MANAGING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPROACH1

ABSTRACT: Fuels contained in underground storage tanks (USTs) are a major source of soil and ground water contamination. Effective management of the problem at the urban level is difficult due to a large number of tanks and a vast array of factors (e.g., tank characteristics, geology) that determine environmental hazards. The problem is compounded by frequent abandonment and reuse of service stations, which makes it difficult to track the status of underground tanks. Geographic information systems (GIS) are ideally suited to organizing location and attribute data for variables that are pertinent to the UST management problem. A GIS-based UST management system was developed and applied to 136 current and former gasoline service stations in Denton, Texas. The system is effective for tank inventory and can be applied in a proactive fashion to identify potentially problematic facilities. In the event of a leak or spill, the management system can support the implementation of reactive measures to mitigate subsurface contamination. Potential beneficiaries of such a system include planning departments, environmental regulatory agencies, emergency management officials, lending institutions, gasoline distributors, and oil companies.     

APPLICATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO GROUNDWATER MONITORING NETWORK DESIGN1

ABSTRACT: Effective monitoring configurations for contaminant detection in groundwater can be designed by analyzing the spatial relationships between candidate sampling sites and aquifer zones susceptible to contamination. Examples of such zones are the domain underlying the contaminant source, zones of probable contaminant migration, and areas occupied by water supply wells. Geographic information systems (GIS) are well-suited to performing key groundwater monitoring network design tasks, such as calculating values for distance variables which quantify the proximity of candidate sites to zones of high pollution susceptibility, and utilizing these variables to quantify relative monitoring value throughout a model domain. Through a case study application, this paper outlines the utility of GIS for detection-based groundwater quality monitoring network design. The results suggest that GIS capabilities for analyzing spatially referenced data can enhance the field-applicability of established methodologies for groundwater monitoring network design.     

A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM PROCEDURE TO QUANTIFY DRAINAGE-BASIN CHARACTERISTICS1

ABSTRACT: The Basin Characteristics System (BCS) has been developed to quantify characteristics of a drainage basin. The first of four main BCS processing steps creates four geographic information system (GIS) digital maps representing the drainage divide, the drainage network, elevation contours, and the basin length. The drainage divide and basin length are manually digitized from 1:250,000-scale topographic maps. The drainage network is extracted using GIS software from 1:100,000-scale digital line graph data. The elevation contours are generated using GIS software from 1:250,000-scale digital elevation model data. The second and third steps use software developed to assign attributes to specific features in three of the four digital maps and analyze the four maps to quantify 24 morphometric basin characteristics. The fourth step quantifies two climatic characteristics from digitized State maps of precipitation data. Compared to manual methods of measurement, the BCS provides a reduction in the time required to quantify the 26 basin characteristics. Comparison tests indicate the BCS measurements are not significantly different from manual topographic-map measurements for 11 of 12 primary drainage-basin characteristics. Tests indicate the BCS significantly underestimates basin slope. Comparison-measurement differences for basin slope, main channel slope, and basin relief appear to be due to limitations in the digital elevation model data.     

INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN GROUND-WATER APPLICATIONS USING NUMERICAL MODELING TECHNIQUES1

ABSTRACT: The Sand and Gravel Aquifer is the sole source of potable water in Escambia County, Florida. In order to better understand the hydraulics of the aquifer, a numerical computer model of the aquifer was developed. The model applied a finite element technique which allowed for density-dependent transport and flow in three dimensions. The modeling technique was integrated with GIS to develop a system for optimal management of the resource. The GIS was the primary tool in the development of the model grid, as well as being the integral component in the modeling procedure. Multiple model grids were developed for simulating regional flow and local flow/transport phenomena. The model grids were generated by the GIS where nodal and element sequencing were recorded. The grid topology was stored in the GIS with the element numbers, node numbers, and the related hydrogeologic attributes. The Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) module was used for transferring interpolated value between GIS coverages. TIN allowed a fit of the model grid to the physical dimensions of the aquifer and for interpolating boundary values for telescopically refined grids. Calculations between TIN surfaces provided the residuals of the dependent variable from observed TIN surfaces. Model calibration was conducted within the GIS environment through a combination of visual and relational querying. The GIS provided an integrated environment which facilitated model analyses and data storage and retrieval.     

DEVELOPMENT OF A WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION MODEL IN A GIS1

ABSTRACT: As part of a larger model to identify lands suitable for acquisition, a water supply protection model was developed using the Southwest Florida Water Management District's GIS. Several hydrologic and hydrogeologic data layers were overlaid to develop maps showing ground-water supply suitability, protection areas for surface-water supply, protection areas for major public supply wells, susceptibility to ground-water contamination, and recharge to the Floridan aquifer. These intermediate layers were combined into a final map to prioritize protection areas for water supply.     

SEASONAL PUMPING VARIATION EFFECTS ON WELLHEAD PROTECTION AREA DELINEATION1

ABSTRACT: Delineation of a welihead protection area (WHPA) is the key element in welihead protection programs for drinking water supplies. WHPAs are often delineated under idealized conditions using simple steady-state assumptions, which lead to an incorrect estimation of area and geometry. In this paper, we compare the results from a simple steady-state procedure commonly employed in WHPA delineation with a more complex transient approach that allows consideration of seasonal variation in pumping rates. We also introduce a transient procedure to delineate time-related capture zones using a numerical ground water flow and transport model. Welihead delineation is examined for two municipal wells in Tipton, Oklahoma, using a ten-year time-of-travel criterion. In the steady-state procedure, where we assumed constant pumping rates, we used GPTRAC, a semi-analytical model, and MOC, a numerical model. The capture zone delineated by GPTRAC is comparable in shape with the capture zone delineated by MOC but not in size due to the differences in solution schemes. In the transient procedure, we used MOC and considered the seasonal variation in pumping rates. The capture zones delineated in this procedure were larger than the capture zones delineated by the steady-state procedure using the same model. Further analysis showed that a higher drawdown was predicted in the transient procedure than in the steady-state procedure, which is the reason for larger capture zones.     

USING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TO DETERMINE THE RELATION BETWEEN STREAM QUALITY AND GEOLOGY IN THE ROBERTS CREEK WATERSHED,CLAYTON COUNTY,IOWA1

ABSTRACT: A geographic information system (GIS) was used to determine the relation between the stream-water quality and underlying geology in Roberts Creek watershed, Clayton County, Iowa, for base-flow conditions during the spring and summer of 1988–90. Geologic, stream, basin and subbasin boundaries, and water-quality sampling-site coverages were created by digitizing available maps. A contour coverage was created from digital line-graph data. The areal extent of geologic units subcropping in each subbasin was quantified with GIS, and the results then were output and joined with the discharge and water-quality data for statistical analyses. Illustrations showing the geology of the study area and the results of the study were prepared using GIS. By using GIS and a statistical software package, a weak but statistically significant relation was found between the water temperature, pH, and nitrogen concentrations in Roberts Creek and the underlying geology during base-flow conditions.     

INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND MODFLOW FOR GROUND WATER RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS1

ABSTRACT: The Floridan Aquifer is the primary source of water in the coastal area of Santa Rosa County, Florida. In order to optimize well field design and analyze aquifer stress problems, the USGS MODFLOW code (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988) is applied to develop a numerical computer model of the aquifer. The Geographical Information System (GIS) is the primary tool used in the development of the model grid, performance of the modeling procedure, and model analysis. The GIS is used in generating multiple grids in which to simulate both regional scale and local scale flow. The grid topology is recorded in geographic coordinates which facilitates geo-referencing and orientation of the grid to base maps and data coyerages. The GIS allows data transfer from various coverages to the nodes of the block centered grid where hydrogeologic information is stored as attributes to the grid coverage. From this grid coverage, pertinent information is queried within the GIS environment and used to generate the input files for the MODFLOW simulation. After MODFLOW execution, simulated heads and drawdown are imported into the grid coverage where residual error and recharge rates can be calculated. Contoured surfaces are then created for selected data sets including simulated heads, drawdown, residual error, and recharge rates. Model calibration is conducted utilizing the GIS to generate and process data sets associated with model simulations.     

A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TO PREDICT NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION POTENTIAL1

ABSTRACT: Bacterial densities (total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococci) and suspended solids in runoff from a feedlot, pasture, and corn field were measured. Densities of fecal coliform were highest from the feedlot but were 1000 to 10,000 times greater than the water quality standard for swimmable waters from all three land uses. Densities of fecal streptococci were highest from the corn field, which suggests that wildlife are the source of bacteria. Fecal coliform/fecal streptococci ratios distinguished cattle from wildlife as the source of bacterial pollution both among land uses and among seasons of the year. Suspended solids concentrations in runoff ranged from 423 to 925 mg/l and were highest from the corn field. A Geographic Information System (GIS), which utilizes a raster or grid-cell format, was developed to include algorithms associated with non-point source pollution. The system accepts digitally mapped information on soil type, topography, and land use. It calculates characteristics such as slope and slope length, and relates these characteristics to soils and land use parameters in order to produce three dimensional maps of runoff potential, sediment pollution potential, and bacterial pollution potential. It offers the advantages of retaining the geographic character of pollution potential information and of conveying in three-dimensional graphical terms the effects of topography, soil type, land use, and land management practices.     

SIMULATION OF INTEGRATED SURFACE WATER AND GROUND WATER SYSTEMS - MODEL FORMULATION1

ABSTRACT: The unique characteristics of the hydrogeologic system of south Florida (flat topography, sandy soils, high water table, and highly developed canal system) cause significant interactions between ground water and surface water systems. Interaction processes involve infiltration, evapotranspiration (ET), runoff, and exchange of flow (seepage) between streams and aquifers. These interaction processes cannot be accurately simulated by either a surface water model or a ground water model alone because surface water models generally oversimplify ground water movement and ground water models generally oversimplify surface water movement. Estimates of the many components of flow between surface water and ground water (such as recharge and ET) made by the two types of models are often inconsistent. The inconsistencies are the result of differences in the calibration components and the model structures, and can affect the confidence level of the model application. In order to improve model results, a framework for developing a model which integrates a surface water model and a ground water model is presented. Dade County, Florida, is used as an example in developing the concepts of the integrated model. The conceptual model is based on the need to evaluate water supply management options involving the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater, as well as the evaluation of the impacts of proposed wellfields. The mathematical structure of the integrated model is based on the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM) (MacVicar et al., 1984) and A Modular Three-Dimensional Finite-Difference Groundwater Flow Model (MODFLOW) (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988).     

MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS OF WATER-USE DATA USING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM1

ASSTRACT: As part of its mission, the U.S. Geological Survey conducts water-resources research. Site-specific and aggregate water-use data are used in the Survey's National Water-Use Information Program and in various hydrologic investigations. Both types of activities have specific requirements in terms of water-use data access, analysis, and display. In Kansas, the Survey obtains water-use information from several sources. Trpically, this information is in a format that is not readily usable by the Survey. Geographic information system (GIS) technology is being used to restructure the available water-use data into a format that allows users to readily access and summarize site-specific water-use data by source (i.e., surface or ground water), type of use, and user-defined area.     

MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF INFORMATION FOR GROUND WATER PROTECTION: THREE TEST CASES1

ABSTRACT: Public awareness of the importance of protecting the nation's water supplies is growing. Recent studies have shown a substantial increase in the perceived value of protecting water supplies for future use. In the Northeast, much of the water supply comes from ground water. This paper examines three test cases, each with different approaches for using geographic information systems (GIS) for ground water protection planning. In Wellfleet, Massachusetts, build-out scenarios were used to support regulatory and land acquisition decisions for siting a public water supply well. In Hadley, Massachusetts, the focus was on a decision support model for septic suitability assessment in support of regulatory efforts and infrastructure expansion. For Cortland County, New York, an interactive graphic user interface was created to facilitate the manipulation and recombination of a large volume of data by county officials to target ground water pollution prevention efforts. As personal computers become more powerful and inexpensive, and GIS data become more readily available, community and county governments are turning to GIS as a tool for developing comprehensive resource protection plans. Once appropriate data are input, a GIS can effectively and efficiently be used to derive outcomes of various land use plans and regulations.     

WATERSHED CONFIGURATION AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM PARAMETERIZATION FOR SPUR MODEL HYDROLOGIC SIMULATIONS1

ABSTRACT: A grid cell geographic information system (GIS) is used to parameterize SPUR, a quasi-physically based surface runoff model in which a watershed is configured as a set of stream segments and contributing areas. GIS analysis techniques produce various watershed configurations by progressive simplification of a stream network delineated from digital elevation models (DEM). We used three watershed configurations: ≥ 2nd, ≥ 4th, and ≥ 13th Shreve order networks, where the watershed contains 28, 15, and 1 channel segments with 66, 37, and 3 contributing areas, respectively. Watershed configuration controls simulated daily and monthly sums of runoff volumes. For the climatic and topographic setting in southeastern Arizona the ≥ 4th order configuration of the stream network and contributing areas produces results that are typically as good as the ≥ 2nd order network. However both are consistently better than the ≥ 13th order configuration. Due to the degree of parameterization in SPUR, model simulations cannot be significantly improved by increasing watershed configuration beyond the ≥ 4th order network. However, a range of Soil Conservation Service curve numbers derived from rainfall/runoff data can affect model simulations. Higher curve numbers yield better results for the ≥ 2nd order network while lower curve numbers yield better results for the ≥ 4th order network.     

MODELING URBAN NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION WITH A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: A geographic information system (GIS) was a useful aid in the assessment of urban nonpoint source pollution and the development of a pollution control strategy. The GIS was used for data integration and display, and to provide data for a nonpoint source model. An empirical nonpoint source loading model driven by land use was used to estimate pollutant loadings of priority pollutants. Pollutant loadings were estimated at fine spatial resolution and aggregated to storm sewer drainage basins (sewersheds). Eleven sewersheds were generated from digital versions of sewer maps. The pollutant loadings of individual land use polygons, derived as the units of analysis from street blocks, were aggregated to get total pollutant loadings within each sewershed. Based on the model output, a critical sewershed was located. Pollutant loadings at major sewer junctions within the critical sewershed were estimated to develop a mitigation strategy. Two approaches based on the installation of wet ponds were investigated - a regional approach using one large wet pond at the major sewer outfall and a multisite approach using a number of smaller sites for each major sewer junction. Cost analyses showed that the regional approach would be more cost effective, though it would provide less pollution control.     

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM BASED NONPOINT POLLUTION MODELING1

ABSTRACT: The reauthorization of the Clean Water Act reemphasizes the need for regional scale monitoring and management of nonpoint pollution loads. The magnitude of the task will require that local governments and their consultants integrate information systems and modeling if they are to manage the massive data sets and conduct the array of simulations that will be needed to support the decision making processes. Interfacing geographic information systems (GIS) and nonpoint pollution modeling is a logical approach. The objective of the present study was to use the 37,000-acre area defined by the Kensington Quadrangle sheet in Montgomery County, Maryland, to show that GIS-supported nonpoint pollution modeling is practical and economically attractive. The purpose of the GIS is to estimate the spatial distribution of nonpoint nitrogen, phosphorous, zinc, lead, BOD, and sediment using a model developed by the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission. The system allows the user to change land uses in subareas to simulate the consequences of additional development or alternate management strategies. The tests show that in-house development of this type of special purpose GIS is a practical alternative to vendor supplied systems and that the required databases can be developed quite reasonably.     

A METHOD FOR OBTAINING SLOPE INFORMATION FOR HYDROLOGIC MODELS1

: A method is described for obtaining surface slope information for analysis with other land resource and water quality data in hydrologic models of nonpoint sources of water pollution. The method described requires a point sampling scheme, topographic maps, and a coordinate digitizer. Sample point elevation, slope direction, and slope magnitude are calculated from locations of the sample point and the nearest upper and lower contour lines. Details of the data collection methodology and associated problems are discussed.     

A SYSTEMS RESOURCES APPROACH TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: THE CASE OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS1

ABSTRACT: The thesis of this paper is that the citizen participation process provides necessary, but not sufficient conditions to affect substantive change in federal water resource management agencies' planning and decisionmaking. That is, in its present form, the citizen participation process has been observed to occur outside of the normal decision arenas of federal resource management agencies. The paper reviews concepts of citizen participation and defines some theoretical problems inherent with them. Then, a strategy for the structuring of a citizen participation process is proposed. This strategy is based upon the notion that citizen support for federally sponsored programs are essential if such projects are to be implemented. Therefore, an approach which integrates citizen valves with those held by other institutions and the agency is suggested. In conclusion, the relevancy of actively developing and including citizen input to the water resource planning process is illustrated by a discussion of three cases of the Corps of Engineers and Urban Studies planning process, in different metropolitan regions.     

ASSESSING GROUND WATER POLLUTION POTENTIAL FROM NITROGEN FERTILIZER USING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: A geographic information system (GRASS 3.1) was used to correlate the availability of nitrogen fertilizer with the susceptibility of ground water to pollution in Texas to identify potential ground water quality problems. An agricultural pollution susceptibility map, produced by the Texas Water Commission using the DRASTIC methodology, was combined with information on cropped areas, recommended nitrogen fertilizer application rates, and aquifer outcrops. A Nitrogen Fertilizer Pollution Potential Index was generated, identifying 24 percent of Texas within the high pollution potential category An analysis of the susceptibility of major aquifer outcrops to potential pollution from nitrogen fertilizer indicated that 34 percent of the outcrop areas fall in the high pollution potential range. It is proposed that correlating the availability of a pollutant with an assessment of the susceptibility of ground water to pollution yields a more accurate screening tool for identifying potential pollution problems than considering susceptibility alone.     

DEVELOPMENT OF WATERSIIED MODELS FOR TWO SIERRA NEVADA BASINS USING A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: Techniques were developed using vector and raster data in a geographic information system (GIS) to define the spatial variability of watershed characteristics in the north-central Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada and to assist in computing model input parameters. The U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System, a physically based, distributed-parameter watershed model, simulates runoff for a basin by partitioning a watershed into areas that each have a homogeneous hydrologic response to precipitation or snowmelt. These land units, known as hydrologic-response units (HRU's), are characterized according to physical properties, such as altitude, slope, aspect, land cover, soils, and geology, and climate patterns. Digital data were used to develop a GIS data base and HRIJ classification for the American River and Carson River basins. The following criteria are used in delineating HRU's: (1) Data layers are hydrologically significant and have a resolution appropriate to the watershed's natural spatial variability, (2) the technique for delineating HRU's accommodates different classification criteria and is reproducible, and (3) HRU's are not limited by hydrographic-subbasin boundaries. HRU's so defined are spatially noncontiguous. The result is an objective, efficient methodology for characterizing a watershed and for delineating HRU's. Also, digital data can be analyzed and transformed to assist in defining parameters and in calibrating the model.     

AN ASSESSMENT OF WATER UTILITY INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEIR USE OF COMPUTERS1

To provide an overview of water utility information systems and the extent of computer use, a direct mail survey of all water utilities serving populations of 2,000 or more in the tri-state area - Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky - was conducted. The following was determined: 1) utility profile information, e.g., public/private ownership, age, number of accounts, etc.; 2) an assessment of the degree of computerization presently in place to perform various functions; and 3) an assessment of any plans that the utilities may have for future computerization. To analyze the data, an index of computerization was defined as the number of departments or major activity areas of each utility that presently have some computerization. The relationship between the degree of computerization (measured by this index) and a utility's profile in terms of population served, annual revenue generated, and the number of customer accounts is discussed for each state in the survey. Discriminant analysis revealed strong significant differences between utilities that plan to use computers and those that do not. The differences were identified by the authors. Survey results revealed a rather limited use of computers in the tri-state area. Enormous potential exists in small and medium sized utilities for computerization to improve operational efficiency.