Using geographic information systems (GIS) to determine the suitability for wetland restoration, agriculture, and development within the Cowaselon Creek Watershed Area (CCWA), Madison County, New York.

摘要

Land use activities in the Cowaselon Creek Watershed Area (CCWA) have moved forward without a well defined set of goals. Using GIS, three activities receiving recent attention: development; agriculture; and wetland restoration, were intensively examined and modeled with the ultimate goal of prioritizing the most suitable uses. A simple modeling approach was used to mathematically combine GIS layers relevant to each of the three land use categories. In addition, GIS was used to show the plethora of factors effecting the area including: hydrology, soils, topography, land cover, sites of wetland restoration, agricultural areas, and much more. Five hundred and twenty-one soil cores were taken on over 6,000 acres and were used in an agricultural suitability model which showed that 1,694 acres of the muck remain most viable. A cumulative suitability model created for wetland restoration showed that 11,214 acres of the CCWA are best suited for wetland restoration.