Geospatial Information for decision support in AOCs and ecosystems

Dates

Project Start Date: 2010
Project End Date: 2011

Summary

Description of Work U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will expand the online availability of geospatial data to monitor the presence and extent of invasive species in wetlands, coastal areas and other sensitive habitats. USGS is working with the Great Lakes Observing System collaboration and other data sharing efforts across the Great Lakes to compile the data into a user friendly format that is accessible on line. Elevation data will be expanded in the Great Lakes Basin using a collaborative to support the GLRI. This information would support invasive species monitoring, wetland inventory, and habitat restoration. USGS will work with the Great Lakes Observing System and other data sharing efforts to make USGS geospatial information readily [...]

Summary

Description of Work

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will expand the online availability of geospatial data to monitor the presence and extent of invasive species in wetlands, coastal areas and other sensitive habitats. USGS is working with the Great Lakes Observing System collaboration and other data sharing efforts across the Great Lakes to compile the data into a user friendly format that is accessible on line. Elevation data will be expanded in the Great Lakes Basin using a collaborative to support the GLRI. This information would support invasive species monitoring, wetland inventory, and habitat restoration. USGS will work with the Great Lakes Observing System and other data sharing efforts to make USGS geospatial information readily accessible to researchers and the public. Working with county governments, the State of Michigan, and other Federal Agencies, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey will endeavor to acquire high-resolution elevation and LiDAR point-cloud data for (in order of priority): Macomb County, St. Clair County, and Monroe County, Michigan. Data will be acquired based on a standard USGS specification requiring 2 meter maximum sample spacing, 15cm maximum vertical error, as well as several interpreted products. The contract will be handled by the USGS National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) Commercial Partnerships Team (CPT) based in Rolla Missouri. The NGTOC will be reimbursed at a rate of between 5 and 10% for labor associated with contract management, administration, and QA/QC of the products. The rapidly deteriorating budget situation for local governments in Southeast Michigan has called into question the availability of local matching funds. In the absence of local matching funds, data sharing agreements will be negotiated with the counties to make locally maintained geospatial data available to scientists and the general public. Priority will be given first to HEC counties, then counties contributing to the HEC, and finally other counties in the Lake Erie Basin that have not been flown.

Goals & Objectives

Complete LiDAR coverage for the Huron-Erie Corridor. Depending on funds actually available or obtained through partnerships, expand to finish the Lake Erie watershed. Make all of this data available to scientists, managers, State/County/Local agencies, and the general public.

Relevance & Impact

LiDAR is a critical data need for many Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as environmental managers and researchers. Much of the elevation data in the Great Lakes, and within the western Lake Erie watershed, is more than 30 years old. In regions of modest relief, such as the lake plains of Monroe and Macomb County, MI, the existing 30m DEM and 10ft contours are both outdated and lack sufficient detail to identify areas of current or potential wetlands, develop restoration and management plans, or even delineate watersheds reliably. Further, the additional derivative products of the LiDAR, including land cover, canopy height, and biomass, among others, provide useful information for restoration.

Large, consolidated purchases through established contract vehicles minimizes the data cost per unit area, while assuring a high level of standardization and compatibility. The USGS has been a leader in this field for two decades, and has ongoing relationships with partners flying areas ranging in size from individual counties to the state of Iowa.

Approach

Working with county governments, the State of Michigan, and other Federal Agencies, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey will endeavor to acquire high-resolution elevation and LiDAR point-cloud data for (in order of priority): Macomb County, St. Clair County, and Monroe County, Michigan. Data will be acquired based on a standard USGS specification requiring 2 meter maximum sample spacing, 15cm maximum vertical error, as well as several interpreted products (full specification attached).

The contract will be handled by the USGS National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) Commercial Partnerships Team (CPT) based in Rolla Missouri. The NGTOC will be reimbursed at a rate of between 5 and 10% for labor associated with contract management, administration, and QA/QC of the products.

The rapidly deteriorating budget situation for local governments in Southeast Michigan has called into question the availability of local matching funds. In the absence of local matching funds, data sharing agreements will be negotiated with the counties to make locally maintained geospatial data available to scientists and the general public. Priority will be given first to HEC counties, then counties contributing to the HEC, and finally other counties in the Lake Erie Basin that have not been flown.

Highest priority: Macomb 1,2, St. Clair 2, Monroe Counties 2, MI
Second Priority: Sanilac, Lapeer, Livingston 2, Lenawee, and Hillsdale Counties, MI
Third Priority: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Wells, and Steuben, IN

1 - Macomb County has committed matching funds toward developing an improved product.
2 - The SEMCOG Counties may acquire LiDAR as part of the ARRA Geospatial Stimulus program. If so, this will allow better coverage of the 2nd and 3rd priority areas.

Products

In terms of planning and managing the project, communications will be primarily between USGS Liaisons and county partners, or Federal partners.

The Federal collaborators on the 2011 remote sensing plan have developed a white paper for GLNPO. This white paper has been provided for review and comment, and will likely be revised to address concerns or comments GLNPO may have. The intent of that document is explain both the GLNPO and to watchdog groups the different remote sensing technologies being employed in several templates, and express how these various efforts complement each other, rather than compete.

A fact sheet will be developed in conjunction with the EROS Data Center based on data for Wayne Co, MI (about to be delivered 12/2009) illustrating the improvements possible in watershed delineation, hydrologic routing, and land cover classification based on LiDAR, as well as examples of several additional analyses, such as cut-fill, canopy closure, and biomass estimates.

Following production of the data, in conjunction with partnering local and regional agencies, we can do a press release and a demonstration of identifying a wetland based on the LiDAR and imagery (from a separate funding source) we will be partnering on in the Detroit area. The biggest opportunity may not be until 2011, when new topographic maps will be produced with the new data.

Contacts

Principal Investigator :: Stephen S Aichele
Associate Project Chief :: James R Nicholas
Lead Organization :: National Map Program Development
Cooperator/Partner :: Michigan Water Science Center

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Related External Resources

Type: Web Link

Project Home Page	http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/#/Browse/facc/53598191e4b0031b2f4a0716
Related Resource	http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/

Type: Browse Image

Browse Image	http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/projects/accountability/images/decision_support_AOCs_web.png

Material Request Instructions

Direct questions and requests to the Principle Investigator.

Purpose

This project will support multiple Federal, State, and local elevation data needs for ecology, restoration, planning, and public safety in the Huron-Erie Corridor and limited other selected locations.

Project Extension

projectStatus	Completed

Geospatial Information for decision support in AOCs and ecosystems

Dates

Summary

Summary

Description of Work

Goals & Objectives

Relevance & Impact

Approach

Products

Contacts

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Dates

Summary

Summary

Description of Work

Goals & Objectives

Relevance & Impact

Approach

Products

Contacts

Attached Files sorting Metadata First Recent First Alphabetical

Related External Resources

Material Request Instructions

Purpose

Project Extension

Preview Image

Map

Spatial Services

Communities

Tags

Provenance

Item Actions

View Item as ...

Save Item as ...

View Item...

Attached Files

sorting

Metadata First

Recent First

Alphabetical