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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #138802

Title: Remote sensing inputs and a GIS interface for distributed hydrologic modeling

Author
item CROSBY, GREG - UTAH STATE UNIV
item NEALE, CHRISTOPHER - UTAH STATE UNIV
item Seyfried, Mark
item TARBOTON, DAVID - UTAH STATE UNIV

Submitted to: International Association of Hydrological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2001
Publication Date: 8/20/2001
Citation: Crosby, Greg, Neale, Christopher, Seyfried, Mark S., Tarboton, David, Remote Sensing Inputs and a GIS Interface for Distributed Hydrologic Modeling, International Association of Hydrological Science, Book Chapter, pp 421-426, 2001.

Interpretive Summary: Current management of rangelands is constrained, to some extent, by a lack of information describing plant use of soil water and plant productivity. Computer models exist that simulate those processes with reasonable accuracy but have been applied only on small plots. Management requires information over large, highly variable tracts of land. This requires data not currently available. We have compiled a database partly composed of remote sensing data we acquired with the Utah State University airplane that will provide critical information over a relatively large area, about 90 square miles. We intend to use this data in a model being adapted to use this kind of data so that simulations can be performed at scales important for management.

Technical Abstract: High resolution aerial (0.3 to 3.0 m) multispectral imagery was acquired over some of the sub-basins of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in 1996 to provide various spatial resolution imagery for the development of vegetation related GIS layers (leaf area index (LAI), percent cover, vegetation type, canopy height, root depth, etc.). Thematic mapper imagery (30 m) was also collected for the entire Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed. The imagery will provide data to a remotely sensed input driven hydrologic model that will be developed with this research. This paper will concentrate on the development of the GIS layers in the ARCVIEW environment to be used with the distributed hydrologic model.