Using the ArcView Spatial Analyst ModelBuilder to Evaluate Cumulative Effects Models in a Forested Watershed

Author: Jeffery Nighbert
Organization: Bureau of Land Management

1515 S.W. 5th Ave
Attn: Jeff Nighbert 955.2 Attn: Jeff Nighbert 955.2
Portland, OR 97208

Phone: 503-952-6399
Fax: 503-952-6399
Jeff_Nighbert@or.blm.gov

In recent years there have been numerous scientific papers on spatially analyzing the cumulative effects of land management activities in forested watersheds. With recent salmonid listings under the Endangered Species Act and the increased focus on water quality requirements of the Clean Water/Drinking Water acts, understanding the sensitivity of the assumptions and parameters of the models currently in use to describe cumulative effects has become a critical concern.

A fifth field watershed was chosen in southwestern Oregon to serve as a model testing arena. Classified TM imagery; 10-meter digital elevation models; and detailed soils, roads, streams, and other resources data were collected and used in the analysis of the watershed. The ArcView Spatial Analyst ModelBuilder extension was used as a format to allow the examination of the cumulative effects models in an in-depth cumulative effects analysis. The work was developed to support federal land management agencies, working with their regulatory partners, to develop practical consultation procedures.

The paper will discuss the differences between models, their sensitivities, and how ModelBuilder supported the analysis.