Greta Jimenez
Geographic Information System (GIS) is a powerful tool that communities can use to understand how changes in land use may impact local water quality. GIS data can be used to investigate pollution patterns and make informed decisions about natural resources, community goals, and potential future changes. For example, the Tipping Point Planner Program helps communities in the Great Lakes states visualize the impact of nutrient loading on their watersheds and plan for a sustainable future. GIS data can also be used to identify contaminated locations, such as proposed wells residing in pollution plumes, and to access information about regulated activities in the vicinity of identified locations. Additionally, tools like ArcGIS Pro allow users to explore global raster data measuring levels of fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) and apply statistical tests to identify hot and cold spots of pollution over time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the tool | eMapPA |
| Type of the tool | GIS-based website and mapping tool |
| Purpose of the tool | Display of environmentally relevant data to Commonwealth Agencies, contractors, and the public |
| Data available | Over 50 map layers relating to administrative and political boundaries, culture and demographics, geology, mining, streams and water resources, and transportation networks |
| Additional features | Tools for navigating, querying, identifying, extracting, buffering, and address matching |
| Limitations | Information regarding Dams, Explosive Storage Locations, Public Water Supplies, and certain Water Pollution Control, Water Resource, and Radiation Facilities are not displayed on eMapPA |
| Alternative tools | ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, Tipping Point Planner Program |
| ArcGIS data | Global raster data measuring levels of fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) |
| ArcGIS procedure | Click the Image layer, click the Image Layer tab, choose Standard Deviation, use the mosaic dataset to make a multidimensional raster layer |
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What You'll Learn
- Communities can use GIS to see how land-use changes may affect water quality
- The Tipping Point Planner Program helps communities plan for a sustainable future
- GIS data can be used to identify contaminated locations
- The eMapPA tool displays environmentally relevant data
- GIS data can be used to identify radiation facilities
Communities can use GIS to see how land-use changes may affect water quality
Communities can harness the power of GIS to gain valuable insights into how land-use changes may impact their local water quality. GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, is a potent tool that integrates diverse environmental data, enabling communities to make informed decisions about their future.
GIS provides a comprehensive framework that brings together community organizations, natural resource experts, scientists, extension specialists, and concerned citizens. By combining GIS with research outcomes in stream health, land-use change, and nutrient loading, communities can directly link data to local decision-making processes.
For instance, the City of Peoria in Illinois faced issues with water surges from storms and snowmelt overwhelming their stormwater infrastructure, resulting in sewer overflow and nutrient pollution in the Illinois River. By organizing a Tipping Point Planner Program workshop, Peoria's innovation team, together with specialists from Purdue University, utilized GIS to address specific watershed problems and goals.
GIS offers spatial models and decision-support tools that help communities evaluate the potential consequences of land-use changes on water quality. These models include Purdue's Land Transformation Model (LTM) for land-use forecasts, water quality analysis tools such as L-THIA and SPARROW, and the University of Michigan's land-use biotic tipping point model, which provides insights into the status of nutrients, sediments, fish, and aquatic insects in streams. By integrating these models, planners can analyze the potential impact of different plans over two to five decades and visualize the results on maps.
Additionally, GIS aids in watershed management by dealing with spatial data and complex interactions. It helps identify critical parameters such as altitude, settlements, forests, cropland, and distance to water sources, which are vital for understanding water quality. This information can guide the implementation of protective measures, such as prioritizing the protection of riparian zones in river basins.
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The Tipping Point Planner Program helps communities plan for a sustainable future
The Tipping Point Planner Program is a powerful tool that helps communities plan for a sustainable future. It is a joint initiative by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Purdue Extension, recognised by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its 2019 Science Report. The program assists community leaders in making informed, long-term decisions that directly impact the environmental health of local resources and the quality of life of their communities.
The Tipping Point Planner utilises a web-based decision support system, enabling diverse stakeholder participation in land-use decisions and natural resource management strategies. By exploring land use, natural resources, and environmental concerns, communities can identify the status of their watershed health and understand the potential consequences of their actions. This knowledge helps them avoid reaching critical environmental limits, or tipping points, that could lead to instability.
The program encourages community engagement and collaboration through the use of touch screen monitors and interactive GIS maps. Community groups can explore their local areas, identify planning priorities, and develop customised maps and action strategies. These maps and strategies can then be used in grant proposals, reports, or exported for further use.
In 2019, the Tipping Point Planner team worked with communities in Au Gres, Michigan, and Perrysburg, Ohio, involving over 100 people in the decision-making process. Together, they created action plans focused on conservation and ecological resource management, ensuring a sustainable future for their communities.
By directly linking data to local decision-making processes, the Tipping Point Planner Program empowers communities to plan and maintain projects that balance protecting natural resources with enhancing resilience. This approach ensures that communities can thrive while preserving the environmental health of their local resources.
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GIS data can be used to identify contaminated locations
One of the key advantages of using GIS in environmental contamination studies is its ability to map out contaminants in soil and water. GIS software employs spatial interpolation tools that enable the efficient identification and monitoring of contaminated sites. This is particularly useful for environmental agencies tasked with remediating and mitigating soil and water contamination. For example, GIS can be used to detect metal contaminants in the soil, and through GIS analysis, high-risk sites can be prioritised for remediation.
In addition to soil and water contamination, GIS is also applied to assess air pollution. GIS software can measure levels of fine particulate matter pollution, referred to as PM 2.5, which includes air pollution particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller. By utilising global raster data and multidimensional raster layers, users can visualise areas with higher and lower levels of PM 2.5 pollution. This information is crucial for understanding air quality and the potential health risks associated with particulate matter pollution.
GIS also plays a vital role in community planning and water quality management. The Tipping Point Planner Program, developed by a coalition of scientists, combines GIS with research on stream health, land-use change, and nutrient loading. This program assists communities in understanding how land-use changes may impact local water quality and helps them make informed decisions to ensure a sustainable future. For instance, communities near the Great Lakes in the United States face the challenge of high nutrient loads, including pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, which threaten the health of their water bodies. By utilising GIS, these communities can evaluate their natural resources, set priorities, and develop action plans to protect their water quality.
Furthermore, GIS data can be used to identify contaminated locations by providing information on properties with environmental restrictions or ongoing remediation obligations. For instance, the Pennsylvania Activity and Use Limitation (PA AUL) Registry website utilises GIS to inform the public about properties with environmental covenants, deed restrictions, or post-remediation care plans. This allows users to search for properties with specific restrictions and access relevant documentation. The PA AUL Registry is a valuable tool for individuals, organisations, and government agencies seeking information on contaminated sites and their remediation status.
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The eMapPA tool displays environmentally relevant data
The eMapPA tool is a GIS-based website and mapping tool that displays environmentally relevant data. It was developed by the Pennsylvanian Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to organize and report information about Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth's regulated facilities. eMapPA translates location data for facilities from the Environment, Facility, Application, Compliance Tracking System (eFACTS) for display on a statewide graphic map interface. The user determines which information the map displays by selecting data layers. The eMapPA user interface includes two major sections: the tabbed pane and the map area. The tabbed pane consists of a series of tabs that determine the options displayed below them. The user can navigate the map using the zoom and pan tools. The Zoom In tool allows the user to see more detail on the map, while the Zoom Out tool allows the user to see a larger section of the map. The Pan tool allows the user to change the displayed map section by clicking and dragging.
The eMapPA tool provides access to over 50 map layers relating to administrative and political boundaries, culture and demographics, geology, mining, streams and water resources, and transportation networks. It also includes information on DEP-permitted facilities, such as conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells. However, for security reasons, eMapPA does not display information on dams, explosive storage locations, public water supplies, and certain water pollution control facilities.
In addition to eMapPA, the PA DEP's GIS Open Data Portal provides access to publicly available, non-sensitive GIS data. This includes data on abandoned mine lands, air quality, water pollution control, hazardous waste, oil and gas operations, and more. The Environmental Search Tool, a simplified version of the Environmental Site Assessment Search Tool, facilitates public access to information in DEP's eFacts database. This allows users to view DEP-regulated activities within a specified vicinity.
GIS tools, such as eMapPA and the Tipping Point Planner Program, are valuable for communities as they enable them to understand how land-use changes may affect local water quality. By combining GIS with data on stream health, land-use change, and nutrient loading, communities can make informed decisions about their future development plans and ensure the sustainability of their watersheds.
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GIS data can be used to identify radiation facilities
Additionally, GIS can be used to create maps of long-term radiation monitoring locations, such as the RadMap in the United States. This map provides key information about the monitors and the surrounding areas, including geographic features and mileage from other points on the map. In the event of a radiation release, emergency responders can use RadMap to collect information, develop assessments, and determine the placement of additional monitors. GIS technology also enables users to visualize data and perform analyses to identify radiation facilities and assess radiation levels.
Furthermore, communities can use GIS to understand how land-use changes may impact local water quality. For example, in the Great Lakes region of the United States, communities are concerned about nutrient loads, which are high concentrations of pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, that threaten the health of waterways. By combining GIS data with research on stream health, land-use change, and nutrient loading, communities can make informed decisions about local land use and watershed management. The Tipping Point Planner Program, developed by the Tipping Point Planning team and Purdue University, is a decision support tool that utilizes GIS data to help communities evaluate natural resources, prioritize goals, and assess potential future changes.
Overall, GIS data and technology play a crucial role in identifying radiation facilities, monitoring radiation levels, and understanding the potential impacts of radiation and pollution on the environment and human health. By utilizing GIS, communities, researchers, and emergency responders can make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to mitigate the effects of radiation and pollution.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use ArcGIS Pro to explore global raster data measuring levels of fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5). You can also use the Emerging Hot Spot Analysis tool from the Space Time Pattern Mining toolbox to find statistically significant hot and cold spots of pollution.
The Tipping Point Planner Program is a useful tool for communities to understand how land-use changes may impact their local water quality. It helps participants evaluate natural resources, prioritize community goals, and assess changes.
The PA DEP's GIS Open Data Portal provides access to publicly published, non-sensitive GIS data related to topics such as air quality, water pollution control, hazardous waste, and more. For specific GIS questions, you can contact the Geospatial Data Center. Additionally, eMapPA is a GIS-based website and mapping tool that provides access to environmentally relevant data.
