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Track: Environmental Management
Dale White
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
1800 Watermark Drive
PO Box 1049
Columbus, OH 43216-1049
Telephone: 614-644-2138
Fax: 614-644-2329
E-mail: dawhite@chagrin.epa.ohio.gov
Siobahn Fennessy
Suitability Modeling for Locating Wetlands in Watershed Restoration
Defining Issue: To develop a site suitability model using digital GIS to assess the potential for wetland restoration in the Cuyahoga River watershed, Ohio, USA. Existing wetlands will be identified and integrated with proposed restoration locations to maximize water quality and habitat benefits. GIS Solution: The integration of spatial modeling and wetland science defined the role that wetlands play in the remediation of beneficial useimpairments that exist in the Cuyahoga River watershed. A suitability model (using AML) was developed to assess the likelihood of success in restoring different land units in the watershed. Detailed maps showing restoration scenarios with the highest likelihood of success will be used by a steering committee of the Cuyahoga River watershed Remedial Action Plan for land management. Methodology: Criteria for restoration potential can be categorized into soil, hydrological, land use, and habitat components. Potential restoration areas were identified by the presence of
hydric soils, open land cover, and hydrological saturation; subsequently an index was created using a weighted linear combination of these variables. These areas were then prioritized using characteristics dependent on the ability of a restoration area to perform water quality improvement or provide habitat. Some of these functional characteristics include relative position in the watershed, proximity to hydrological flow systems, wetland hydrogeomorphological class, and size of restoration area. Software: The application was written in ARC Macro Language (AML) using ARCGRID and vector-based data management and spatial analysis tools. Land use/land cover classifications were completed using ERDAS Imagine.
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