island
John F. Paul* and George E. Morrison 19
* indicates presenter
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CONTENTS (cont.)
Pac
F-3 Design of GIS To Compare Wetland Impacts
on Runoff in Upstream Basins of the Mississippi
and the Volga
Taf/ana 8. Nawrodc/'* 20
SESSION G
G-l GIS Techniques Applied to the Hydrogeological
Characterization of a U.S. Department of Energy
Facility in Northeastern Illinois
Glenn H. Wittman* 22
G-2 Geologic and Ground-Water Resource Evaluation of
Will and Southern Cook Counties, Illinois, Using a GIS
Edward C. Smith* and MeLisa M. McLean 23
G-3 Using GIS/GPS in the Design and Operation of
Minnesota's Ground-Water Monitoring and
Assessment Program (GWMAP)
yuan-Ming Hsu, Jennifer Schlorthauer, Tom Clark*,
Don Jakes, and Georgianna Myers 24
SESSION H
H-l The Design and Application of a GIS Data Base for the
Analysis of Nonpoint Source Pollution in a Watershed
Thomas H. Can///*, Joel S. McGuire, and Wesley R. Homer 25
H-2 A GIS for Aquatic Resource Management and Protection
for the Upper Ohio River Basin in Pennsylvania
Jerry G. Schulte*, Douglas A Ne/man, John A Arway,
Thomas R. Proch, and Robert L Shema 26
H-3 Examining the Influence of Watershed Characteristics
on Stream Water Quality, Physical Habitat, and Biota
Carl Richards*, Luanda Johnson, George Host, and John Arthur 27
SESSION I
1-1 Application of GIS and Modeling in Remediation
of Ground-Water Contamination
Milovan S. Be/jin and Rondo// R. Ross* 28
indicates presenter
in
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CONTENTS (cont.)
Page
1-2 Use of GIS in Modeling Ground-Water Flow in
the Memphis, Tennessee, Area
James E. Outlaw* and M. Clay Brown 29
1-3 GIS in Statewide Ground-Water Vulnerability
Evaluation to Pollution Potential
Kumar C.S. Navu/ar* ana1 Bernard A. Engel 30
SESSION J
J-l A GIS Toolbox for Targeting Nonpoint Source
Pollution in Urban Areas
Michael L Ketcham*, Chad T. Jafvert, and
Bernard A. Engel 31
J-2 Using GIS To Create Awareness of Nonpoint Source
Water Quality Impacts in an Urbanizing Watershed
Pefer Coffin*, Andrea Dorlester, and Julius Fabos 32
J-3 Linking GIS With Watershed Models and
Management Assessment Techniques
John Love//*, Richard Xue, and Mohammed Lahlou 33
SESSION K
K-l Vulnerability of Missouri Drinking Water to
Chemical Contamination
Christopher J. Barnerr*, Sfeven J. Vance*,
Christopher L Fulcher 34
K-2 Determining the Extent of Agricultural Chemical
Contamination in Water Resources in the Midwestern
United States
W/7/iom A 8attog//n* and Dona/d A Goolsby 35
K-3 A GIS-Based Approach in Characterizing Chemical
Compounds in Soil and Modeling of Remedial
System Design
Les//e L Chau* and Charles R. Comsfode 36
* indicates presenter
IV
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CONTENTS (cont.)
SESSION L
L-l Spatial Modeling of Biocriteria and Upstream
Basin Characteristics for the Black River, Ohio
Dale A. White* and Edward J. Rankin 37
L-2 GIS for Water Quality Management and Modeling
in the Ohio River Basin
James A Goodrich, Walter M. Groyman,
Jason P. Heath*, and Sudhir Kshirsagar 38
L-3 Reach File 3 and the Development of GIS Water
Quality Tools
Stephen R. Bev/ngfon* 40
SESSION M
M-l Nonpoint Source Pesticide Pollution of the
Pequa Creek Watershed, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania:
An Approach Linking Probabilistic Transport
Modeling and GIS
Robert T. Paulsen* and Allan Moose 41
M-2 Integration of GIS With the Agricultural Nonpoint
Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) To Evaluate
Model Output at High Resolutions
Suzanne R. Perl/tsh* 42
M-3 Integration of GIS and Hydrologic Models for
Nutrient Management Planning
Clyde W. Fra/sse*, Kenneth L Campbell, James W. Jones,
William G. Boggess, and Babak Negahban 43
SESSION N
N-l GIS Model for Land Use Suitability of Greenbelt Area
Joanna J. Becker* 44
N-2 Application of GIS for Environmental Impact
Analysis in a Traffic Relief Study
Bruce E. Stauffer* and X/nhao Wang 45
N-3 GIS as a Tool for Predicting Urban Growth Patterns and
Risks From Accidental Release of Industrial Toxins
Samuel V. Noe* 46
* indicates presenter
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CONTENTS (cont.)
Page
SESSION O
O-1 XGRCWP, a Knowledge and CIS Based System for
Selection, Evaluation, and Design of Water Quality
Control Practices in Agricultural Watersheds
Runxuan Zhao, Michael A Foster*, Paul D. Robillard,
and David W. Lehn/ng 47
O-2 EPA's Reach Indexing Project: Using GIS To
Improve Water Quality Assessment
John J. Clifford*, Wi7//am D. Wheaton, and Ross J. Curry 48
O-3 Application of GIS Techniques to the Results of
Probabilistic Modeling for Herbicide Runoff in
Corn Growing Soils in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri,
and Nebraska
Robert T. Pau/sen*, Patti Tillotson, and Ray Layton 50
O-4 Linking Environmental Models and GIS Through
Inter-Application Communication
Car/ A Morton* and John M. Shafer 51
SESSION P
P-l Comparing Experiences in the British and U.S.
Virgin Islands in Implementing GIS for
Environmental Problem Solving
Louis Potter and Bruce G. Porter* 52
P-2 Integration of EPA Mainframe Graphics and GIS
in a UNIX Workstation Environment To Solve
Environmental Problems
William B. Samuels*, Phillip Toy/or, Paul Evenhouse,
and Robert King 53
P-3 Development of a GIS for Former Industrial Properties
in the Mahoning River Corridor
Scott C. Martin*, Javed A/am, and Laura Lyden 54
P-4 Polygon Development Improvement Techniques for
Hazardous Waste Environmental Impact Analysis
David A Padgett* 55
* indicates presenter
VI
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GIS Uncertainty and Policy: James E Mitchel1'Kansas Geological Survey,
,.„ __ _ , The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Where Do We Draw the
Twenty-Five Inch Line?
The growing availability of both improved hardware and software for GIS has outstripped most
user's ability to identify and represent uncertainty in the available data. In practice, the proliferation
and compounding of errors and uncertainty are increased as information becomes more easily
handled and combined from different sources.
Errors and uncertainty are generated at various stages of GIS database development and
processing. In most cases, the inherent uncertainty from source data is simply ignored and its nature
eventually lost through subsequent processing. Both the location of features and their attributes can
contain errors and uncertainty. By the time decision makers are presented the information, it is
typically represented as correctly located and attributed. The use of weather and climate information
provided by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDQ is a clear example of this scenario.
Weather station locations provided by NCDC are reported to the nearest truncated degree-minute.
A minute is l/60th of a degree of arc. In the center of the continental United States, one minute of
latitude averages approximately 6,000 feet, and one minute of longitude averages approximately
4,800 feet. Thus, the station location is only known to lie within a box of approximately 1 square
mile. Map representations of these data should reflect this uncertainty.
Under the Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Criteria (MSWLF), the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has dictated that the 25-inch precipitation line be used as a regulatory boundary for the
level of protection required at municipal landfill sites. How these lines are created and interpreted
has important policy implications. Indeed, the cost and practicality of a given location must take this
into account. If the 25-inch precipitation figure is critical, characterizing its uncertainty is also
important.
This work outlines a Monte Carlo procedure to represent the uncertainty in contour lines generated
from point data with known locational uncertainty. The 30-year normal precipitation data for
Kansas are used as an example. The results of this study are compared to the 25-inch contour used
for regulation in Kansas. The differences are significant, their implications and origin are discussed.
SESSION A-1: Wednesday, September 21, 1 :OOPM
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Developing and Using Interpretive |r!onaldcA- Ke*ferand *icchard c
,,ii . Illinois State Geological Survey,
Hydrogeologic Maps champaign, IL
The need for predicting specific hydrogeologic conditions (i.e., aquifer vulnerability to
contamination), combined with the increasing availability of computerized mapping software, has led
to the widespread development and use of interpretive hydrogeologic maps. Many of these maps
have been developed using custom methods for specific projects. Others have been developed
using published techniques. The objective of this paper is to discuss a generic method for
developing interpretive hydrogeologic maps that will ensure that the method used in developing the
map does not incorrectly combine the selected data layers. In addition, insight will be provided as
to specific issues that should be addressed in the use of any interpretive map.
To ensure the accurate development of project-specific models/maps, several important factors must
be considered. The scales of the source maps must be known, and the smallest scale must be used
to constrain the final map scale. Scale-independent data (e.g., point data) must be used with regard
to the resolution it contains. The accuracy and/or quality of source data must be known, particularly
when factors are combined and use limitations are determined. The intended use of the final
product must be one of the considerations controlling which data are used, how data are combined,
and how the final product should be interpreted. The methods used to combine the data layers
should be carefully selected. Different data types and intended uses have different methods that
should be used to combine the data layers. The selection of the correct method both simplifies the
process and ensures that the integrity of the final output will be consistent with the intended use.
Interdependent factors must be identified, together with the degree of their interdependence. This
will ensure that the factor combination methods use appropriate factor weights. An understanding of
the hydrogeologic generalizations incorporated in the final product is necessary to ensure that the
product remains consistent with the intended use. Emerging techniques of integrating ground-water
flow and contaminant transport modeling with GIS-based computer mapping must be conducted
with expertise from both fields, or the integrity of the output could be compromised.
There are several key issues regarding the use of interpretive maps. The collective set of source data
limitations, hydrogeologic generalizations, and methods of factor combination must be considered
when determining the utility that any map product will have. For example, regional hydrogeologic
maps are being used for site-specific purposes in some regulatory situations. This can lead to
unexpected discrepancies between what geologic sequences appear to be mapped, and what
sequences are found at any given point. When properly constructed and used, interpretive
hydrogeologic maps can be a useful tool for ground-water resource protection.
SESSION A-2: Wednesday, September 21,1:30PM
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"You Can't Do That With This Data" Michael R Schock' Drinkin9Water Research
j.i . _ Division, Risk Reduction Engineering
OF UseS and AbUSeS Ot Tap Water Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection
Monitoring Analyses Agency'Cincinnati'OH
Jonathan A. Clement, Black & Veatch,
Cambridge, MA
Over the past approximately ten years, there has been a rapid expansion of drinking water
monitoring requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Coupled with growing public and
governmental interest in the health effects of the increasingly large number of inorganic and organic
contaminants, this makes the aggregation and consolidation of this data for systemization and
visualization seem highly desirable from many viewpoints. The GIS approach would seem to be a
logical and powerful medium for using this data for a variety of important tasks.
At the largest scale, the problem of uniformity of water sources arises. Many water systems do not
distribute water of a single chemical or physical quality, let alone from a single inlet, into the water
system.
At the smallest scale, the concentrations of a variety of inorganic constituents of likely regulatory,
aesthetic or health interest are not a simple function of water quality from the treatment plants.
Some metals, like lead and copper, do not usually even enter the water until a consumer's house,
and even within that house, the constituents display significant variability by location and over time.
This largely unappreciated phenomenon renders many of the published attempts to make
correlations between some apparent effects and water constituent concentrations uncertain because
of a flawed sampling scheme.
Many constituents or parameters, such as pH, disinfection by-products, and chlorine residual species
change throughout the distribution system because of slow chemical reactions or chemical reactions
with the pipe itself.
This presentation introduces the non-specialist to important concepts in what controls the
concentrations of metals and other constituents of interest in drinking water, how apparent levels of
constituents are affected by the sampling protocol, and the magnitude of temporal and spatial
variability present in both municipal and private water supplies. These examples show how limited
generalizations may be, and how the data input into a GIS for interpretation and evaluation must be
carefully analyzed and screened to determine the appropriateness for various well-intended
purposes.
SESSION A-3: Wednesday, September 21, 2:OOPM
3
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Wetlands Mapping and Assessment |-ori A Su1?e:and J°mes E-
l ii L r i« Division or Coastal Management, State of
in Coastal North Carolina: North Carolina, Raleigh, NC
A CIS-Based Approach
The North Carolina Coastal Management Program (CMP) is well known for its effective protection of
tidal wetlands. The program, however, lacks policy and regulatory authority for non-tidal wetlands
protection. A primary component of the CMP is the land use planning process where local
governments are required to recognize the importance of wetlands in their land use plans. Many
local governments, however, often lack the resources necessary to incorporate comprehensive
wetland information into these plans. The State of North Carolina has begun to address the issues
of wetland protection and management, but no information base currently exists for decision-making
or policy development. The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has, therefore, established a
wetland mapping and functional assessment effort for the twenty counties which fall within the
agency's jurisdiction. Data will be distributed to local planning and tax offices upon completion.
Digital overlays of 1:24,000 scale National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), detailed soil lines and satellite
imagery (LANDSAT Thematic Mapper) are used to produce wetland maps in the coastal area. DCM
has initiated mapping in Carteret county and has tested several classification schemes using different
combinations of NWI type, soil type and land use. The resulting wetland maps have undergone
both field and aerial photo verification. Where data do not currently exist, DCM is working with the
North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis and other agencies to ensure their
availability in the near future.
This inventory of wetland location then becomes the basis for GIS-based analysis of the ecological
function of each wetland on the landscape. DCM has incorporated the results of much research as
well as the professional opinions of many experts into the procedure. The procedure is based on
watershed analysis and divides wetlands into hydrogeomorphic and vegetative cover wetland types.
Functional parameters within the assessment include wetland type, size, soil characteristics, and
landscape characteristics. Some of these landscape characteristics include watershed position, water
sources, land uses and landscape pattern. Parameters are combined to assess the wetland's role in
performing water quality, hydrological and habitat functions as well as the ecological risk of
removing the wetland from the watershed. Functional ratings are then combined into an overall
assessment of ecological significance.
Challenges have been encountered throughout this process, including choice of classification
regime, choice of satellite filter (if any), methods of technology transfer, and development of AMLs.
We also have confronted problems of scale and users who wish for details that push the limits of the
data standards.
SESSION B-1: Wednesday, September 21,1 :OOPM
4
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Field verification by an interagency team (State and Federal) has shown reliable assessment results.
In addition, overlays of US Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation boundaries have closely
approximated the DCM wetland boundaries. Such tributes to the assessment procedure have been
promising, hence encouraging DCM to develop additional uses for this information. The assessment
information will next be the basis of wetland restoration site selection. With minor modifications to
reflect local conditions, the procedure also may be useful in other areas.
SESSION B-l: Wednesday, September 21, 1 :OOPM
5
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The Watershed Assessment Project: f-hristine L Ad°mus' s»- /°|ins cR,iver Water
. . . ' Management District, Palatka, PL
Tools for Regional Problem Area
Identification
The Watershed Assessment is a GIS project designed to identify surface water problems and issues in
the St. Johns River Water Management District (District), Florida. It is a collection of screening tools
which addresses three of the District's responsibilities: flood protection, surface water quality
management, and ecosystem protection.
The District is one of five Florida water management districts. It includes all or part of 1 9 counties in
northeast Florida and covers 12,400 square miles. Each water management district is developing a
District Water Management Plan, which will provide long-range guidance for the resolution of water
management issues. One of the first steps in the plan is a resource assessment. The Watershed
Assessment was designed to address the type of District-wide resource assessment questions that can
only be adequately answered using a GIS.
The flood protection component of the Watershed Assessment will utilize Federal Emergency
Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps, and existing and future land use. This component
is currently in the data collection phase. The other two components have been completed.
The surface water quality component consists of:
• a water quality data analysis
• a nonpoint pollution load model, which estimates annual pollutant loads to surface
waters from stormwater runoff
• an assessment of potential threats to springs' water quality
The ecosystem protection component relies on a statewide critical habitat identification, conducted
by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. This data was revised to more
appropriately address the objectives of the Water Management District. The District is using this
information to identify regionally significant habitats and then evaluate what must be done to protect
these areas.
With this information, planners can evaluate options for addressing problems within each of the
District's major basins and recommend a plan of action.
SESSION B-2: Wednesday, September 21, 1:30PM
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Riparian/Wetland Corridor Planning fU"90?/- FaTst ar;d Tlnca K- Ra'ala'Kansas
r * Water Office, Topeka, KS
With GIS
The Kansas Water Office (KWO) was awarded a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to
develop a GIS Decision Support System (DSS) that would enable the state to add to its capabilities to
manage riparian/wetland corridors. The objective of the project was to make use of GIS to assess
the value and vulnerability of the riparian corridor, allowing the user to evaluate a corridor segment
and compare between segments, prioritizing or targeting segments for further planning activities.
The Neosho River basin in Kansas was used as a pilot to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept.
A variety of databases necessary for evaluating the value and vulnerability of riparian/wetland
corridors were made operational in ESRI's ARC/View software environment. The extent of the DSS
project was limited to the riparian corridor along the mainstem of the Neosho River and its major
tributary, the Cottonwood River. The costs associated with the development of riparian corridor
segments for all perennial waters in the Neosho basin was far greater than the funding available.
The Soil Conservation Service 11-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC11) watersheds were utilized
where possible as the basis for data base coverages.
Several important lessons were learned during the project. The importance of communication
between the program professionals and the GIS technicians may be utmost. Definition of the
application up front is a necessary part of facilitating this communication, as well as assuring the
development of a product which is useful.
The DSS will be used by the KWO to help target sensitive areas in the Neosho basin for further
planning activities. The implementation of planning objectives may involve other state agencies,
local units of government, and ultimately, private landowners.
SES.SION B-3: Wednesday, September 21, 2:OOPM
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Small IS Beautiful: GIS and Small Jeff Besougloff, Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux
. . Indian Communities, Redwood Falls, MN
Native American Reservations—
Approach, Problems, Pitfalls,
and Advantages
The Lower Sioux Indian Reservation consists of 1,754 acres in southwestern Minnesota. Despite its
small size, the reservation is subject to the same federal rules and regulations as larger reservations
and, to some degree, states. With a staff of one in its Office of the Environment and limited
funding, the burden of complying with government mandates, managing resources, and performing
planning activities across the spectrum of environmental media is an unmanageable task. The
development of the Lower Sioux GIS is in response to the need for access to a wide variety of
information for tribal leaders and planners in environmental media, as well as for economic
development purposes. While this is the type of problem GIS is designed to alleviate, developing a
system to meet small government or business needs and obtaining the systems are different projects
than for a large government unit.
Development of the Lower Sioux GIS is ongoing and has resulted in the recognition of many
problems unique to small government units wishing to use a GIS. Such unique problems have
resulted in several innovative, and hopefully successful, solutions. The presentation is geared toward
expressing the idea that the project (GIS development) can be completed and ways in which
completion can occur for small governments and businesses in a world oriented toward the large-
scale GIS user.
The Lower Sioux GIS system is a networked PC station through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Geographic Service Data Center mainframes in Lakewood, CO, using Arc/Info software. Funding
and training has come through several sources and joint agreements with the BIA, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and Administration for Native Americans. It is hoped that data
input will soon include use of a portable Geographic Positioning System (GPS).
SESSION C-1: Wednesday, September 21, 3:OOPM
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Facilitation of Water-Surface-Profile Ra|Ph J Haefner'K-Scott Jackson, and James
L ii t r\c M. Sherwood, Water Resources Division, U.S.
by USe Ot a GIS Geological Survey, Columbus, OH
Water-surface profiles computed by use of a step-backwater model such as Water Surface PROfile
(WSPRO) are frequently used in insurance studies, highway design, and development planning to
delineate flood boundaries. Horizontal and vertical coordinate data that define cross-sectional
river-channel geometry are required input for the WSPRO model. The cross-section data and other
hydraulic data are manually coded into the WSPRO model, a labor-intensive procedure. For each
cross section, the output from the model is used to approximate the flood boundaries and
high-water elevations of floods with specific recurrence intervals (for example, 100-year or
500-year). The flood-boundary locations along a series of cross sections are connected to delineate
the flood-prone areas for the selected recurrence intervals.
In order to expedite the data collection and coding tasks required for modeling, the GIS,
Arc/INFO1, was used to manipulate and process digital data supplied in AutoCAD Drawing
Interchange File (DXF) format. The DXF files, which were derived from aerial photographs, included
2-foot elevation data along topographic contours with -1-0.5-foot resolution and the outlines of
stream channels. Cross-section lines, located according to standard step-backwater criteria, were
digitized across the valleys. A three-dimensional surface was generated from the 2-foot contours by
use of the GIS software, and the digitized section lines were overlaid on this surface. Intersections of
contour lines and the cross-section lines were calculated by GIS software and provided most of the
required cross-sectional geometry data for input to the WSPRO model. Most of the data collection
and coding processes were automated, resulting in a significant reduction in labor costs and human
error. In addition, maps at various scales can be easily produced as needed after digitizing the
flood-prone areas from the WSPRO model into the GIS.
'Use of trade or product names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the USCS.
SESSION C-2: Wednesday, September 21, 3:30PM
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Data Quality Issues Affecting ^T11 ?r^n'EPA Research Fellow/
r r • i Idaho Falls, ID
CIS Use for Environmental
Problem Solving
Various groups, including local, state, and federal government agencies, use a GIS to help them
analyze and make decisions about environmental problems. A GIS can help decision makers use
spatial information more fully than manual methods allow, but there are times when data quality
issues make the use of GIS-generated outputs questionable. If environmental decisions are made
based on "inaccurate" data, an erroneous decision may be made, public confidence may be eroded,
or an agency may incur liability.
This presentation is designed to encourage decision makers to become more aware of data quality
issues to enable them to better assess the effect of error on their intended usage of GIS data. The
sources and effects of error in data acquisition, input, storage, analysis/manipulation, and output will
be discussed, as well as techniques that are used to measure and report error. Data acquisition
errors, such as errors in position and attribute, occur because of measurements errors; classification
problems, and available data was collected at the wrong time, at the wrong scale, or for a different
purpose. Data input errors frequently originate from digitizing data and can include equipment and
personnel errors, and errors inherent in the source map. Data storage errors occur when data is
stored at a higher level of precision than the source data. Data analysis/manipulations errors
include logical inconsistency between data layers, error introduced by converting vector to raster and
raster to vector data, map overlay, generalization, and other analysis functions such as slope and
viewshed. Output errors occur because maps are produced that impart a false sense of accuracy
and conventional symbols and colors may not be used.
SESSION C-3: Wednesday, September 21, 4:OOPM
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Development of Landscape Level charles Yui" a,nd R!? Brann°n;
,,,... ,, .. ... H i;. T I/ Resources Analysis Center, College of
Habitat UnitS USing MUltl-lempOral/ Agriculture and Forestry, West Virginia
Multi-Scale Remote Sensing and University' Mor9ant™n' wv
Ancillary Landscape Data for a Sue Perry, U.S. Department of Interior,
Biodiver$itV Assessment for the National Biological Survey, West Virginia
DIOQIVerSITy MSSeSSmeni I0r NIB Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit,
Central Appalachians West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Gap analysis can be defined as the search for "gaps" in the current landscape biodiversity protection
system for a given region, state, country, or the entire globe. The "Gap Analysis" method uses
natural vegetation and other landscape indicators of available habitat, together with indicator
species, as surrogate indicators of biological diversity. Though not a substitute for detailed species
by species surveys, it can provide a first-cut focus and direction for regional conservation efforts.
Gap studies can provide initial data, as well as a long term usable framework into which more
detailed surveys can be nested for identifying specifically needed biodiversity management areas.
The West Virginia Gap Analysis Project has been underway since 1991. The project is focusing on
developing a comprehensive landscape-level biodiversity data base for the vertebrates of West
Virginia. A major focus of the research is on developing habitat models for predicting species
composition and potential ranges over the various landscape types of West Virginia. Gap analysis
methodologies recognize that cost alone precludes state-wide, traditional intensive field inventory
and monitoring. Therefore, mapping of major vegetation types and other landscape structural
components is the major focus of Gap data gathering efforts. Satellite data, in conjunction with
other landscape level data, such as slope/aspect, elevation, soils, hydrology, watersheds, rainfall,
and temperature, are being utilized to complete vegetation structure analyses, as well as the
development of integrated landscape or ecological units mapping. The project is presently focused
in a 50,000 ha. pilot study in the central Appalachian highlands, because this area contains
numerous species of special concern and vegetative communities, such as spruce-fir forest types, that
appear to be responsive to climatic and soil chemistry changes.
SESSION D-l: Wednesday, September 21, 3:OOPM
11
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An Investigation Using CIS To Assist ^ichael F }T°?e and B^shaw'
. University or Wisconsin at Stevens Point,
in Aquatic Macrophyte Management Stevens Point, wi
for Legend Lake, Menominee
County, Wisconsin
GIS' primary use in recent years has revolved around land management and issues ranging from
urban to rural, range land to forest management, and mining operations to park systems. Few
studies in GIS applications have been applied to the aquatic realm, namely lakes. With cooperation
from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin,
an evaluation of GIS on its ability to manage lake data was undertaken. The objectives of this
subproject centered around, but were not limited to, the evaluation of GIS and its capabilities as a
tool to help determine aquatic plant distributions throughout the lake. This subproject was part of a
more comprehensive study that was performed on this particular lake between 1 992 and 1994,
where sampling was performed on the sediment, plant, and water aspects; GIS would be evaluated
on its ability to link all data from the study together. The primary focus for the GIS phase of the
project was to develop an efficient means to visually represent aquatic plants in map form and
provide a means for spatial analyses to assist lake managers in determining plant distributions and
developing effective weed management/harvesting programs. It is hoped that by using efficient
sampling techniques and appropriate statistical analyses, GIS will allow for several different
dimensions of visualization that will allow lake managers to keep separate the critical habitat areas
of fisheries and wildlife from the areas more prone to human interaction.
SESSION D-2: Wednesday, September 21, 3:30PM
12
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GIS-Assisted Riparian
Characterization and Temperature
Modeling of the Upper Grande
Ronde River Basin in
Northeast Oregon
Douglas J. Norton and John R. Cannell,
Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Washington, DC
John P. Craig, Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, VA
Jim Staley and Mark Flood, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Fort Belvoir, VA
Liz Porter, Office of Policy, Planning, and
Evaluation, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Washington, DC
David Chen, Environmental Research
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Athens, GA
Bruce Mclntosh, Department of Forest
Science, Oregon State University,
Corvallis, OR
Widespread alteration and/or removal of riparian vegetation elevates summer water temperatures;
this in turn affects the ability of many northwestern rivers to sustain a healthy coldwater ecosystem
that includes annual salmon runs and resident salmonid populations. Temperature impairment
occurs because of reduced shading of the stream channel and riparian zone and an increased
channel width/depth ratio due to bank damage. The Upper Grande Ronde River (UGR) of
northeastern Oregon is a temperature-impaired system that does not meet state water quality
standards; over thirty monitoring stations have documented elevated water temperature patterns
throughout the basin over the past three years, and salmonid populations are declining. Under the
authority of section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, the UGR may be the subject for development of
a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for water temperature. TMDLs are developed to determine the
reductions in stressor or pollutant loadings needed to bring about specific water quality
improvements. In the UGR project, GIS are being used to analyze and model relationships between
spatial environmental characteristics, solar radiation, shade, and elevated water temperature.
Specifically, GIS is used to portray hydrologic and riparian conditions which influence water
temperature, to analyze and measure riparian and other watershed characteristics, and to derive
input data for a watershed simulation of temperature changes associated with various best
management practices and riparian management scenarios. The watershed simulation uses the
Hydrologic Simulation Program—Fortran (HSPF) which integrated the GIS information for parameters
related to stream temperature through a model developed for this project, called SHADE. The GIS
SESSION D-3: Wednesday, September 21, 4:OOPM
13
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and watershed modeling approach utilizes spatial data including the Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
for topography, the Pacific Northwest Reach File for surface hydrography, the State Soil Geographic
(STATSGO) database for soils, Oregon GAP analysis for generalized vegetative cover, and an
airphoto-derived data layer representing riparian land cover in high detail. Generalized analysis of
the basic GIS data layers provided a basinwide estimate of watershed characteristics affecting the
temperature budget of the basin. A more detailed GIS analysis links riparian land cover
characteristics and measurements to shading and temperature model components. The riparian
land cover characterization process, which provided several parameters for the model, mapped a
linear corridor extending outward 1,000 feet from each side of the UGR mainstem and perennial
tributaries. This riparian GIS data layer contains information such as average tree height, canopy
density, wetlands, land uses, and vegetation classes. GIS is also being used to derive additional
model parameters from this data layer, including riparian forest offset, buffer width, and stream
channel orientation, elevation, and slope.
SESSION D-3: Wednesday, September 21, 4:OOPM
14
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Verification of Contaminant Flow Thomas M Williams'Baruch Forest Sdence
.... , p.. . . - Institute, Department of Forest Resources,
Estimation With bib and Aerial Clemson University, Georgetown, SC
Photography
Estimation of contaminant movement in ground water requires interpolation of data from sampling
wells that represent a very small sample of aquifer volume. Spatial statistics and kriging were
developed to improve confidence in estimation. Hurricane Hugo provided an opportunity to
compare these estimations to actual forest mortality caused by salt water inundation associated with
the tidal surge. During a period from 9-15 months after the hurricane, salt from the tidal surge
moved within the shallow water table aquifer and resulted in widespread tree mortality on Hobcaw
Forest in eastern Georgetown County, South Carolina. A small watershed (12.6 ha) was
instrumented with 24 multi-level sampling wells. Piezometric potential and samples for salt
concentration were collected for 12 months (18-30 months after the storm surge). Three-D
estimations of flow directions and 2-D maps of chlorine (Cl) concentration were produced from this
data. From these maps important heterogeneities were identified in the water table aquifer.
Apparently, the infiltrated sea water moved to the bottom of the aquifer (5 meters) and was
emerging, and killing the forest, where aquifer heterogeneity resulted in upward movements of
ground water.
Georgetown County set up GIS for tax mapping in 1 988 and prepared 1:4,800 orthophotographs
of the entire county with true ground accuracy of < 2 meters. Color infra-red (IR) aerial
photographs were taken annually after the hurricane using a Cessna 150. ERDAS GIS software and
the accurate orthophoto base allowed removal of scale irregularities and distortion resulting from
using the small aircraft. Scanned images, using a 3 meter pixel, were compared to kriged Cl
concentration maps also using a 3 meter cell size. Grid cells with estimated Cl concentration of >
750 mg/liter also exhibited low reflectance in the IR enhanced color photos, indicating tree mortality.
In this case ground-water movement of a contaminant (NaCI) was accurately predicted by a
relatively small number of sampling wells and verified by GIS and remote sensing. The criteria for
success in this case were: 1) a soluble non-reactive contaminant, 2) an environmental reaction to the
contaminant that could be remotely sensed, and 3) a highly accurate base that allowed correlation
of the photography to the well data.
SESSION E-l: Thursday, September 22, 8:30AM
15
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Taking a CIS Into the 3rd and 4th ^)enLnisJR ^ Dvnamic GraPhics'lnc-
9 . Bethesda, MD
Dimensions To Solve
Ground-Water Remediation Problems
Many aspects of ground-water remediation projects involve dealing with geographic data that exists
in 2, 3, and 4 dimensions. For example, one component of such a project requires that the site be
characterized to determine the extent of the contamination, its movement, any potentiai risks posed
to humans or the environment, and possible remediation actions. Site characterization would
normally involve studying data, such as surface features, geology, soils, surface water hydrology,
hydrogeology, meteorology, land use and ecology.
Typical GIS functionality limits the user to the 2D mapping world, and this limitation can compromise
a project's analysis and decisions. As an example, in resolving ground-water remediation issues, it is
critical to develop an acceptable description of the contamination sources, the nature and extent of
the contaminated soils and ground water, and the possible movement of the contamination.
Traditional 2D mapping tools allow the scientist to develop base maps, contour maps, and cross
sections from the data. Limiting the view to these 2D images forces the human mind to form an
accurate 3D image of the geometric extent of these phenomena. One hydrogeologist has stated
that by using a true 3D system they can analyze a site in 1/1 Oth the time it takes using traditional
2D tools.
This paper will show how a multi-dimensional geospatial program was combined with a traditional
GIS to provide valuable linkages between the data base, the GIS functions, 3D modeling and
visualization, and ground-water predictive modeling and display. Application areas include site
characterization, risk assessment, remedial investigations, feasibility studies, and remedial design and
implementation.
Case studies will be presented of successful applications at Department of Defense locations,
including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site, and work being done with the
Department of Energy's Expedited Site Characterization Project. Descriptions of derived benefits will
include: reducing the number of monitoring wells, communicating with the regulators and the
public, verifying ground-water models, locating data busts, and evaluating proposed remedial
actions.
SESSION E-2: Thursday, September 22, 9:OOAM
16
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Use of a GIS To Estimate
Ground-Water Availability in West
Central Georgia
Bruce J. O'Connor, William H. Mclemore,
and Victoria P. Trent, Georgia Geologic
Survey, Atlanta, GA
The five county area of west central Georgia, which includes Polk, Carroll, Haralson, Paulding, and
Douglas counties, currently faces potential water shortages during drought conditions and additional
water supplies will be required to accommodate future population growth. In order to supplement
the water supply, the five county area is currently under consideration for a proposed regional
reservoir system. As required for an environmental impact analysis being conducted by a private
consulting firm, the Geologic Survey Branch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division
agreed to assess the potential ground-water supply in the area as an alternative/supplement to the
proposed reservoir. The purpose of the reconnaissance-level investigation was to (1) estimate the
general size of the ground-water resource that would be available to potential municipal and
industrial users, as well as to (2) identify general areas that would be favorable for exploring high
yielding well sites so that local governments could concentrate their well location studies in these
areas. Delineation of areas favorable for exploration for high yielding wells was completed using
GIS thematic overlay analysis methods. The total volume of potential ground water available in the
area was estimated using "capture zone analysis" methods. Hydrogeologic, environmental, and
demographic factors considered in the course of the study include slope, soils, geology, lineaments,
wetlands, population density, potential sinkhole development, springs with a high discharge rate, and
anthropogenic point source pollution sites. GIS overlay analysis was completed by ranking geologic
units, soil units, slope units, population density units, and lineament analysis according to favorability
for drilling high yielding water wells. All databases were overlaid and a total favorability score was
calculated, with areas having the highest score considered most favorable for drilling high yielding
wells. Potential anthropogenic pollution sites were buffered with appropriate distances to ensure
safely, and the buffered areas were eliminated from further consideration for exploration. The
remaining areas were categorized as least favorable, moderately favorable, or most favorable for
ground-water exploration, based on the favorability score calculated in overlay analysis. Estimation
of ground-water resource was made based on the total area of the areas considered most favorable
for exploration, using capture zone analysis. The estimated total ground-water resource available in
the 5 county area was 67.4 mgd supported by 317 wells. In addition, springs with a high rate of
discharge could augment the ground-water supply by approximately 1 6.8 mgd.
SESSION E-3: Thursday, September 22, 9:30AM
17
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A Watershed-Oriented Database for J;even J- Stichtcer' Divirsl°n of
. i . i Management, State of North Carolina,
Regional Cumulative Impact Raie,gh, NC
Assessment and Land Use Planning
The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is using a GIS and GIS-produced data
to support a regional assessment of relative risk of cumulative impacts of development. The goal of
this effort is to locate portions of the coastal area that are at high risk of cumulative impacts of
development due to existing stressors, rapid growth or a concentration of sensitive resources. The
units of analysis chosen for this assessment are the small watersheds (5,000-50,000 acres) recently
delineated for the State of North Carolina by the Soil Conservation Service; 348 of these watersheds
fall either wholly or partially in the North Carolina coastal area. Three primary reasons drove the
decision to use watersheds units: many of the natural resource concerns of the region are water
dependent; watershed units facilitate connections to the state's whole-basin river planning; and the
relatively small size of the watershed units allow for sufficient contrast across units.
The information gathered for this assessment ranges from terrestrial and estuarine natural resource
information to demographic, housing, and economic indicators. Source data were gathered from a
large number of agencies and reports; the information brought into the database came from a
correspondingly wide variety of formats and reporting units. Coastal management's GIS was used to
reapportion all components of the database to the watershed units.
A number of other uses of the GIS database are becoming increasingly important. These include
better information for use in development permitting decisions and a greatly increased ability of
DCM to serve as an information source for local land use planning. Further work must be done to
make the database and methods developed for a regional assessment appropriate to local-level
applications.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the programmatic context into which DCM's GIS fits, as well
as database creation and data analysis for both the regulatory and land use planning programs.
Primary concerns include integration of data from a variety of sources and scales and convincing
planners of the usefulness of watershed units to county or municipal land use planning and water
quality protection.
SESSION F-l: Thursday, September 22, 8:30AM
18
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Watershed Stressors and EMAP J°hn F-Paul °"d GeorL9e E- Mom-son,
,. r /• L rL Environmental Research Laboratory,
bStUarme IndlCatOrS tOr SOUth ShOre Office of Research and Development,
RhnrJP klnnH ^' ^nvironmental Protection Agency,
Narragansett, Rl
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has initiated the Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment Program (EMAP), a nationwide ecological research, monitoring, and assessment
program whose goal is to report on the condition of the nation's ecological resources. During the
summertime period in 1990-1993, data were collected from approximately 450 sampling locations
in estuarine waters of the Virginian Biogeographic Province (mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to Cape
Cod). Sampling stations during this period were located in the coastal ponds and coastal area of
southern Rhode Island. One of the objectives of EMAP is to explore associations between indicators
of estuarine condition and stressors in the watersheds of the sampled systems. Extensive watershed
information for southern Rhode Island is available in GIS format. Watershed stressors along south
shore Rhode Island are compared with EMAP indicators of estuarine conditions using GIS analysis
tools. The indicator values for coastal EMAP stations are associated with all of the aggregated south
shore watershed stressors. The coastal pond indicator values are associated with stressors in
individual watersheds for each coastal pond. For the total south shore watershed, the major land use
categories are residential and forest/brush land, followed by agriculture. Closer to the coast,
residential land use appears to be greater, while further from the coast, forest/brush lands are
larger. Population increases dramatically with distance from the coast, but population density does
not appear to be a function of distance from the coast. All of the coastal EMAP stations with data
exhibit nondegraded benthic conditions, indicating no widespread problems. The individual coastal
pond watersheds provide an east-west perspective, as compared to the south-north perspective with
the distance from the coast. For the individual watersheds, the major land use categories are
residential and forest/brush land. The population increases dramatically from west to east;
population density shows an increasing trend from west to east. The only degraded benthic condition
EMAP station exists in Pt. Judith Pond, which is associated with the high population density in this
watershed. The degraded benthic condition appears to be due to organic enrichment.
SESSION F-2: Thursday, September 22, 9:OOAM
19
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Design of GIS To Compare Wetland Tatiana B Nawrocki'Natural Resources
0 u , Research Institute, University of Minnesota at1
Impacts on Runott in Upstream Duiuth, Duiuth, MN
Basins of the Mississippi and
the Volga
The comparison of wetland hydrological functions in headwaters of the Mississippi (USA) and the
Volga (Russia) could provide us with credible information as to how alternative management
strategies impact runoff, peak flow, and water quality under changing climates. The macro scale
"field experiment" in both areas, having close natural similarity, is already underway. Wetland
conservation versus drainage is now the prevailing policy in the Upper Mississippi basin. Economic
problems in Russia have prevented this policy from becoming a priority. Peat mining, reservoir
construction on lowlands and drainage for farming and private gardening are common.
The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is aimed at the development of a multi
layered hierarchical base of GIS data for headwater watersheds of the Mississippi and the Volga;
comparative analysis of wetland impacts on hydrology of the rivers; studies of wetland functions
under climate change and variable strategies of wetland conservation; defining criteria and
thresholds for wetland system stability with regard to flood risk and water quality; outlining
recommendations for wetland management in the headwaters. The methodology, linking GIS with
hydrological models, was already tested in the wetland study project at the Voyageurs National Park,
Minnesota. The ARC/INFO GRID module was used to derive watershed variables for input to
Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution (AGNPS), a cell-based runoff model that estimates water
volume, peak flow, eroded and delivered sediment, chemical oxygen demand, and nutrient export
from watersheds.
The questions addressed in the project are:
1. How does the extent and positioning of wetlands affect runoff and peak flow?
2. What are the relationships between the distribution of wetlands and other land areas,
to flood risk and water quality under variable climate conditions?
3. What role do wetlands play for entrapping pollutants and sediment deposition?
4. How can criteria be developed for wetland conservation in headwaters, which will
ensure environmental sustainability and multiobjective resources use?
SESSION F-3: Thursday, September 22, 9:30AM
20
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The methodology for comparative assessments involves hydrological models, GIS, and remote
sensing. Representative watersheds in both basin areas are studied in detail, and procedures for
scaling information from local to regional levels will be developed.
SESSION F-3: Thursday, September 22, 9:30AM
21
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GIS Techniques Applied tO the ?>nn H Wittman' Environment and Waste
. I • I rL • • 1 Management Division, Argonne National
HydrOgeOlOgiCal Characterization Ot Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy,
a U.S. Department of Energy Facility Argonne'IL
in Northeastern Illinois
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is a U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and
development laboratory located about 25 miles southwest of Chicago, Illinois. ANL began
operating in the late 1 940s and today conducts a broad program of research in the basic energy
and related sciences (physical, chemical, material, computer, nuclear, biomedical, and
environmental). The hydrogeology of the 1,700-acre ANL site has not been studied extensively since
the early 1 960's.
This paper describes the data requirements, approach, and challenges in developing a workable GIS
framework for the current hydrogeological characterization of the site. The use and application of
black-and-white and color infrared aerial photographs, hydrogeological data, and land use
information which span a 50-year period are discussed. Due to the variable quality and coverage
of the available data, a practical focused approach to applying GIS techniques at a relatively small
(i.e., local) scale is emphasized.
The objectives of the sitewide hydrogeological study are:
• Adequate characterization of the bedrock surface topography, glacial stratigraphy,
and upper aquifer (fractured dolomite) across the site.
• Improved understanding of the occurrence and movement of ground water in the
glacial till and dolomite aquifer, and the degree of hydraulic interconnection of the
major hydrostratigraphic units.
• Determination of the present-day piezometric surface of the dolomite aquifer.
• Characterization of ambient ground-water quality.
• Accurate modeling of the ground-water flow system to enable the design of an
effective sitewide monitoring well network.
SESSION G-l: Thursday, September 22, 10.-30AM
22
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Geologic and Ground-Water Edward c Smith and MeLisa M McLean'
- I . r nfii i Illinois State Geological Survey,
Resource Evaluation of Will and champaign, IL
Southern Cook Counties, Illinois,
Using a GIS
We discuss the role of the geologist in the design and implementation of GIS mapping projects in
ground-water resource studies. Focusing on a specific mapping project helps to clarify the steps and
thinking needed to complete the study. Geologic mapping techniques are incorporated into many
projects that utilize the GIS. Although the GIS is a powerful tool, consideration must be given during
project design and implementation to the abilities and limitations of the software. Project geologists
must be able to interact with the GIS staff to make experience-based decisions. Familiarity with and
actual use of the software is crucial in understanding the capabilities and drawbacks of computer
mapping. The integrity of the data must be reviewed, limits on mapping extent must be made, and
the level of detail in the mapping has to be determined so that the final product fulfills the needs of
the end user, while maintaining the validity of the mapping.
As an example, a ground-water resources investigation for two northeastern Illinois counties was
completed using computer mapping and GIS software. The project, initially conceived as a standard
subsurface mapping project, was revised during the data collection stage to use the capabilities and
features of a GIS. Approximately 10,000 records were initially critically evaluated in the creation of
the basic data set used in the construction of the geologic maps. Five thousand well records were
included in the preliminary database. Basic well information was entered into a PC-based
spreadsheet. Selected items included well identifier, surface elevation picked from topographic
maps, thickness of glacial drift, and depth to top and bottom of sand and gravel layers. An
additional data set provided information on the thickness and extent of a dolomite aquifer.
Numerous data checks were then performed by staff. The geologists reviewed thicknesses and
elevations of the units and resolved inconsistencies in the data. Preliminary mapping allowed for
geologic review of the data so that wells with poor or highly inaccurate descriptions could be
eliminated from the database. The extent of geologic units were defined and constrained based on
previous mapping experience so that they could be better represented by the contouring software.
SESSION G-2: Thursday, September 22, 11 :OOAM
23
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GIS/GPS in the Design and Yuan-Ming Hsu, Jennifer Schlotthauer, Tom
** - . / /> j Clark, and Don Jakes, Minnesota Pollution
Operation ot Minnesota s Ground- control Agency, st. paui, MN
Water Monitoring and Assessment r . ,, ... t ,.
a Georgianna Myers, Water Management
(GWMAP) Consultants, Denver, CO
Minnesota's Ground-Water Monitoring and Assessment Program (GWMAP) is administered by the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to evaluate baseline ground-water quality conditions regionally
and statewide. The program uses a systematic sampling design to maintain uniform geographic
distribution of randomly selected monitoring stations (wells) for ground-water sampling and data
analysis. In 1 993, GIS and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technologies were integrated into
GWMAP, automating the selection of wells and the field determination of well locations.
GWMAP consists of three components: the statewide baseline network, regional monitoring
cooperatives, and a trends analysis component. In the statewide baseline network, Minnesota is
divided into over 700,121 square-mile grid cells, each with a centralized, 9 square-mile sampling
region. Within each target area, single-aquifer, cased and grouted wells are sampled for about 125
metals, organic compounds, and major cations and onions. We are currently finishing the second
year of a five-year program to establish the statewide grid. When complete, the statewide baseline
component will consist of about 1,600 wells representing Minnesota's 14 major aquifers.
In 1993, approximately 4,000 well construction records were selected for geologic and hydrologic
review using a GIS overlay, from a database of 200,000 water well records maintained in the
state's County Well Index (CWI). Three hundred and sixty-four wells were sampled and field located
using GPS. The well selection process is semi-automated, using existing electronic coverage of
Public Land Survey (PLS) data maintained in CWI, in conjunction with the digitized systematic
sampling grid. The use of GIS has greatly reduced the time needed for selecting sampling stations.
Coupled with the use of GPS, program costs have been reduced, allowing more resources to be
applied toward sampling, while efficiency and quality of data have increased.
SESSION G-3: Thursday, September 22, 11:30AM
24
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The Design and Application of a Thomas H Cahil1'Joel s McGuire'and
3 r I i r Wesley R. Horner, Cahill Associates,
GIS Data Base for the Analysis of west Chester, PA
Nonpoint Source Pollution in a
Watershed
The analysis of water quality management in watershed studies has utilized GIS technologies for over
twenty years, with a variety of data base designs intended to solve and define the basic relationship
between land use and water quality. Early efforts in the Lake Erie basin and other drainage systems,
indicated that the analysis did not lend itself to a simple cause and effect equation, but rather
required a detailed understanding of pollutant mass transport over the full range of hydrologic
conditions. Even the definition of water quality was subject to the temporal and spatial variability of
the natural system, which the GIS data base was designed to quantify. Through a series of related
GIS applications in different drainage systems over a period of years, a body of experience has been
developed in the analysis of water quality, even as our ability to create and manipulate spatial data
for this purpose has dramatically increased.
A series of GIS applications in watershed analysis are briefly covered as background. The primary
discussion centers on a recently completed study of the Upper Perkiomen Watershed of southeast
Pennsylvania, a small (71 square miles) basin draining to a multi-purpose reservoir which has been
eutrophic since its construction in 1958. The cause of this water quality degradation has changed
over the past twenty years, from point source dominated, to nonpoint source (NPS) controlled, with
84% of the total annual phosphorus load presently produced by NPS. Recent research has designed
a GIS to both analyze the magnitude and sources of this NPS pollution, and create a land
management system to restore water quality within the drainage. The process by which this GIS data
has been encoded, and the reasoning behind the inclusion of various elements, has been driven by
an anticipated pollutant generation process and known Best Management Practices (BMP) control
methods. The final management recommendations, however, concluded that other innovative
solutions would be more effective in pollutant reduction.
SESSION H-l: Thursday, September 22, 10:30AM
25
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A GIS for Aquatic Resource Jerry G Schulte'ORSANCO< Cincinnati, OH
Management and Protection for the Douglas A. Neiman, RMC Environmental
Upper Ohio River Basin in Services'lnc'Spring City'PA
John A. Arway, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission, State College, PA
Thomas R. Proch, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Resources, Pittsburgh, PA
Robert L. Shema, Aquatic Systems
Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PA) successfully negotiated a $1.75 million settlement with
Ashland Oil Company for injuries to aquatic natural resources resulting from the January 1 988 oil
spill into the lower Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Resources (PADER) and the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PAFBC) contracted with the Ohio River
Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) to provide the necessary oversight for the conduct
of a recreational use study and an aquatic resource inventory and habitat classification study.
The project team, consisting of ORSANCO, PADER and PAFBC personnel agreed to use the
framework of a GIS to spatially organize geo-referenced natural resource data. This paper discusses
the development of a GIS basemap of a river system modified by a series of navigation dams, and
outlines the ecological basis of the aquatic habitat classification system (AHC). The AHC divides
individual navigation pools into component parts along longitudinal, cross-sectional and vertical
axes. These components are then combined to delimit aquatic areas and habitat conditions in order
to define aquatic habitat types. Once defined and understood, these habitat types can serve as the
basis for the inventory of environmentally sensitive areas. This inventory would then meet regulatory
requirements of the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan by identifying
sensitive habitats, establishing priorities for their protection through an appropriate classification
system, and providing a mechanism (GIS) to be used during a spill response for prompt
implementation of protection measures. The completed GIS will have coverages of infrastructural,
monitoring/regulatory, recreational and environmental themes.
SESSION H-2: Thursday, September 22, 11 :OOAM
26
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the Influence Of CaH Richar^s' Luanda Johnson, and George
, j , . . Host, Natural Resources Research Institute,
Watershed CharaCteriStlCS On University of Minnesota at Duluth, Duluth, MN
Stream Water Quality, John Arthur; y s Environmental Protection
Physical Habitat, and Biota Agency, Duiuth, MN
The influence of landscape-scale watershed features on water quality and biota in streams and other
receiving waters is often difficult to quantify. Nonetheless, many processes that control aquatic
ecosystems, as well as nonpoint source pollutants that impact water quality, are linked to relatively
large spatial features of watersheds. These features include landuse patterns, surficial geology, and
landscape structure. Understanding the relative influences of landuse characteristics, as opposed to
geologic characteristics, is essential for developing effective remediation and assessment strategies
for water resource management. Landuse is controlled by anthropogenic activities, which may be
altered through management activities. In contrast, geology, and some aspects of landscape
structure, are fixed, and their influences are difficult to control. A series of 62 watersheds in the
midwestern United States were examined to determine the relative influences of watershed features
on stream ecosystems. An extensive spatial database of watershed characteristics was constructed
with a GIS. These data were used to develop predictive models of surface water quality, and to
develop approaches for using biological communities (e.g., macroinvertebrates, algae) in streams as
indicators of watershed condition. Several recent multivariate statistical techniques, including
canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA), were employed to
elucidate specific relationships among these data. Results of our studies indicate distinct linkages
can be identified between landscape-scale watershed attributes and stream biota. The precision of
some predictions is dependent on the spatial resolution of landscape data. Signatures from
biological community data can be used to reflect watershed condition.
SESSION H-3: Thursday, September 22, 11:30AM
27
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Application of GIS and Modeling in c^na\\ OH"' UniversiiY °f Cincinnati/
Remediation of Ground-Water mcmna''
Randall R. Ross, Robert S. Kerr Environmental
Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Ada, OK
Ground-water hydrologists colled and process large amounts of data during a ground-water
remediation project. The data are stored and presented in different forms such as tables, maps,
charts, databases, etc. GIS, a relatively new computer-based tool, can help with the process of data
manipulation and visualization. However, GIS is more than a mapping system—GIS allow users to
analyze data. The analyzed data are a collection of spatial information (represented by points, lines
and polygons) and their associated attributes (characteristics of the features, such as chemical
characteristics), which the points, lines, and area represent. The cartographic tools of GIS then,
allow the users to display, overlay, measure, merge and identify the data in support of a particular
analysis. By allowing the spatial data to be displayed and analyzed, GIS provides the means
necessary for effective environmental decision-making and the implementation of environmental
management plans.
There are two basic map representation techniques used in a GIS: vector and raster. In a raster
representation, the study area is subdivided into a mesh of grid cells. Each cell has a value, which
represents a feature identifier, or a quantitative attribute value. Raster systems are suited for analysis
of continuous data, such as water levels, infiltration, bedrock surface, etc. This makes a
raster-based GIS an ideal choice for integration with ground-water models that use a regular grid,
such as MODFLOW. One of the most popular raster GIS and image processing system that is also
PC-based is IDRISI. The system provides many analytical tools that are useful in a hydrogeological
study. The three most important categories of these tools are (a) database query, (b) map algebra,
and (c) context operator. Because the formats of input data sets and IDRISI are different, there is a
need for another program that will link GIS and MODFLOW.
MODRISI is a set of utility programs that allows an easy transfer of data files between MODFLOW,
IDRISI, SURFER, Geopack, GeoEas, and spreadsheet programs. Preparation of two-dimensional
arrays for the MODFLOW input files can be created easily from IDRISI image files. AutoCAD vector
files, such as model boundaries, well locations, and rivers, can also be translated into a format
suitable for the flow model input files. MODRISI can post-process MODFLOW output files and
prepare GIS image files that can be displayed and manipulated within IDRISI. Thus, MODRISI is
used as a pre- and post-processor for MODFLOW. The usefulness of the GIS for data analysis and
ground-water modeling was demonstrated at the Gilson Road Superfund site.
Note: Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
SESSION 1-1: Thursday, September 22, 1:30PM
28
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Use of GIS in Modeling Ground- Jcames E-.0u;iaw< Herff• college of
.... Engineering Ground Water Institute, The
Water FlOW in the MemphlS, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
Tennessee. Area M r, n r , .
' M. Clay Brown, GeoTrans, Inc.,
Sterling, VA
The City of Memphis, Tennessee, relies solely on ground water for its municipal and industrial water
supply. Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) Division owns and operates over 1 60 water wells
in 10 production fields throughout Shelby County. The average MLGW production is approximately
200 million gallons per day, excluding much of the industrial demand. The city obtains its water
from a thick, prolific aquifer known as the Memphis Sand. It has been generally accepted that the
aquifer is separated from a surficial aquifer by a thick confining layer. In recent years, evidence of
leakage from the surficial aquifer to the Memphis Sand has been found. In order to study the
aquifer, the Memphis State University Ground Water Institute (GWI) is developing a hydrogeologic
database of the Memphis area. The database is the basis for several ground-water flow models that
have been created, as well as a part of wellhead protection programs that are currently being
developed for Memphis and other municipalities in Shelby County. A geologic database was
developed and is constantly being updated from borehole geophysical logs made in the area. Well
locations are being field verified using a global positioning system (GPS). The use of the database
has allowed the development of a three-dimensional model of the subsurface of the Memphis area.
The database also contains locations of, and information on, both private and public production
and monitoring wells, superfund sites, underground storage tanks, city and county zoning, landuse,
and other pertinent information. Procedures for linking the database to ground-water flow and
solute transport models have been developed. The data visualization capabilities and the ability to
link information to geographic features makes GIS an ideal medium for the solution of ground-water
problems.
An example of the use of GIS in ground-water flow modeling is the study of the Justin J. Davis Well
Field. The water quality parameters of alkalinity, hardness, sulfate, and barium have significantly
increased over the past 10 years at this facility. In an effort to understand why these changes are
occurring, MLGW, the GWI, and the U. S. Geological Survey participated in a joint investigation of
the well field. A series of 12 monitoring wells was drilled in the spring of 1 992 into the surficial
aquifer near the production wells. From geophysical logging and split-spoon sampling, an absence
of the confining layer was found at one of the monitoring wells. All other wells penetrated various
thicknesses of clay. This "window" in the confining layer suggests that the water quality changes
could be due to leakage from the surficial aquifer to the Memphis Sand. Using the GIS database, a
flow model of the Davis area was constructed. Also, using the surface modeling capabilities of GIS,
the extent of the confining layer wihdow was estimated and used in calculating leakage between the
two aquifers. The results of these analyses also indicate that more subsurface exploration is needed
to more accurately define the extent of the confining layer window.
SESSION 1-2: Thursday, September 22, 2:OOPM
29
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GIS in Statewide Ground-Water *umar c s N.a;;ular °nd ?ecrnard A En9el'
. . Department or Agricultural engineering,
Vulnerability Evaluation tO Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Pollution Potential
The ground-water vulnerability of Indiana to pollution potential was evaluated using a GIS
environment. Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) and the Grid submodule in
ARC/lnfo were used to carry out the analysis and to identify and display the areas sensitive to
ground-water pollution potential. The State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) data base was employed
to retrieve statewide soils information required for the analysis. The information from the STATSGO
database was used within two models, DRASTIC (acronym representing the hydrogeologic settings:
Depth to water table, aquifer Recharge, Aquifer media, Soil media, Topography, Impact of vadose
zone, and hydraulic Conductivity of the aquifer) and System for Early Evaluation of Pollution Potential
of Agriculture Ground-Water Environments (SEEPAGE). These models employ a numerical ranking
system and consider various hydrogeologic settings that affect the ground-water quality of a region.
Ground-water vulnerability maps were prepared for the state of Indiana based on DRASTIC and
SEEPAGE results. Continuing work comparing the existing well water quality data for determining
the accuracy of the results is planned. The DRASTIC Index and SEEPAGE Index Number (SIN) maps
show a great deal of potential as screening tools for policy decision making in ground-water
management.
SESSION 1-3: Thursday, September 22, 2:30PM
30
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A CIS Toolbox for Targeting ^Lchaf' l- cKetcham and ^ T- J°fvAert' ,
_ l. . School or engineering, and Bernard A. Engel,
POllUtlOn in Department of Agricultural Engineering,
llrhfin AfPOS Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Nonpoint source pollution (e.g., agricultural, silvicultural, and urban runoff) has traditionally been
defined as any source of water pollution not originating from a discernible, confined and discrete
conveyance. Congress has recently addressed this issue in section 402(p) of the Clean Water Act
and section 621 7 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1 990 (CZARA). The
CZARA legislation declares the identification of priority pollutant reduction opportunities to be a
logical starting point in the process of establishing an institutional framework to address nonpoint
source pollutant reductions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1993).
An existing methodology for targeting critical nonpoint source pollution watersheds within an urban
area is presented in the document entitled, Urban Targeting and BMP Selection: An Informaf/on and
Guidance Manual for State NFS Program Staff Engineers and Managers (EPA, 1 989). The targeting
methodology is a simple, lumped parameter model whose inputs—pollutant mass load, stream size,
beneficial use of waterbodies (type, status, and level), and ability to implement best management
practices—are subjectively determined and weighted for each discrete watershed within the urban
area under consideration.
This methodology was revised, incorporated into a distributed parameter model, and integrated with
the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS), a public domain raster based GIS.
The revised targeting methodology was integrated with the GRASS GIS via a GIS toolbox of four
interdependent programs, which function in series. The outcome of the final program is a raster
map layer, which targets and prioritizes critical nonpoint source pollution sites within an urban area.
A spatial database of land use, soils, hydrologic soil groups, and sub-areas raster map layers of the
62 mi2 Grand Calumet River watershed (Lake County, Indiana) was created to satisfy input
requirements of the GIS toolbox. In addition to its role in the GIS toolbox, the database will be a
valuable resource for a wide variety of future GIS applications.
SESSION J-l: Thursday, September 22, 1:30PM
31
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Using GIS To Create Awareness of Peter Coffin' c°°perative Extension service,
3 . .. University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA
Nonpomt Source Water Quality
Impacts in an Urbanizing Watershed £ndre° Do;lesfftr a,nd Juliu! F^°i ,
~ ° Department ot Landscape Architecture and
Regional Planning, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
As part of the larger Narragansett Bay Estuary Project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service has contracted with the
METLAND research team, housed at the University, to develop a GIS database, generate watershed
wide maps, perform various analyses, and develop a modeling procedure; all with the intent to
educate local officials about the impacts of development on water quality, and what local boards
can do to minimize the effects of nonpoint sources of pollution.
Since the receiving waters of the Narragansett Bay are located in Rhode Island, far downstream from
the watersheds in Massachusetts, upstream communities are more reluctant to enact measures to
improve water resources outside of their jurisdiction. A GIS was used to create awareness of existing
downstream problems, and to show upstream communities how development will ultimately impact
water resources in their own backyards. This awareness was nurtured by conducting a "build-out"
analysis for an entire upstream sub-watershed, the Mumford River, containing four towns and
roughly 50 square miles. This build-out was coupled with a loading model, using Schueler's "Simple
Method" to illustrate the potential impacts of future development, and encourage local boards to
minimize future nonpoint source pollution.
GIS proved its usefulness by allowing customized maps to be developed for each town, by
generating several "what iP scenarios showing the impacts of different zoning changes, facilitating
long range planning for small towns without professional staff, and encouraging a regional
perspective on development issues.
This project was most successful in creating a series of partnerships which will continue after the
grant expires. The University was able to share data coverages with the State GIS Agency, creating
new coverages not available before, specifically soils, ownership and zoning. Small towns were
exposed to the potential of the new technology. Students gained from "hands-on" experience with
real world problems. State Agencies were able to see their efforts understood at the local level,
especially as they reorganize on a Basin approach and attempt to begin to implement a Total Mass
Daily Loading (TMDL) procedure to coordinate permitted discharges and withdrawals.
As greater emphasis is placed on controlling nonpoint sources of pollution, more attention needs to
be focused on local boards who control land use decisions; that is where the action is.
SESSION J-2: Thursday, September 22, 2:OOPM
32
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Linking GIS With Watershed Models j°^ LovTel1' R!5haLrcl,Xue' an
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Vulnerability Of MiSSOUri Drinking Christopher J. Bamett, Steven J. Vance, and
/ . i _ . " Christopher L. Fulcher, University of Missoun
Water to Chemical Contamination at Columbia, Columbia, MO
In 1991, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources began implementation of the public water
system Vulnerability Assessment Program. This unique program is designed to determine if ground
water and impounded surface water supplies in Missouri are threatened by chemicals being tested
under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Testing waivers may be granted to a system if an examination of
existing data bases for 43 agricultural and industrial chemicals indicates no contamination near the
water supply. Sources for chemical contamination were entered into a GIS, along with wellhead
locations and impoundment drainage basins. The state-wide analysis of the spatial relationship
between water supplies and contaminate sources has resulted in considerable cost saving for
Missouri.
SESSION K-l: Thursday, September 22, 3:30PM
34
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Determining the Extent of Wi'lia;r A Batten and Donald A.
i ft • i . U.S. Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO
Agricultural Chemical Contamination
in Water Resources in the.
Midwestern United States
Use of agricultural chemicals, including herbicides and nitrogen fertilizer, to increase crop yields in
the midwestem United States has increased dramatically over the past 30 years. Recent
investigations have documented varying degrees of contamination by agricultural chemicals in
surface water, ground water, and precipitation. The magnitude, spatial extent, and seasonal
persistence of the contamination varies for the three water environments. Herbicide contamination is
the greatest in surface water with low concentrations detected year round in most of the reservoirs
and streams sampled; herbicide concentrations in some rivers during spring runoff and in some
reservoirs exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. Concentrations
of nitrate in surface water are generally detectable year round, but are usually less than the drinking
water standard (10 mg/L) in most large rivers and reservoirs. Contamination of ground water by
nitrate appears to be a bigger problem. Nitrate was detected in 59 percent of 303 wells in
near-surface midwestem aquifers, and nitrate concentrations exceeded 10 mg/L in about 6 percent
of those wells. Herbicides or herbicide metabolites were detected in only 24 percent of the same
wells, and herbicides were not detected in concentrations that exceeded drinking-water standards.
Herbicide and nitrate concentrations in ground water did not vary significantly with season.
Herbicides and nitrate have also been detected in precipitation. Herbicides were detected in about
25 percent of 6,000 rainwater samples collected at 81 sampling sites in the Midwest. About 1
percent of the samples had herbicide concentrations that exceeded 1 ftg/l. While concentrations
and mass deposition are generally small, there is indication that these agricultural chemicals are
being transported long distances and deposited in relatively pristine areas.
GIS and scientific visualization systems are used to display, organize, and quantify information on
sampling site locations, soils, agricultural chemical use, agricultural land use, and agricultural
chemical occurrence at a level of detail suitable for regional spatial analysis. The information is
being used to determine relations between ancillary information, such as chemical use or land use
and chemical occurrence in the hydrosphere, and to develop models that can predict when, where,
and at what level contamination by agricultural chemicals is expected.
SESSION K-2: Thursday, September 22, 4:OOPM
35
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A GIS-Based Approach in Leslie L Chau and charles R-Comstock'
. £, . , , ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc., Oakland, CA
Characterizing Chemical Compounds
in Soil and Modeling of Remedial
System Design
The cost effectiveness of implementing a GIS for environmental subsurface characterization should
be based on long-term remedial objectives. This paper discusses a scenario of computer aided
environmental site characterization and computer model aided design for a remedial system. A
project-GIS was developed for a soil remediation and "land sale" project in California. The project
had a major change in scope early on and an aggressive schedule. Characterization of chemically
impacted soil would have been compromised, given the above circumstances, without an ambitious
undertaking of concurrently developing and implementing—early in the project—a cross-platform
GIS with 3-D geostatistical and predictive modeling capabilities.
The paper demonstrates the problems solved and approaches considered. Solutions included the
use of a cross-platform (i.e., DOS and UNIX) GIS to quickly and orderly incorporate spatial and
chemical data sets and provide a distributed data processing and analysis environment. Given the
project schedule, exclusive use of a single platform would not have been realistic because of limited
data processing capacity and 3-D graphics in DOS systems and the high operating cost of UNIX
workstations.
The project-GIS was the tool to assist in making short and long term decisions in regards to
regulatory strategy and engineering feasibility. Use of spatial statistical and predictive models was
part of a GIS-based decision-making-loop. The process supported concurrent activities in: (1) data
collection field program; (2) numerical models; (3) development of cleanup goals; and (4) remedial
design.
The site is environmentally complex and spatially extensive. It is impacted by numerous types of
hydrocarbons, commingled with volatile compounds such as perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene.
Chemical and lithologic data gathered in the past seven years populated a relational database and
became the nucleus of a project-GIS which also incorporated a COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN system
capable of providing both GIS and engineering support. Continuity between site characterization
and subsequent remedial engineering was thus provided. Kriging of chemical and soil data
produced a variety of results with the ultimate goal of generating a gridded model best able to
represent field data and validate conceptualized subsurface conditions. Results affirm that high
concentrations of total volatile compounds and heavy oil were mainly found in soil horizons with low
permeabilities. With confidence in these spatial model results, kriged data were input to in-situ soil
vapor extraction models and assisted in optimizing vent configuration and operating schedule.
SESSION K-3: Thursday, September 22, 4:30PM
36
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Spatial Modeling of Biocriteria and °a'e Ac white and fdDward T- RaAnkin'
, . _, . . , Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,
Upstream Basin Characteristics for coiumbus, OH
the Black River, Ohio
Assessment and management of surface waters has evolved from a system of primarily simple
chemical criteria, to one that includes complex chemical criteria and standards for whole effluent
toxicity and biological community performance (Yoder, 1 991; Wafer Quality Standards for fhe 21st
Century). Biological criteria are narrative or numerical expressions that describe the reference
condition of an aquatic community inhabiting waters of a given designated use.
The objective of this study was to determine whether biological indices are sufficiently sensitive
measures of surface water resource integrity. Using a spatial modeling methodology developed
previously (White and others, 1992; Computers and Geosc/ences), we explored the relationships
between two measures of biological criteria for the Black River watershed in northeastern Ohio.
Values for the index of biotic integrity (IBI) and the invertebrate community index (ICI) taken from the
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ECOS database for 1982 and 1992 were used as
response variables in an ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression model. Explanatory variables in the
OLS regression model represented point-source and nonpoint-source impacts in the watershed.
Point-source predictor variables were extracted from the Ohio EPA Liquid Effluent Analysis and
Processing System (LEAPS) database using the median and 95th percentile for such parameters as
water temperature, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN)
measured at facility outfalls. Nonpoint-source attributes were characterized from land use/land
cover classification of a March, 1 991, Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite scene.
The spatial modeling methodology depends on the topologic relationships among point and areal
entities to aggregate pollution sources from upstream drainage areas for landscapes having point-
source and nonpoint-source water-pollution effects. The spatial model relies on an infrastructure of
stream networks and drainage basin divides to define the hydrologic system. The basin divide and
reach network was derived using morphometric extraction routines on digital elevation models and
the U.S. EPA Reach File 3. The spatial relationships between point- and nonpoint pollution sources
and measurement locations were referenced to the hydrologic infrastructure using network analysis
and relational database management techniques within the GIS Arc/Info.
Implementation of this spatial model over state-wide domains would benefit the preparation of state-
wide water quality summaries, like those required under Section 305(b) of the U.S. Clean Water Act
(P.L. 95-217), by increasing the total numbers or lengths of "evaluated waters." Presentation of these
state-wide summaries still are beset by problems of inconsistent reporting of total stream length and
number of assessed waters in each state.
SESSION L-l: Thursday, September 22, 3:30PM
37
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GIS for Water Quality Management JDames A- Goodrich, u.s. Environmental
.... . , ' . . " Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH
and Modeling in the Ohio
Piuor Rncm Walter M. Grayman, Consulting Engineer,
IxlVCl DUjlll /-. . ,. ^.ij
Cincinnati,
Jason P. Heath, ORSANCO, Cincinnati, OH
Sudhir Kshirsagar, Global Quality
Corporation, Cincinnati, OH
The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an interstate water pollution
control agency, established in 1948 by a Compact among eight states within the Ohio River basin
and authorized by Congress. The eight signatory states to this Compact include: Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. ORSANCO works with its
member states and the federal government primarily in the areas of water quality monitoring and
assessment, development and administration of pollution control standards, and interstate
notification and tracking of spills to the Ohio River. The Commission recently completed a three-
year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Drinking Water
Research Division, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, to develop a GIS for
water quality management within the Ohio River Basin. The primary objectives of the project were
to: 1) develop a spill response management sysfem emphasizing ease and speed of use; and 2)
provide a framework for the storage, manipulation and spatial analysis of geographically-referenced
data pertaining to water quality management for current and future applications.
A fundamental geographic feature is the stream network, which is available at two levels of detail.
EPA's Reach File (RF1) has been installed for the entire basin, while the more detailed Reach File
(RF3) is available only for hydrologic units bordering the Ohio River. Other geographic data for the
entire Ohio River basin include water intakes, permitted wastewater discharges, hydrologic
boundaries, political boundaries, ORSANCO water quality monitoring stations, Ohio River mile
points, and Toxic Release Inventory and National Priority List sites. ARC/INFO and ArcView GIS
software is installed on a Data General, UNIX-based graphics workstation.
The NETWORK module within ARC/INFO has been set up to model the downstream movement of
spills into any stream within the basin that is represented in the RF1. A menu-driven user interface
allows for easy input of spill characteristics such as total product mass spilled, time of spill, duration
of spill, stream flow regime, and an optional first-order decay rate coefficient. The pollutant is
routed downstream through the RF1 stream network, and resulting travel times and pollutant
concentration due to dilution and first-order decay are estimated.
SESSION L-2: Thursday, September 22, 4:OOPM
38
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A more rigorous spill model for the Ohio River only was developed using EPA's WASP4 toxic model
in conjunction with stream flow data predicted by the U.S. Corps of Engineers' FLOWSED reservoir
model. A menu-driven user interface allows for simple operation of the system with minimal training
requirements. Time of travel and concentration estimates from the model are automatically
formatted for graphical display in the ArcView GIS environment.
Additional uses of the GIS relating to watershed management will be discussed.
SESSION L-2: Thursday, September 22, 4:OOPM
39
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Reach File 3 and the Development
of GIS Water Quality Tools
Stephen R. Bevington, Division of
Environmental Management, North Carolina
Department of Environment, Health, and
Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC
The application of GIS tools to water quality management is limited by the lack of geographically
referenced data that describe the surface water environment. Ongoing efforts at the local, state,
and federal level are producing a multitude of GIS data coverages describing landuse/cover and
relevant water quality data files. As these data coverages become available, water quality managers
will need to develop new analysis techniques to take advantage of the vast amount of geographically
referenced data. A key step in the development of analytical tools for water quality management will
be the development and maintenance of a coverage describing the structure and hydrology of
surface waters.
Reach File 3 (RF3) is one potential source of surface water maps and topology for the development
of a GIS based water quality analysis tool. This paper describes a pilot project designed to examine
the suitability of RF3 as a network system for the collection, integration, and analysis of water quality
data. The pilot study was developed using RF3 data for the Upper Yadkin River basin in North
Carolina and Virginia U.S. Geological Survey (USGS Cataloging Unit h03040101), in conjunction
with point, line, and polygon environmental feature data layers.
Using the GIS software ARC/INFO®, water quality applications were developed to select user
defined reaches of the RF3 stream network and collect associated environmental data. The RF3
network allowed all stream segments above or below a given point to be selected. This allowed
water quality managers and staff to quickly locate point and non-point pollution sources in a
watershed to create lists and tables of known pollution sources, and calculate loads. Ongoing work
involves efforts to use GIS routing capabilities to support fate and transport modeling.
This pilot project demonstrates only a few of the potential applications of RF3 to water quality.
Successful implementation of this pilot project suggests that RF3 is a potentially valuable water
quality analysis tool. It may also be a valuable tool to demonstrate the results of water quality
analyses to managers or the public.
Because RF3 will require some processing before network algorithms can be run on a
riverbasin-wide scale, it will be important to plan for the integration of RF3 into other GIS tools and
data coverages. If RF3 is to be developed into a productive water quality management tool, it will
be important to proceed in a way that is compatible with ongoing efforts to update RF3 and the
development of new data sources.
SESSION L-3: Thursday, September 22, 4:30PM
40
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Nonpoint Source Pesticide Pollution *obert T•j'aulsen
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Integration Of GIS With the fuzanne R-Pfitsh' College of Environmental
• i ., - Science and Forestry, State University of New
Agricultural Nonpoint Source York, Syracuse, NY
Pollution Model (AGNPS) To
Evaluate Model Output at
High Resolutions
Nonpoint source pollution is the primary source of contamination for more than 80% of the impaired
water bodies in New York State. Nonpoint sources from agricultural areas have been identified as
major contributors of pollution to over 50% of New York State's polluted lakes and rivers. The
assessment of agricultural nonpoint source pollution has been facilitated by linking data contained in
a GIS with hydrologic models. One such model is the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Model
(AGNPS), which simulates runoff, nutrients and sediment from agricultural watersheds. Previous
AGNPS/GIS links have been limited by the AGNPS model's inability to process more than 3,200
cells. Version 4.02 of AGNPS (June, 1994) eliminates this restriction, enabling a more detailed
watershed analysis.
Digital technology is advancing rapidly. Does data at higher resolutions provide better information?
This paper will describe the results of an analysis of AGNPS output based on different levels of both
resolution and detail in GIS data input sources. The study area is a 1.84 square mile sub-watershed
of the Onondaga Lake Watershed, Otisco Valley Quadrangle, Onondaga County, New York. In
this study, AGNPS input parameters have been generated using (1) digital elevation data at 10
meter resolution; (2) digital elevation data at the standard U.S. Geological Survey 30 meter
resolution; (3) soils data at the soil survey level; and (4) soils data at the State Soil Geographic
Database (STATSGO) level. The influence of the differences in input parameters on model output is
investigated. The propagation of error, as well as the question of responsible decision making
based on results of this type of GIS data analysis, will be explored.
SESSION M-2: Friday, September 23, 9:OOAM
42
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Integration of CIS and clyde w Fraisse' Kenneth L
11 J I I James W. Jones, William G. Boggess, and
ModelS tOr Babak Negahban, University of Florida,
Nutrient Management Planning Gainesville, FL
Recent evidence that agriculture in general, and animal waste in particular, may be an important
factor in surface and ground-water quality degradation has induced a strong interest in nutrient
management research. The principal nutrients of concern in the aquatic environment are nitrogen
and phosphorus. Large amounts of those nutrients can be lost to surface and ground waters due to
agricultural activities. A major source of concern in many regions is dairy operations. Dairy animal
waste contains a number of constituents that can degrade surface and ground-water quality.
However, land application of animal waste at acceptable rates can provide crops with an adequate
level of nutrients, help reduce soil erosion and improve water holding capacity. The successful
planning of an animal waste management system requires the ability to simulate the impact of waste
production, storage, treatment and utilization on the water resources. It must address the overall
nutrient management for the operation, including other nutrient sources such as supplemental
fertilizer applications.
Linkage between GIS and hydrologic models offers an excellent way for representing the spatial
features of the fields being simulated and improving the results obtained. In addition, a GIS
containing a relational database is an excellent way of storing, retrieving, and formatting the various
types of spatial and tabular data required to run a simulation model. The different levels of
integration of hydrologic models and GIS for nutrient management planning are discussed. The
approach used in Lake Okeechobee Agricultural Decision Support System (LOADSS), recently
developed to evaluate the effectiveness of different phosphorus control practices in the Lake
Okeechobee basin, Florida, is discussed. LOADSS consists of two primary components: 1) a
regional scale GIS-based model, able to handle dairy and other forms of landuse, used to develop
and manipulate regional plans aimed at reducing phosphorus loading to Lake Okeechobee, and 2)
Interactive Dairy Model (IDM) used to develop farm level management plans for dairies and estimate
phosphorus transport on individual dairy fields. [DM runs the Field Hydrologic and Nutrient
Transport Model (FHANTM) for simulating phosphorus transport to the edge of fields, and routes
phosphorus through streams and canals using an exponential decay function. Optimization
algorithms are currently being added that will enable the system to select the best phosphorus
control practices at the regional scale based on goals and constraints defined by the user. A second
GIS-based interactive dairy model, currently under development, is also discussed. It will utilize the
Ground-Water Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems (GLEAMS) simulation model to
consider the potential leaching and runoff of both nitrogen and phosphorus. This application is
designed to be generic, capable of evaluating the impacts of alternative waste management policies
at the farm level for dairies of various sizes and across agroclimatic zones.
SESSION M-3: Friday, September 23, 9:30AM
43
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CIS Model for Land Use Suitability Joanna J> Becker' Environmental Planning
... Services, Santa Rosa, CA
of Greenbelt Area
This project was initiated primarily to demonstrate environmental GIS applications in urban land use
planning. The purpose of the demonstration was to identify areas that would be most suitable for
agricultural, rangeland or open space land uses within the greenbelt of a city with a population of
approximately 50,000. The greenbelt identified by the city was largely similar to that of the
watershed for which existing data was available.
To undertake the project, the data was manipulated in MacGIS, a raster-based program that was
easily mastered and accessible for use. The information was then transferred via ASCII files to
Arclnfo and then via DOS files to ArcView so that it could be viewed by the planning staff on the
city's equipment.
Initially, six variables were used to determine land suitability for each land use category. In
presenting the information, however, only the data used for determining rangeland suitability was
included; and, to avoid overwhelming an audience unfamiliar with GIS, only three complete
variables were demonstrated (two of which were combined into a single composite layer). In
addition, the base map and the final maps for all three land uses were presented.
This project was completed within a minimal time and budget framework, and it focused primarily on
demonstrating the modeling capabilities of GIS for land use planning. No attempt was made to add
to the available data or to have the criteria approved by public officials, although there is interest by
the city in pursuing the project further to identify areas suitable for preservation in this greenbelt.
SESSION N-l: Friday, September 23, 8:30AM
44
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Application Of GIS for Bruce E Stauffer' Advanced Technology
rr . . Solutions, Inc., Lancaster, PA
Environmental Impact Analysis in a
Trnffir Rplipf ^tnHv Xinhao Wan9' Schoot of Plannin9'
iraniC Keiiei 3IUUy University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Environmental problems usually are results of human activities that disrupt natural processes.
Solving environmental problems involves managing human activities, which has significant economic
and political implications. This paper presents an application of GIS in a traffic relief study. Traffic
congestion has severely impacted the environmental quality and the quality of life for residents in the
project area. A project team consisting of planners, environmental specialists, historians, landscape
architects, traffic engineers, and GIS professionals has been organized to solve the problem. The
goal of the project is to propose alternatives to highway alignments with considerations of growth
management issues, long term planning, natural and cultural resources. The impact of highway
alignments on resources and economic growth has been considered from the very first step and in
every major decision made for the duration of the project.
The GIS professional plays a crucial role in maintaining constant and active interactions among
members of the project team, federal and state agencies, and the public. GIS has been used to
develop natural and cultural resource inventory, to identify contamination sources, to evaluate
environmental constraints, and to compare proposed highway alignment alternatives. The study
demonstrates that a technically sound framework for applying GIS in transportation studies ensures
high quality traffic design with minimum negative environmental impact. GIS provides an ideal
atmosphere for professionals to analyze data, apply models, and make the best decisions. The high
quality map products created with GIS enhance the quality of public presentations and reports. The
authors feel that more people have realized the benefit of using GIS along with the progress of the
project.
SESSION N-2: Friday, September 23, 9:OOAM
45
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CIS as a Tool for Predicting Urban samueiy. Noe, joint center for GIS and
. . Spatial Analysis, University or Cincinnati,
Growth Patterns and Cincinnati, OH
Risks From Accidental Release of
Industrial Toxins
Conventional urban planning and administrative practices do not adequately provide for the
minimization of risks when industry and population are geographically incompatible. Local
jurisdictions on the fringes of metropolitan areas may be particularly ill-equipped to respond and
plan effectively. Supported by minimal professional staffs and unaware of specific potential risks,
their elected officials may be more interested in soliciting new industrial development and the tax
base it brings. Industrial zones are thus created without restrictions on facilities which may generate
hazardous substances and without recognition of the possibility that underground aquifers—current
or potential sources of drinking water—may underlie these zones. Facilities, which could routinely or
accidentally release toxic substances into the air and ground water, are permitted without due regard
for prevailing wind patterns, aquifer locations, and existing or projected urbanized areas which may
be affected.
This paper describes a simple method for projecting patterns of suburban residential and industrial
growth. It then shows how GIS can be used to map levels of risk from accidental releases of
industrial toxins into the air and underground sources of drinking water. The model developed takes
into account existing and projected patterns of residential development and toxic chemical sites in a
TOO square mile study area on the northern fringe of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
With respect to airborne releases, an existing model for predicting a unidirectional plume from a
single release is enhanced by incorporation of annual climatic variations and simultaneous
consideration of multiple chemicals from a single site, or from neighboring facilities.
Sources of potential releases into underground aquifers, and those resulting plumes, are examined
with respect to public well sites and their corresponding water service districts. This permits mapping
of relative potential risk for contaminated water supplies in existing and projected residential areas.
Use of this PC-based GIS model provides an inexpensive tool for sensitizing local officials to the
consequence of past land use decisions. The model can be of even greater value in examining
proposals for subsequent industrial and residential development, in formulating emergency
evacuation plans, and in predicting risks from proposed industrial developments in neighboring
jurisdictions.
SESSION N-3: Friday, September 23, 9:30AM
46
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XGRCWP, a Knowledge and GIS oTn^lT ' ?cha,elnA' L
' I r I • Robillard, and David W. Lehning,
tOr SeleCtlOn, Department of Agricultural & Biological
and DeSign Of Water Engineering and Laboratory for Al
° Applications, Pennsylvania Mate University,
Quality Control Practices in university Park, PA
Agricultural Watersheds
Expert GIS Rural Clean Water Program (XGRCWP) integrates GIS, relational databases, simulation
models, and Hyper Text Mark Language (HTML) documents to form an advisory system for the
selection, siting, design, and evaluation of nonpoint source pollution control practices in agricultural
watersheds. Its major features include 1) customized GIS functions to obtain spatial and attribute
data and feed them to a rulebased expert system for selecting feasible control practices, 2) a user
interface for examining the field-specific conditions and recommended control practices on the
screen by clicking on the displayed field boundary map, 3) a direct linkage between the GIS spatial
data and the relational attribute data which allows the user to examine data on the screen
interactively, 4) a graphical user interface to GIS functions which enables the user to perform various
routine watershed analyses, 5) linkage to HTML reference modules through Mosaic, and 6) dynamic
access to other models such as agricultural nonpoint source simulation model (AGNPS). The
software environment of XGRCWP is GRASS4.1 and X-Windows on SUN OS 4.3.1. Its major
functions have been tested for the Sycamore Creek Watershed in Ingham County, Michigan.
SESSION O-l: Friday, September 23, 10:30AM
47
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EPA's Reach Indexing Project: Joh"J; cliff°^ ™ce °f Wetlands 'Oceans
T I ui a Watersheds, U.S. Environmental
GIS TO ImprOVe Water Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Quality Assessment Wj||jam D wheaton and Ross L Curry^
Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle
Park, NC
The Waterbody System, originally developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
support preparation of the report to Congress required under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act,
is a potentially significant source of information on the use support status and the causes and
sources of impairment of waters of the United States. There is a growing demand for geographically
referenced water quality assessment data for use in interagency data integration, joint analysis of
environmental problems, establishing program priorities, and planning and management of water
quality on an ecosystem or watershed basis.
Since location of the waterbody assessment units is the key to analyzing their spatial relationships,
EPA has placed particular emphasis on anchoring waterbodies to the River Reach File (RF3). The
Reach File provides a nationwide database of hydrologically linked stream reaches and unique reach
identifiers, based on the 1:100,000 U.S. Geological Survey hydrography layer.
EPA began the reach indexing project to provide an incentive for states to link their waterbodies to
RF3 and to ensure increased consistency in the approaches employed in reach indexing. After a
successful 1992 pilot effort in South Carolina, an expanded program began this year. Working with
Virginia, a route system data model was developed and proved successful in conjunction with state
use of PC Reach File (PCRF), a PC program for relating waterbodies to the reach file. Arc/Info
provides an extensive set of commands and tools for development and analysis of route systems and
use of dynamic segmentation. One important advantage of the route system is that it avoids the
necessity of breaking arcs, an important consideration in using RF3 as the base coverage in a GIS.
The use of dynamic segmentation to organize, display and analyze water quality assessment
information also has the advantage of simplifying use of the existing waterbody system data.
However, because of the variability in delineation of waterbodies, a number of other approaches
had to be used in other states. Experience in working with these states defines a range of issues that
must be addressed in developing a consistent set of locational features for geospatial analysis.
Wider use of these data is also dependent upon increased consistency in waterbody assessments
within and between states. Attaining this consistency in assessment data is complicated by the choice
of beneficial use as the base for assessment of water quality condition, the historical emphasis on
SESSION O-2: Friday, September 23, 11 :OOAM
48
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providing flexible tools to states, and the lack of robust standards for assessment of water quality
condition. Possible resolutions to the problem of building a national database from data collected
by independent entities are explored.
SESSION O-2: Friday, September 23, 11 :OOAM
49
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Application of CIS Techniques to the *££ ^aulsen' The Paulsen Group'
Results of Probabilistic Modeling for
Herbicide Runoff in Corn Growing Ti'lotsn a"d *aonD" p°nt
0
p
Agricultural Products, Wilmington, DE
Soils in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri,
and Nebraska
The objective of this study was to use probabilistic runoff modeling results in a GIS to identify soils
which could act as potential source areas for cyanazine runoff in the Illinois River, White River,
Missouri River, or Platte River basins. Sixteen counties in four states, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and
Nebraska, were selected from the watersheds, based on corn yields, cyanazine use, and data
availability. One hundred-and-six individual soil series were selected, based on corn growing
potential, from these counties. The soils data, and historic as well as synthetic precipitation data,
were compiled in preparation for transport modeling.
The transport model used in this study was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Root
Zone Model version I. To incorporate variability in soil properties, a probabilistic modeling
approach was used where the soil organic content and cyanazine soil half lives were varied between
known end points. The modeling scenario was that of conventionally tilled corn with one pre
emergent application of cyanazine, which followed the label rate and timing. Soil specific application
rates were derived from the 1 994 label for cyanazine. A total of 12,960 monthly runoff values, for
each of the 106 soils, were calculated by the model.
The modeling results were used to select soils to be mapped using the MAPINFO GIS. Of the 20
soils with the greatest simulated potential to transport cyanazine off the field of application, 13
occurred in Indiana and five occurred in Missouri. Application rates on these soils were generally
low to moderate and none of the high application rate soils were within the top 20 soils with the
greatest simulated potential for cyanazine transport in runoff. The GIS allows for the display of the
soil locations, with respect to water bodies and other land uses. The GIS maps are of the same
scale as that of the air photograph based soil series maps found in the county soil surveys.
The modeling and mapping resulted in the ranking of more than 100 soils with respect to the
simulated potential for cyanazine to be transported off the field of application. The GIS displayed
the location of soils within each target county and the results varied greatly. Some counties had
distinct areas that could be problematic for potential herbicide runoff, while others showed soils
widely distributed across the county. By understanding the distribution of potentially problematic
soils, selection of the most effective best management practices to reduce potential runoff could be
made.
SESSION 0-3: Friday, September 23, 11:30AM
50
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Linking Environmental Models and
GIS Through Inter-Application
Communication
CaH A. Norton and John M. Shafer,
Earth Sciences and Resources Institute,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Many environmental modeling efforts often require the use of programs external to the GIS
environment. In many instances, the GIS serves as a data warehouse and display engine, while
external models use data stored within the GIS. Advances in inter-application communication now
facilitate the seamless blending of multiple programs through a client-server architecture. Rather
than the user starting individual programs, programs can call, execute, and pass data back and forth
using software built on the inter-application communication architecture. Inter-application
communication also provides other significant capabilities such as pseudo-parallel processing, in
which independent segments of a model can run on separate machines operating under the same
inter-application communication server. Inter-application communication also encourages the
development of enterprise GIS, in which all datasets of an organizational interest can be accessed.
Environmental modeling applications often use GIS-based land records information, such as land
cover, water use, and infrastructure data, which is coupled to a dynamic systems model that
describes change in a landscape due to functional relationships between changing parameters. In
order to successfully simulate the environment in question, both software packages may need to be
run simultaneously. By creating applications which use inter-application communication, multiple
programs can be seamlessly linked, thereby facilitating the use of shared data and programs. This
paper examines implementation strategies and benefits of inter-application communication, and the
development of user-created applications that incorporate inter-application communication.
SESSION CM: Friday, September 23, 12:OOPM
51
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Comparing Experiences in the British l°uls Potter' y?wn and Cou,nt:y
ii r 11 il J Department, Government of the British Virgin
U.S. Virgin Islands in islands, British Virgin Islands
Implementing CIS for Environmental Bruce G Potter |s|and Resources Foundation
Problem Solving Washington, DC
The contrasting experiences of the British (BVI) and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) in implementing
region-wide geographic systems provide lessons for GIS managers and supporters everywhere. The
two island-states share a number of characteristics, including dependence on the maintenance of a
high quality natural environment, to support tourism. The two governments are also very different in
terms of their size, existing infrastructure, and GIS implementation. Study of the different outcomes
of the two GIS implementation efforts should provide guidance to internal and external advocates for
GIS implementation for environmental problem solving.
Objectives and Brief Overview:
Building GIS for environmental problem solving requires a major institutional commitment, especially
in small governmental systems with limited financial and technical resources. This paper examines
the technical, institutional, and cultural factors that have helped and hindered the development of
GIS for the Town and Country Planning Department of the Government of the BVI, and the
Government of the USVI.
Technical factors to be examined in this paper include:
• Initial system planning activities,
• Software selected,
• Hardware platform(s),
• Priorities for base map construction, other coverages, and scale considerations.
Institutional and cultural factors to be discussed include:
• Environmental problem solving in local government decision making,
• GIS leaders access to, and support from, senior government managers,
• Technical assistance sought and provided,
• Principal users,
• Typical applications.
The paper concludes with a discussion of the critical success factors seen in the comparative
experience of the two systems, with suggestions for their meaning for local and regional agencies in
the United States.
SESSION P-l: Friday, September 23, 10:30AM
52
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Integration of EPA Mainframe
Graphics and GIS in a UNIX
Workstation Environment To Solve
Environmental Problems
William B. Samuels, Science Applications
International Corporation, McLean, VA
Phillip Taylor, Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, VA
Paul Evenhouse, Martin Marietta, Inc.,
Research Triangle Park, NC
Robert King, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Washington, DC
The Assessment and Watershed Protection Division (AWPD) within the Office of Wetlands, Oceans
and Watersheds (OWOW) has developed water quality analysis software on the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) mainframe computer. This software integrates national online environmental
databases and produces maps, tables, and graphics which show water quality trends, discharge
monitoring reports, permit limits, design flow analysis, etc. In the past, this graphical software was
available only to users connected to the mainframe with IBM graphics terminals or PCs with graphics
emulation software. Recently, software has been developed which can be used to: (1) access the
EPA mainframe from a UNIX workstation via INTERNET, (2) execute the Water Quality Analysis
System (WQAS) procedures, (3) display WQAS graphics in an X-window on the workstation, and (4)
download data in a GIS format from the mainframe. At the same time, this workstation can be
executing ARC/INFO and Arcview applications in other X-windows. This capability allows analysts to
have the power of GIS, the mainframe databases (PCS, STORET, Reach File, Industrial Facilities
Discharge File, Daily Flow File, Toxic Chemical Release Inventory), and the retrieval/analysis/display
software (Environmental Data Display Manager, Mapping and Data Display Manager, Reach
Pollutant Assessment, PCS-STORET Interface, UNIRAS) available to them on one desktop. Thus, the
tool set available to GIS analysts for environmental problem solving has been extended. This paper
will discuss how these tools and databases have been applied to several problems including: Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development on the Clark Fork River (Montana); environmental risk
assessment in the Brandywine River Basin (Pennsylvania, Delaware); watershed-based permitting in
South Carolina; 2-D and 3-D visualization of water quality parameters in Lake Minnetonka
(Minnesota); emergency response to hazardous material spills; and determination of flood
boundaries from remotely sensed data (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and the EPA
River Reach File.
SESSION P-2: Friday, September 23, 11 :OOAM
53
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Development of a GIS for Former
Industrial Properties in the
Mahoning River Corridor
Scott C. Martin and Javed Alam, Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and
Laura Lyden, YSU Technology Development
Corporation, Youngstown State University,
Youngstown, OH
The decline of heavy industry in many Ohio cities has left behind vast areas of unused or underused
industrial land. Developers often assume that these properties are contaminated with hazardous
wastes and are reluctant to consider purchasing them because of the potential liability. In a recent
study, entitled the Mahoning River Corridor Redevelopment Project, limited Phase I and Phase II
Preliminary Site Assessments were conducted on twenty former industrial sites in the Mahoning River
corridor. The objective of this study was to screen properties with a high redevelopment potential for
evidence of obvious contamination problems. Local Chambers of Commerce receive hundreds of
inquiries about such properties from prospective buyers each year. In many instances, they do not
have sufficient information or manpower to adequately service these requests. Thus, an urgent need
exists for a centralized database that can be used to provide detailed information on available sites
both quickly and conveniently. To begin work toward this goal, a prototype GIS was developed for
abandoned industrial sites in the Mahoning River corridor. Using ArcCAD software, a general base
map was first developed with separate layers for political boundaries, interstate highways, state
roads, secondary roads, surface waters, and project sites. Detailed site maps of selected properties
were then added to the base map. These show property boundaries, buildings, access roads, and
project soil sampling locations. In addition, corresponding attribute tables were developed to
summarize other pertinent information, such as zoning status, ownership history, assessed property
value, proximity to the TOO year flood plain, utilities, etc. The long-term goal of this project is to
develop a comprehensive GIS database for all industrial properties in the Mahoning River corridor
that are available for redevelopment. Efforts are currently underway to establish a service to provide
this type of information to prospective developers. The availability of a comprehensive GIS will allow
this service to function much more efficiently.
SESSION P-3: Friday, September 23, 11:30AM
54
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Polygon Development Improvement °avid A LpadA9ett' DoePartment °f Geology and
, f r , Geography, Austin reay State University,
Techniques for Hazardous Waste ciarksviiie, TN
Environmental Impact Analysts
Recently, concern has arisen with respect to the effect of Superfund sites upon the communities
surrounding them, and specifically the distribution of those impacts upon various target populations.
In designing GIS applications for analyzing the potential impacts of hazardous wastes and/or waste
sites upon adjacent neighborhoods, various challenges may be encountered. Questions of time,
space, and scale must be addressed during GIS database design. Studies conducted by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies have indicated that certain sectors of
the population may be more vulnerable to exposure to toxics than others. To date, federal
departments have enlisted in several GIS-based research projects attempting to delineate
"geographic hot spots" of toxic contamination. Such GIS applications at hazardous waste sites have
typically employed polygons representing data from census tracts and/or municipal boundaries.
However, in most cases, census tract and other bounds may not necessarily jibe with "community"
and "neighborhood" boundaries. The polygons representing characteristic data for target
populations may not be consistent with the actual status of those populations.
The objective of this presentation will be to demonstrate GIS methods for producing, to the greatest
degree possible, socioeconomically and culturally homogenous polygons for impact analysis of
specific sensitive populations and/or communities. Case study examples of community/
neighborhood characterization problems encountered in developing polygons during previous field
investigations involving lead contamination, Toxic Release Inventory sites, and solid/hazardous waste
sites will be presented. Effective solutions and suggestions for improving polygon development will
be demonstrated, including various GIS data manipulations and software applications. Also
provided will be geographic and groundtruthing field methods to support and enhance the accuracy
of remotely obtained information. Community and "geographic hot spot" analyses will include not
only potential public health impacts, but also potential negative externalities for property and
aesthetic resources.
SESSION P-4: Friday, September 23, 12:OOPM
55
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V-/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Conference on
Environmental Problem Solving
With Geographic Information Systems
The Clarion Hotel
Cincinnati, OH
September 21-23, 1994
Speakers and Presenters
Christine L. Adamus
St Johns River Water
Management District
Highway 100 West
P.O. Box 1429
Palatka,FL 32178
904-329-4394
Fax: 904-329-4329
Christopher J. Barnett
Research Associate
Center for Agricultural Resource &
Environmental Systems (CARES)
University of Missouri at Columbia
200 Mumford Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
314-882-8190
Fax: 314-882-3958
William A. Battaglin
Hydrologist
Water Resources Division
U.S. Geological Survey
P.O. Box 25046 (MS-406)
Denver Federal Center
Lakewood.CO 80225
303-236-5950
Fax: 303-235-5959
Joanna J. Becker
Environmental Planner
Environmental Planning Services
P.O. Box 1416
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
707-792-1344
Jeff Besougloff
Director, Environmental Programs
Upper Sioux & Lower Sioux
Indian Communities
611 East Third Street
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
507-637-8353
Fax: 507-637-8353
Stephen R. Bevington
Environmental Supervisor
Division of
Environmental Management
North Carolina Department of
Health, Environment, &
Natural Resources
P.O. Box 29535
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535
919-733-5083
Fax:919-733-9919
Ree Brannon
Graduate Research Assistant
Natural Resources Analysis Center
College of Agriculture & Forestry
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6108
Morgantown, WV 26506
304-293-6253
Fax: 304-293-3740
Thomas H. Cahill
Professional Engineer
Cahill Associates
104 South High Street
West Chester. PA 19382
610-696-4150
Fax: 610-696-8608
Leslie L. Chau
Principal Scientist
ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc
1800 Harrison Street
Oakland, CA 94612
510-419-5453
Fax:510-419-5355
Thomas P. Clark
Senior Hydrologist
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road
SLPaul.MN 55155
612-296-8580
Fax: 612-296-9707
John J.Clifford
Program Analyst
Assessment & Watershed
Protection Division
Office of Wetlands,
Oceans & Watersheds
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (4503)
Washington. DC 20460
202-260-3667
Fax: 202-260-7024
Peter G. Coffin
Cooperative Extension Specialist
Cooperative Extension Service
University of Massachusetts
5 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-831-1223
Fax: 508-831-0120
> Printed on Recycled Paper
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Thomas Davenport
Chief, Watershed Management Unit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
312-886-0209
Fax: 312-886-7804
Margaret A. Fast
Water Resource Planner
Kansas Water Office
109 Southwest Ninth Street
Suite 300
Topeka,KS 66612-1249
913-296-0865
Fax:913-296-0878
Michael A. Foster
Manager, Laboratory for
Al Applications
Pennsylvania State University
501 ASI Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-3375
Fax: 814-865-3048
Clyde W.Fraisse
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Agricultural Engineering Department
University of Florida
P.O. Box 110570
Gainesville, FL 32611
904-392-7929
Fax: 904-392-4092
Carol B. Griffin
EPA Research Fellow
6916 North 25th, E
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-525-5259
Ralph J. Haefner
Hydrologist
Water Resources Division
U.S. Geological Survey
975 West Third Street
Columbus, OH 43212
614469-5553
Fax 614-469-5626
Jason P. Heath
Environmental Engineer
Ohio River Valley Water
Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO)
573 5 Kellogg Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45228
513-231-7719
Fax:513-231-7761
Carl A. Morton
Senior Engineer
Earth Sciences & Resources Institute
University of South Carolina
901 Sumter Street
Columbia, SC 29208
803-777-6484
Fax 803-777-6437
Donald A. Keefer
Associate Geologist
Illinois State Geological Survey
615EastPeabodyDrive
Champaign, IL 61820
217-244-2786
Fax 217-3 3 3-28 30
Michael L. Ketcham
(affiliated with Purdue University)
Environmental Engineer
Monsanto Enviro-Chem
P.O. Box 14547
SL Louis, MO 63178
314-469-8893
Fax 314469-8800
John T. Lovell
Environmental Scientist
Tetra Tech. Inc
10306 Eaton Place - Suite 340
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-385-6000
Fax 703-385-6007
Scott C. Martin
Professor
Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH 44555
216-742-1741
Fax 216-742-1567
William H. McLemore
State Geologist
Georgia Geologic Survey
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW
400 Agricultural Building
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-657-6120
Fax 404-657-8379
James E. Mitchell
(formerly with the Kansas
Geological Survey)
Hydrologic Data Manager
CIS Laboratory
Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources
625 North Fourth Street- Room 317
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
504-342-1817
Fax 504-342-4380
Mark Monmonier
Professor of Geography
Department of Geography
Maxwell School of
Citizenship & Public Affairs
Syracuse University
144EggersHall
Syracuse. NY 13244-1090
315-443-2605
Fax 315-443-4227
Kumar C.S. Navular
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of
Agricultural Engineering
Purdue University
107A Agricultural
Engineering Department
West Lafayette, IN 47906-1146
317-494-1196
Fax 317-496-1115
Tatiana B. Nawrocki
Senior Scientist
Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota at Duluth
5013 Miller Trunk Highway
Duluth, MN 55811
218-485-8961
Fax 218-485-8432
Samuel V. Noe
Co-Director
Joint Center for CIS &
Spatial Analysis
School of Planning
University of Cincinnati
548 Edwards Center
Cincinnati. OH 45221-0073
513-556-0205
Fax 513-556-1274
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Douglas J. Norton
Environmental Scientist
Watershed Branch
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (4S03F)
Washington. DC 20460
202-260-7017
Fax: 202-260-7024
James E. Outlaw
Research Assistant
Herff College of Engineering
Ground Water Institute
The University of Memphis
300 Engineering
Memphis, TN 38152
901-678-3572
Fax: 901-678-3078
David A. Padgett
Assistant Professor
Environmental Geography Program
Department of Geology & Geography
Austin Peay State University
P.O. Box 4418
Clarksville, TN 37044
615-648-7454
Fax:615-648-7475
John F. Paul
Research Environmental Scientist
Environmental Research Laboratory
Office of Research & Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
27 Tarzwell Drive
Narragansett, Rl 02882
401-782-3037
Fax: 401-782-3099
Robert T. Paulsen
Director
The Paulsen Group
3262 Superior Lane - Suite 114
Bowie. MD 20715
301-890-7140
Fax: 301-890-7334
Suzanne R. Perlitsh
Graduate Student
College of Environmental
Science & Forestry
State University of New York
1336 Westcott Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
315^74-4307
Bruce G. Potter
Island Resources Foundation
1718 P Street. NW(T-4)
Washington, DC 20036
202-265-9712
Fax 202-232-0748
Carl Richards
Research Associate
Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota at Duluth
5013 Miller Trunk Highway
Duluth. MN 55811
218-720-4332
Fax:218-720-9412
Randall R. Ross
Hydrologist
Robert S. Kerr Environmental
Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 1198
Ada, OK 74820
405-436-3611
Fax 405-436-8614
Javier Ruis
Soil Interpretations Specialist
Soil Conservation Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 6567
Fort Worth. TX 76115-0567
817-334-5282
Fax:817-334-5584
William B. Samuels
Senior Scientist
Science Applications
International Corporation
1701 Goodridge Drive
P.O. Box 1303
McLean, VA 22102
703-556-7074
Fax 703-847-0473
Michael R. Schock
Research Chemist
Drinking Water Research Division
Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
513-569-7412
Fax:513-569-7172
Donald Schregardus
Director
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P.O. Box 163669
Columbus, OH 43216-3669
614-644-2782
Fax: 614-644-2329
Jerry G. Schulte
Senior Biologist
Ohio River Valley Water
Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO)
5735 Kellogg Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45228
513-231-7719
Fax:513-231-7761
Dennis R. Smith
Dynamic Graphics, Inc.
7201 Wisconsin Avenue - Suite 640
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-656-3060
Fax 301-656-1757
Edward C. Smith
Assistant Geologist
Illinois State Geological Survey
615 East Peabody Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
217-244-2773
Fax 217-333-2830
Bruce E. Stauffer
Vice President
Advanced Technology Solutions, Inc.
1770 Lincoln Highway. E
Lancaster, PA 17602
717-399-7007
Fax 717-399-7015
Steven J. Stichter
Environmental Planner
Division of Coastal Management
State of North Carolina
P.O. Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611
919-733-2293
Fax:919-733-1495
Lori A. Sutter
Wetland Ecologist
Division of Coastal Management
State of North Carolina
P.O. Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611
949-733-2293
Fax:919-733-1495
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Michael F. Troge
Graduate Student
University of Wisconsin at
Stevens Point
3701 Robert Place
Apartment 203
Stevens Point, Wl 54481
715-341-3869
Steven J. Vance
Research Associate
Center for Agricultural Resource &
Environmental Systems (CARES)
University of Missouri at Columbia
200 Mumford Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
314-882-1644
Fax: 314-882-3958
Dale A. White
Environmental Specialist
Division of Surface Water
Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency
1800 Watermark Drive
P.O. Box 163669
Columbus, OH 43216-3669
614-644-2138
Fax: 614-644-2329
Thomas M. Williams
Professor
Baruch Forest Science Institute
Department of Forest Resources
Clemson University
P.O. Box 596
Georgetown.SC 29442
803-546-6318
Fax 803-546-6296
Glenn H. Wittman
Project Manager/Hydrogeologist
Environment & Waste
Management Division
Argonne National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy
9700 South Cass Avenue (EWM/214)
Argonne. IL 60439
708-252-7782
Fax: 708-252-9642
Conference Organizers:
Daniel J. Murray, Jr.
Environmental Engineer
Center for Environmental
Research Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
513-569-7522
Fax:513-569-7585
Susan C. Schock
Technology Transfer Specialist
Center for Environmental
Research Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
513-569-7551
Fax:513-569-7585
Susan j. Brager
Conference Manager
Eastern Research Group, Inc
110 Hartwell Avenue
Lexington. MA 02173-3198
617-674-7347
Fax: 617-674-2906
Elaine S. Brenner
Conference Manager
Eastern Research Group, Inc
110 Hartwell Avenue
Lexington. MA 02173-3198
617-674-7334
Fax: 617-674-2906
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