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SAN PEDRO WATERSHED DATABASE
Citation:
Kepner, W G., D J. Semmens, D T. Heggem, E. J. Evanson, C M. Edmonds, S. N. Scott, AND D W. Ebert. SAN PEDRO WATERSHED DATABASE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/C-03/008 (NTIS Rejected), 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
The primary objectives of this research are to:
Develop methodologies so that landscape indicator values generated from different sensors on different dates (but in the same areas) are comparable; differences in metric values result from landscape changes and not differences in the sensors;
Quantify relationships between landscape metrics generated from wall-to-wall spatial data and (1) specific parameters related to water resource conditions in different environmental settings across the US, including but not limited to nutrients, sediment, and benthic communities, and (2) multi-species habitat suitability;
Develop and validate multivariate models based on quantification studies;
Develop GIS/model assessment protocols and tools to characterize risk of nutrient and sediment TMDL exceedence;
Complete an initial draft (potentially web based) of a national landscape condition assessment.
This research directly supports long-term goals established in ORDs multiyear plans related to GPRA Goal 2 (Water) and GPRA Goal 4 (Healthy Communities and Ecosystems), although funding for this task comes from Goal 4. Relative to the GRPA Goal 2 multiyear plan, this research is intended to "provide tools to assess and diagnose impairment in aquatic systems and the sources of associated stressors." Relative to the Goal 4 Multiyear Plan this research is intended to (1) provide states and tribes with an ability to assess the condition of waterbodies in a scientifically defensible and representative way, while allowing for aggregation and assessment of trends at multiple scales, (2) assist Federal, State and Local managers in diagnosing the probable cause and forecasting future conditions in a scientifically defensible manner to protect and restore ecosystems, and (3) provide Federal, State and Local managers with a scientifically defensible way to assess current and future ecological conditions, and probable causes of impairments, and a way to evaluate alternative future management scenarios.
Description:
The San Pedro River Geo-Data Browser was jointly developed by the Landscape Ecology Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Tucson, AZ). Since 1995, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EP A) and USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ ARS) scientists have been working as part of the multi-agency Semi-Arid Land-Surface-Atmosphere (SALSA) research consortium dedicated to the study of global change within the Upper San Pedro Watershed. The spatial coverages and the supporting information (metadata) have been organized relative to their geographical availability. The coverages are available for download and the metadata include important information relative to acquisition, location, processing level, file size and format, and any relevant comments. The intent of the San Pedro Data Browser is to provide spatial data in a user-friendly and accessible on-line format to other researchers, public agencies, resource managers, non- governmental organizations, decision-makers, and user groups. This product provides for long term record keeping (archiving) and easy access to an exceptional assemblage of spatial data for this internationally significant watershed.