Utilizing GIS to Locate Environmental & Recreational Stream

Flows & Institutionally Protected Streams in the Snake-Salt River Basin, Wyoming

Chris Nicholson Tony Bergantino

University of Wyoming

Water Resources Data System & Wyoming Water Development Office

October 2013 GIS in the Rockies

Õ The Wyoming Water Development Program was established in 1975 to promote the development of the state's water resources. The program provides, through a commission, funding for planning, construction, and operation of water projects. These projects can be for water conservation, storage, distribution and use of water deemed as necessary to develop and preserve Wyoming's water resources.

Õ River Basin Planning divides the State into 7 Basins for study of water availability, use, and future use projections.

Water Resource Data System and Wyoming Water Development Office

ÕThe Water Resources Data System (WRDS) is a clearinghouse of hydrological and climatological data for the State of Wyoming and serves a support role to the WWDO. WRDS is funded by the WWDO and housed within the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at the University of Wyoming.

Introduction

In 2012, the Wyoming Water Development Office commissioned a report entitled Environmental and Recreational Water Use Study that sought to improve the accuracy of defining and displaying recreational and environmental water use estimates in Wyoming’s river basins.

Definitions:

Recreational water uses Non-consumptive uses that require a sufficient water supply for a quality experience.

• boating • fishing • waterfowl hunting • winter sports

Environmental uses Non-consumptive, & include water needed to support fish, water dependent plants, many animal species, & associated water-dependent ecosystem functions.

• maintaining minimum reservoir pools • instream flows • direct wildlife consumption • evaporation • maintenance of riparian areas.

Protected Uses – These uses are protected, in some way, from incursions by traditional water uses. (instream flow segments & wild river segments)

Complementary Uses – These uses exist without explicit protection, but continue to exist typically by virtue of their location. (uses in the National Forest that exist because of Federal Management)

Competing Uses – Competing uses are those environmental or recreational uses that are in a location where other traditional water use diverters may constrain or eliminate the environmental or recreational use at any point in time.

Identified 3 Types of Environmental and Recreational Uses

How do we begin to know where these uses are in relation to stream segments?

Snake/Salt River Basin 1. Approximately 90 percent of this

region is under public ownership (i.e. federal and state lands)

2.Home to two national parks (the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park and all of Grand Teton National Park)

3.Known for its world class recreational opportunities

An excellent test case to examine recreational and environmental uses using GIS.

WA

OR

ID

MT

WY

NV UT CA

CO

Snake River Basin

Goal of GIS Analysis To identify the location of stream segments that are deemed by Federal and Wyoming State agencies as having recreational and environmental uses associated with them AND have some level of institutional protection.

2 Parts to the Study

1) Develop a GIS model to identify stream segments with varying levels of both use and protection.

2) Look at surrounding uses in relation to these segments to see which traditional uses (points) may be protected, complimentary or conflicting.

This presentation focuses on #1

Methods

Simple map algebra function (e.g. raster calculator analysis) was performed on multiple, existing GIS coverages in ArcGIS 10.0 with Spatial Analyst to create two models. 2 Models were created by assigning stream segments relative values:

1. Stream segments that have differing levels of recreational and environmental use

2. Stream segments with differing levels of “protection” resulting from institutional constraints.

The results of the GIS model illustrate the stream segments where:

1. Future development may be difficult 2. Recreational and Environmental flows may be complementary to OR

in competition with other traditional water uses (i.e. agriculture, municipal, industrial uses)

A. National Wild and Scenic Rivers B. WGF Critical Stream Corridors C. WGF Stream Classifications D. Instream Flow filings E. Land Ownership

Variables

GIS data in Wyoming was limited by availability to the following 5 variables:

These datasets are readily available online, alleviating the need to create from scratch any “new” data for the analysis.

WGF Stream Classifications Category Value Blue Ribbon (national importance) 5 Red Ribbon (statewide importance) 4 Yellow Ribbon (regional importance) 3 Not Present 0

Instream Flow Filings Category Value Present 5 Not Present 0

WGF Critical Stream Corridors Category Value Present 5 Not Present 0

National Wild & Scenic Rivers Category Value Wild 5 Scenic 4 Recreation 3

Land Ownership Category Value USFS National Forest 5 Bureau of Land Management 5 USFS Wilderness Area 4 NPS National Park/Monument 4 National Wildlife Refuge 3 State Wildlife Habitat Management Area 3 Wyoming State Land 1 Private Lands 0

Instream Flow Filings Category Value Present 5 Not Present 0

National Wild & Scenic Rivers Category Value Wild 15 Scenic 10 Recreation 5

Land Ownership Category Value USFS National Forest 3 Bureau of Land Management 3 USFS Wilderness Area & Wilderness Study Areas 15 NPS National Park/Monument 15 National Wildlife Refuge 15 State Wildlife Habitat Management Area 4 Wyoming State Land 2 Private Lands 0

Recreational & Environmental

Use Values

Federal and State Institutional Protection Values

(Variable values were discussed ad nauseum)

The Basic Steps 1. Identify & Digitize stream

segments to be included in the model; based upon segments used in both the Water Availability Model and those found in the five GIS variables used in the model.

2. For polyline layers (i.e. instream flow segments), buffer segment by quarter-mile based on attributes.

3. Place a quarter-mile buffer around digitized stream segments & Clip polygon layers to stream segment polygon (i.e. land ownership).

4. Convert vector files to rasters. 5. Reclassify raster files based on two

sets of variable values 6. Sum raster files using Spatial Analyst

Raster Calculator.

Blue Ribbon Streams

Instream Flow

Segments

Critical Streams

National Wild & Scenic

Rivers

Land

Ownership

Raster Calculator:

Sum

Scores of Relative

Level of Use &

Institutional Protection

Use & Protection Maps

Overlapping the Two Models

Knowing which stream segments are highly used and associated with recreational/environmental uses AND streams that are institutionally protected allows us to see if there are areas of conflict.

Environmental and Recreational Use Locations

Use Locations Overlaid with Institutional Protections Values

Snake River Basin

Environmental and Recreational Use Locations

Use Locations Overlaid with Institutional Protections Values

Salt River Basin

Part 2: Steps after Steam Segments are identified…

GIS Layer Aquatic Habitat Priority Areas Bridger Teton Sites Bridger Teton Trails Caribou Targhee Dispersed Areas Caribou Targhee Dispersed Sites Caribou Targhee Sites Elk Feed Grounds Fishing Spots Golf Courses Grand Teton National Park Resources National Wetlands Inventory Nature Conservancy Easements Non Nature Conservancy Easements Palisades Wilderness Study Area Scenic Highways and Byways Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area Ski Areas Trout Unlimmited Projects Yellowstone National Park Resources

Classify uses in each sub-basin as Protected, Competing, or Complimentary and analyze each use in relation to other traditional uses that surround it.

For Example:

Snake Headwaters @ All Uses within the National Parks are Protected @ 6 Protected Uses outside of the Parks

H 3 Camping, 3 Trailheads

Final product will be part of the Environmental and Recreational Water Use Technical Memorandum

Snake/Salt River Basin Plan 2013 Update

http://waterplan.state.wy.us/plan/snake/snake-plan.html

Chris Nicholson Water Resources Data System & Wyoming State Climate Office

307-766-3741

cnichol5@uwyo.edu

http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/sco/climate_office.html

Thank you Questions?