Abstract
Mapping the Cheoah River, North Carolina Track: Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Bob Deibel In Graham County, North Carolina, 9.3 miles of the Cheoah River flowed at a trickle. Officials at the dam upstream wanted to increase the flow on this stretch of the river 10-fold to increase tourism through river rafting. Prior to such a major ecological impact, the U.S. Forest Service demanded accurate, fine-level mapping of conditions in and along the river. The mapping would provide baseline information on instream and riparian habitats used to evaluate the effects of increased flow. The USFS and Forest One, Inc., gathered and analyzed data from numerous sources to produce dozens of maps and geospatial layers detailing the river. Custom flights acquired 6" color infrared orthophotography, hyperspectral imagery, and LIDAR data covering the entire segment. Detailed topographic layers, derived from LIDAR data, were used to model the river's velocity. Additionally, the river was mapped and classified by habitat type and riverbed substrate type. Bob Deibel USDA, Forest Service Lands Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A Fort Collins , CO 80526 US Phone: 970-295-5982 E-mail: r5pnw@fs.fed.us |
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