2004 UC Proceedings Abstract
Assessing Wetland Changes in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern Track: Environmental Management Author(s): Karl Korfmacher The 1997 Rochester Embayment Remedial Action Plan (RAP) defined several use impairments for the Rochester Embayment and the lower Genesee River in Monroe County, NY, including the "loss of fish and wildlife habitat"! This impairment was attributed to the loss of wetlands, deforestation, agriculture, and urban/suburban development. To determine if conditions have changed, the research team delineated wetland boundaries and riparian corridors for the state and federal wetlands and a 50-foot stream buffer from aerial photography and Landsat imagery, to be used in a change analysis with existing databases. ArcGIS and ArcPad, connected to GPS receivers through pocket PCs, were used to conduct detailed field surveys to help verify wetland delineations and to assess the health of six baseline wetlands. Preliminary results indicate a possible loss in the overall area of federally and state delineated wetlands. Additional wetlands were identified in the analyses, however, and may offset the apparent losses. Karl Korfmacher Rochester Institute of Technology Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Science Program Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Science Program 85 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester , NY 14623-5603 US Phone: 585-475-5554 Fax: 585-475-4990 E-mail: KFKSCL@RIT.EDU |
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