2017 Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

Mapping Innovations at the Michigan DEQ: New approaches, tools and technologies

Held Wednesday, December 6, 2017 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern



INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

PRESENTERS

• Chad Fizzell, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
• Jeremy Jones, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

ABSTRACTS

Chad Fizzell

Using GIS for Better Project Screening and Evaluation

With the release of MiWaters, Water Resources Division staff from the MDEQ are now relying on a GIS based screening tool to ensure coordination with all relevant state and federal partners and programs. This talk will address the methodology, GIS layers utilized, and overall approach to screening projects spatially, introduced as part of the MIWaters rollout.

Jeremy Jones

Using New Technologies to Update the National Wetland Inventory

This portion of the webinar focused on the pilot project completed in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited. This pilot project utilized a semi-automated, object-based image analysis and segmentation process combined with head-up digitization and photo interpretation to produce an updated National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) for Kent and Washtenaw Counties in Michigan. This process utilizes high resolution 4-band imagery, high resolution lidar, and other ancillary datasets to create the new polygon areas.

BIO

Chad Fizzell works as a GIS Specialist in the Wetlands, Lakes, and Streams Unit within the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Chad has a degree in Environmental Science from Michigan State University, where he specialized in Spatial Information Processing.  Chad has worked in the Wetlands program for 15 years and is the Department expert in the Landscape Level Assessment of Wetlands, Wetland Inventory, and Remote Sensing. Chad was also the lead in developing and adapting the NWI+ methodology and Landscape Level Wetland Functional Assessment process in Michigan, and applying these concepts to watershed management in the State.

Jeremy Jones has worked with geospatial technologies since 2006 and holds a Master’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University in Geographic Information Systems.  As an employee for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Jeremy works on various projects including Enhanced NWI, coastal zone projects, enforcement cases, conservation easements and various aerial photo interpretation requests.  Jeremy has worked with the National Wetland Inventory Data for over 10 years and is excited to share the improvements made to the data using the improved technologies available today. 

 

Developing a Spatially Enabled Wetland Program Website to Communicate the Importance of Tribal Land Management

Held Wednesday, October 18, 2017 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern

INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

PRESENTER

Andy Robertson, Executive Director, GeoSpatial Services, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

ABSTRACT

The Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Community in Wisconsin is in the process of creating a web presence to share wetland program accomplishments and allow stakeholders and the public access to local wetland GIS data. A website with interactive map functions is being developed to communicate the wetland program’s goals, progress, and demonstration projects and provide interactive use and visualization of wetland and summary water quality data, educating tribal members and the public on the importance of wetlands. Once fully functional, this website will also be used to communicate water quality reporting data to EPA for ongoing monitoring. Technologies in use for this project include: ArcGIS Server, ESRI Story Maps, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Portal and ArcGIS Enterprise. 

BIO

Andy Robertson is currently Executive Director of GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. GeoSpatial Services is engaged in a wide variety of projects across the Lower 48 and Alaska including: wetland inventory; National Hydrography Dataset updates; spatial data development; and, natural resource condition assessments. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed postgraduate work in forest management at the University of Toronto. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 15 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data across the nation. Andy is a steering committee member for the ASWM Wetland Mapping Consortium and is co-chair of the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetland Technical Working Group. 

 

 Mapping Wetland Inundation Dynamics Using Multi-Source Satellite Data

Held Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - 3 pm ET 

INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

PRESENTER

Ben DeVries, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

ABSTRACT

While the increasing availability of Earth observation has led to impressive advances in automated land cover mapping algorithms and products, wetlands often remain insufficiently or inconsistently represented in land cover products. On the other hand, while wetland inventories are able to provide significantly more thematic detail than general land cover products, their production usually relies on highly manual, static and expensive mapping methods. Surface inundation in wetlands is particularly difficult to quantify, given the complexity of the mixed water-vegetation-soil reflectance signatures as well as the highly dynamic nature of inundation in most wetland ecosystems. Optical data, such as those from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite constellations, have been shown to be capable of detecting surface inundation at medium spatial resolution (~30m), allowing for the mapping of long-term trends. On the other hand, radar data are increasingly used to track surface inundation at regular time intervals, owing to the ability of radar energy to penetrate clouds. Despite these advantages, the temporal resolution of any single satellite sensor is often insufficient to adequately monitor surface inundation in wetlands, given the dynamic and often ephemeral nature of surface hydrology. New mapping approaches based on the fusion of optical and radar data streams shows promise in establishing regular fine-temporal-resolution records of wetland inundation. Multi-source data products related to wetland inundation are expected to support the ongoing development and updating of national and regional wetland inventories, support greenhouse gas modelling studies and the identification and quantification of wetland ecosystems.

BIO

Ben DeVries is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland. He has a background in Remote Sensing and is currently developing algorithms for detecting and quantifying surface water inundation at fine spatial and temporal resolutions using multi-source satellite data. Ben earned his Ph.D. at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where he studied forest dynamics in the tropics and developed novel methods using temporally dense Landsat time series data. He also earned his M.Sc. at Wageningen University, focussing on the role of surface and sub-surface hydrology on carbon emissions in degraded tropical peatlands.

 
Wetland Mapping Consortium Workshop Webinars

The Wetland Mapping Consortium concurrent session below were held at the Association of State Wetland Managers annual meeting on April 12th.

Moving Wetland Restoration into Recommendations into Action: New Mapping/Monitoring Program Tends

Held Wednesday, April 12, 2017 

PRESENTERS

• National Wetlands Inventory Wetland Mapping Targeting Tool and Data Use Trends - Megan Lang, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• A Collaborative Approach to Establishing Wetland Management Priorities in Northcentral New Mexico - Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's  University
• Wetland Functional Assessment in West Virginia - Elizabeth Byers, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

BIOS

Megan Lang is Chief Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory Program and Project Lead for the Service’s Wetlands Status and Trends effort. Dr. Lang is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences and the Virginia Tech Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences. She earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston Departments of Geology and Biology, and her graduate degrees from the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences. She serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Wetlands, and has published over 50 scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Lang has been working to improve the assessment of aquatic ecosystems through field and remote sensing studies for over two decades. Before working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. Lang led the U.S. Department of Agricultural Mid-Atlantic Regional Wetland Conservation Effects Assessment Project.

Andy Robertson is currently Executive Director of GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. GeoSpatial Services is engaged in a wide variety of projects across the Lower 48 and Alaska including: wetland inventory; National Hydrography Dataset updates; spatial data development; and, natural resource condition assessments. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed postgraduate work in forest management at the University of Toronto. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 15 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data across the nation. Andy is a steering committee member for the ASWM Wetland Mapping Consortium and is co-chair of the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetland Technical Working Group.

Elizabeth Byers, M.S. is a Senior Wetland Scientist with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. With an undergraduate degree in geology (Brown University) and graduate studies in hydrology (New Mexico Tech) and ecology (Oregon State University), she likes to explore the relationships between native plants, their environments, and the wildlife habitat they provide. Her current project at WVDEP is developing a field and GIS python-automated protocol for wetland functional assessment for mitigation and conservation purposes. Ms. Byers has recently completed conservation assessments of wetlands and red spruce forests in West Virginia for the National Vegetation Classification, and climate change vulnerability assessment of rare species and wetland communities. Prior to joining state government, Ms. Byers worked for 20 years with non-profits as an ecologist and conservationist in the Himalayas, East African rift, Rocky Mountains, and Appalachians. Her current passionate hobby is writing a field guide to the flora and ethnobotany of Mount Everest National Park. 

 
Recent Updates to the EnviroAtlas Tool: Mapping Ecosystem Goods and Services

Held Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - 3:00 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]

PRESENTER

• Anne Neale, EnviroAtlas Project Lead, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
  

ABSTRACT

EnviroAtlas is a multi-organization effort led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop, host and display a large suite of nation-wide geospatial indicators of ecosystem goods and services. EnviroAtlas includes an Interactive Map which makes it easy for non-GIS users to view and analyze geospatial data including resources that could be particularly useful for wetland conservation, management, and research. An example of the many data layers available in EnviroAtlas is a nationwide 30-meter resolution data layer depicting suitability for wetland restoration which has been based on existing soils, land cover, and topography. Other data layers describe the land cover composition of water body buffers and connectivity to nutrient sources. Additional data layers relate to ecosystem markets and provide information about wetland mitigation banks. Other examples relate to biodiversity. More than 160 national indicators of ecosystem service supply, demand, and drivers of change provide a framework to inform decisions and policies at multiple spatial scales, educate a range of audiences, and supply data for research. A higher resolution component based on a one-meter land cover classification is also available, providing over 100 data layers for finer-scale analyses for selected communities across the US.

BIO

Anne is the Project Lead for EnviroAtlas, a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 mapped data layers and helps users understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on the benefits humans derive from ecosystems. Anne has a background in landscape ecology and ecosystem services and has been with EPA since 1991. She currently co-chairs a Working Group on Ecosystem Services housed within the White House Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainability, Subcommittee on Ecological Systems. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Studies from Utah State University in 1986. One of her primary research foci has been examining relationships between spatial patterns of landscape characteristics and conditions of and risks to ecological resources and the societal benefits they provide.  

 

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NWI REGIONAL PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region has prepared many publications about wetlands. All are available online and direct links are given at the regional NWI program’s website: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/EcologicalServices/wetlandspubs.html. The publications are arranged by general topics as follows:

Wetland Definition, Classification, and Basic Concepts

• Technical Aspects of Wetlands: Wetland Definitions and Classifications in the United States, R. Tiner. 1997.

Wetland and Riparian Mapping

• The NWI+ Mapper-Expanded Data for Wetland Conservation, Ralph Tiner, National Wetlands Newsletter, July-August 2013
• Wetlands One-Stop Mapping: Providing Easy Online Access to Geospatial Data on Wetlands and Soils and Related Information, Ralph W. Tiner, Kevin McGuckin, Laura D. Roghair, Sharon Weaver, and Jeanne Christie,WSP, March 2013
• NWI Plus: Geospatial Database for Watershed-Level Functional Assessment, Ralph Tiner. In: National Wetlands Newsletter, Vol. 32(3), May-June 2010
• NWI Maps: What They Tell Us, R.W. Tiner. In: National Wetlands Newsletter, March-April 1997
• Map Accuracy of National Wetlands Inventory Maps for Areas Subject to Maine Land Use Regulation Commission Jurisdiction, C. Nichols, 1994
• Comparison of Four Scales of Color Infrared Photography for Wetland Mapping in Maryland, R.W. Tiner and G.S. Smith. 1992, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Newton Corner, MA. National Wetlands Inventory Report. R5-92/03. 15 pp. plus tables.
• The National Wetlands Inventory - The First Ten Years, Bill O. Wilen, Ph.D. and Ralph W. Tiner, Jr., 1989

Wetland Plant Lists/Hydrophytes

• Lists of Potential Hydrophytes for the United States: A Regional Review and Their Use in Wetland Identification by R.W. Tiner. 2006. WETLANDS 26(2):624-634.

Wetland Plant - Soil Correlation Studies

• Soil-Vegetation Correlations in the Connecticut River Floodplain of Western Massachusetts, Peter Veneman and Ralph Tiner, September 1990, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D.C. Biological Report 90(6)

Regional Wetland Reports

• Wetlands of the Northeast: Results of the National Wetlands Inventory, R.Tiner, 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, Hadley, MA

Inventories of Wetland Change Reports

• Changes in Long Island Wetlands, New York: Circa 1900-2004, Ralph W. Tiner, K. McGuckin, and M. Fields. 2012.
• Changes in Connecticut Wetlands: 1990 to 2010, Ralph W. Tiner, Kevin McGuckin, and Jason Herman. 2013.
• 100 Years of Estuarine Marsh Trends (1893 to 1995): Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands, B.K. Carlisle, R.W. Tiner, M. Carullo, I. J. Huber. 2006.
• Salt Marsh Trends in Selected Estuaries in Southwestern Connecticut, by R.W. Tiner, et al. 2006.
• Recent Wetland Trends in Southeastern Virginia: 1994-2000, R.W. Tiner, J.Q. Swords, and H.C. Bergquist. 2005.
• Coastal Wetland Trends in the Narragansett Bay Estuary During the 20th Century, R.W. Tiner, I.J. Huber, T. Nuerminger, and A.L. Mandeville. 2004.
• Wetland Status and Trends for the Hackensack Meadowlands: An Assessment Report from the National Wetlands Inventory Program, R.W. Tiner, J.Q. Swords, and B.J. McClain. 2002.
• Delaware's Wetlands: Status and Recent Trends, R.W. Tiner. June 2001.
• Wetland Trends in the Croton Watershed, New York: 1960s to 1990s, R. Tiner, J. Swords, and S. Schaller. 1999.
• Wetland Trends in Delaware: 1981/2 to 1992, R. Tiner, J. Swords, and S. Schaller. 1999.
• Wetland Status and Recent Trends for the Neponset Watershed, Massachusetts (1977-1991), R.W. Tiner, D.B. Foulis, C. Nichols, S. Schaller, D. Petersen, K. Andersen, and John Swords. 1998.
• Wetland Trends in Dorchester County, Maryland (1981-82 to 1988-89), D.B. Foulis, T.W. Nuerminger, and R.W. Tiner. 1995.
• Wetland Trends for Selected Areas of Dorchester County, Maryland and Vicinity (1981-82 to 1988-89), R.W. Tiner and D.B. Foulis. 1994.
• Recent Wetland Status and Trends in the Chesapeake Watershed (1982 to 1989): Technical Report, R.W. Tiner, I. Kenenski, T. Nuerminger, D.B. Foulis, J. Eaton, G.S. Smith, and W.E. Frayer. 1994. Chesapeake Bay Program, Annapolis, MD.
• Wetland Trends for Selected Areas of the Casco Bay Estuary of the Gulf of Maine (1974-77 to 1984-87), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Trends for Selected Areas of the Cobscook Bay/St. Croix River Estuary of the Gulf of Maine (1975/77 to 1983-85), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Trends for Selected Areas of the Coast of Massachusetts, from Plum Island to Scituate (1977 to 1985-86), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Trends for Selected Areas of the Gulf of Maine, from York, Maine to Rowley, Massachusetts (1977 to 1985-86), D.B. Foulis, J.A. Eaton, and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Status and Trends in Charles County, Maryland (1981 to 1988-89), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Status and Trends in St. Marys County, Maryland (1981-82 to 1988-89), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Wetland Status and Trends in Calvert County, Maryland (1981-82 to 1988-89), D.B. Foulis and R.W. Tiner. 1994.
• Status and Trends of Wetlands in Cape May County, New Jersey and Vicinity (1977 to 1991), G.S. Smith and R.W. Tiner. 1993.
• Recent Wetland Trends in Anne Arundel County, Maryland (1981-82 to 1988-90), R.W. Tiner and D.B. Foulis. 1992.
• Wetland Trends in Prince Georges County, Maryland From 1981 to 1988-89, R.W. Tiner and D.B. Foulis. 1992.
• Current Status and Recent Trends in Wetlands of Central Connecticut, R.W. Tiner, J. Stone, and J. Gookin. 1989.
• Recent Wetland Trends in Southeastern Massachusetts, R.W. Tiner, Jr. and W. Zinni, Jr. 1988.
• Mid-Atlantic Wetlands: A Disappearing Natural Treasure, R.W. Tiner. 1987.
• Status and Recent Trends of Wetlands in Five Mid-Atlantic States: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, R.W. Tiner, Jr. and J.T. Finn. 1986.

Regional Wetland Inventory Reports/Articles

• Wetlands of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, R. W. Tiner, J. Q. Swords, and H.C. Bergquist. 2003. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, Hadley, MA.
• Wetlands of Saratoga County, New York. R. Tiner. 2000. 20 pp. color booklet. A Cooperative National Wetlands Inventory Report.
• Wetlands of Staten Island, New York. R. Tiner. 2000. 20 pp. color booklet. A Cooperative National Wetlands Inventory Report.
• Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats at Saratoga County, New York; The Results of the National Wetlands Inventory, R.W. Tiner, I.K. Huber, D.B. Foulis, T. Nuerminger, G.S. Smith and M. J. Starr. 2000.
• Wetlands in the Watersheds of the New York Water Supply System. R.W. Tiner. 1997. 17 pp. color booklet. Limited copies through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Available from: Laurie Machung, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Watershed Office of Public Affairs, 71 Smith Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401; (845) 340-7524

State Inventories of Potential Wetland Restoration Sites

CT

• Potential Wetland Restoration Sites for Connecticut: Results of a Preliminary Survey, Ralph W. Tiner, Kevin McGuckin, and Jason Herman. 2013.

MA

• Wetlands and Potential Wetland Restoration Sites for the Mill Rivers and Manhan River Watersheds, R. Tiner, J. Swords, I Huber, T. Nuerminger, and M. Starr. July 2000.
• Wetlands and Potential Wetland Restoration Sites for the Upper Ipswich Watershed, R. Tiner, I. Huber and M. Starr. 2000.
• Wetlands and Potential Wetland Restoration Sites for the Shawsheen Watershed, R. Tiner, I. Huber, M. Starr, and P. Veneman. April 2000.

NY

• Preliminary Inventory of Potential Wetland Restoration Sites for Long Island New York, Ralph W. Tiner and Jason Herman. February 2015.

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Surveys

• 2012 Eelgrass Survey for Eastern Long Island Sound, Connecticut and New York, R. Tiner, K. McGuckin, and A. MacLachlan. 2013.
• 2006 Eelgrass Survey for Eastern Long Island Sound, Connecticut and New York, R. Tiner, H. Bergquist, T. Halavick, and A. MacLachlan. 2007.
• Eelgrass Survey for Eastern Long Island Sound, Connecticut and New York, R. Tiner, H. Bergquist, T. Halavick, and A. MacLachlan. 2003.
• An Inventory of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation and Hardened Shorelines of the Peconic Estuary, New York, R.W. Tiner and others, 2003

Watershed-Based Wetland Studies: Characterization and Preliminary Functional Assessment, Wetland Restoration, and Overall Ecological Integrity

• Wetland Characterization and Preliminary Assessment of Wetland Functions for the Delaware and Catskill Watersheds of the New York City Water Supply System. R.W. Tiner and J. Stewart. 2004.
• Wetland Characterization and Preliminary Assessment of Wetland Functions for the Croton Watershed of the New York City Water Supply System. R.W.Tiner, C.W. Polzen, and B. J. McClain. 2004.
• Remotely-sensed indicators for monitoring the general condition of "natural habitat" in watersheds: an application for Delaware's Nanticoke River Watershed by R. Tiner. Published in Ecological Indicators 4 (2004): 227-243.
• Historical Analysis of Wetlands and Their Functions for the Nanticoke River Watershed: A Comparison Between Pre-settlement and 1998 Conditions. R. W. Tiner and H.C. Bergquist. 2003.
• An Inventory of Coastal Wetlands, Potential Restoration Sites, Wetland Buffers, and Hardened Shorelines for the Narragansett Bay Estuary: An Assessment Report from the National Wetlands Inventory Program. R.W. Tiner and others. 2003.
• The Parker River Watershed: An Assessment of Recent Trends in Salt Marshes, Their Buffers, and River-Stream Buffer Zones (1985-1999). 2002.
• Watershed-based Wetland Characterizations for Delaware's Nanticoke River Watershed: A Preliminary Assessment Report. R.W. Tiner and others. 2001.
• Watershed-based Wetland Characterization for Maryland's Nanticoke River and Coastal Bays Watersheds: A Preliminary Assessment Report. R.W. Tiner and others. 2000.
• Watershed-based Wetland Planning and Evaluation. A Collection of Papers from the Wetland Millennium Event (August 6-12, 2000; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada)
• Wetland Characterization Study and Preliminary Assessment of Wetland Functions for the Casco Bay Watershed, Southern Maine, R.W. Tiner and others. 1999. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Hadley, MA

Wetland Protection

• Geographically Isolated Wetlands of the United States, R.W. Tiner, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wetlands, Vol 23, No.3, Sept. 2003, pp. 494-516, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Wetlands One-Stop Mapping is designed mainly to provide easy online access to geospatial data on wetlands and soils produced by federal and state agencies. This should help the average citizen and GIS users locate and learn more about U.S. wetlands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), through its National Wetland Inventory (NWI), has produced wetland geospatial data for most of the country. While different agencies post data on their own sites, there is not a single place to go for these data. Wetlands One-Stop Mapping attempts to accomplish this feat plus much more.

Wetlands One-Stop Mapping was developed jointly by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Northeast Region and Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute (CMI) mainly to provide online access to classification tools, NWI+ data and results (maps and reports) from various studies and possibly to compatible data produced by state agencies. Through the NWI+ Web Mapper, wetland geospatial data are linked to aerial imagery (and topographic maps) for easy viewing of wetlands, their characteristics, and functions for areas where NWI+ data are available. This has replaced the need to produce hardcopy maps and allows users to prepare custom maps for their areas of interest via the NWI+ mapper. Geospatial data from other special NWI projects may also be viewed on the mapper including 1) inventories of potential wetland restoration sites and 2) areas that may support wetlands based on soil survey mapping but were not recognizable as wetlands via remote sensing (“P-wet areas”).

To make the site even more useful for areas where special NWI projects have not been initiated, the site also links to national and state datasets. Several key national datasets are accessible via the website for viewing and may be linked to the NWI+ Web Mapper. Other valuable information that can be accessed via this website includes wetland plant community data (e.g., NWI’s state wetland reports and community profiles generated from NatureServe Explorer and the U.S. National Vegetation Classification Hierarchy Explorer), geospatial and other wetland data from state agencies, and other wetland information (reports, articles, and other websites of interest). In addition, a general introduction to wetlands can be viewed through the "Primer". The original “Wetlands One-Stop” site hosted by CMI has been integrated into the ASWM’s website to provide users with access to both geospatial data and a host of wetland data already posted on the ASWM website (e.g., wetland regulations, policies, and programs).  This move increases the amount of information ASWM serves the public and thereby further aids its mission to provide useful information for improving wetland management, conservation, and resource decision-making.

      

 

2016 Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars

Maps of Potential Wetland Extent for Selected Streams in Indiana

Held Wednesday, December 21, 2016 - 3:00 pm ET

INTRODUCTION

Marla Stelk, Policy Analyst, ASWM

PRESENTER

• Kathleen Fowler, U.S. Geological Survey [PowerPoint Presentation]
  

ABSTRACT

Project in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Indianapolis, Indiana

Wetlands serve many ecological and hydrological functions. The NRCS Wetland Reserve Program planning criteria state for a site to be a wetland eligible for a restoration in agricultural land, it needs be in a zone with sustained or frequent flooding for a period of 7 consecutive days on average at least once every 2 years (a recurrence interval called the 7MQ2).

The objectives of this project are to expand the library of 7QM2 potential wetland extent maps in Indiana; to make existing and new maps in the library available through an on-line public map viewer; to document software for 7QM2 map preparation; and to publish results of field verification of the maps, along with new maps by USGS.

BIO

Kathleen Fowler has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Indiana University. Her first major work experience was in the oil fields of Texas and Louisiana as a mud logging geologist. She began her career with the USGS as a field technician and then a hydrologist.

Kathleen has experience in both ground-water and surface-water hydrology. She has created GIS databases for military bases within Indiana. She has applied GIS techniques to classify hydrogeologic data for use in the ground-water model, MODFLOW. She led projects to compile hydrogeologic and water-quality data for the St. Joseph Aquifer System and sediment transport along a stream in that area. For Indiana’s Source Water Assessment, Kathleen surveyed and described intakes at most of Indiana’s surface-water suppliers. She has participated in mercury studies in litterfall, precipitation, and streams. Her most recent work has involved flood inundation mapping, low-flow characteristics estimation, and regional regression analysis for low-flow estimation at ungagged sites. She is an active member in Indiana Water Resources Association and is a Licensed Professional Geologist.