Geographic Information System in Water Resource Engineering

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GISs) are strongly impacting the fields of water resources engineering, environmental science, and related disciplines. GIS tools for spatial data management and analysis are now considered state of the art, and application of these tools can lead to improved analyses and designs. Familiarity with this burgeoning technology may be a prerequisite for success in our efforts to create reliable infrastructure and sustain our environment. GIS is rapidly changing the ways that engineering planning, design, and management of water resources are conducted. Advances in data-collection technologies—using microprocessor-based data-collection platforms and remote sensing—provide new ways of characterizing the water environment and our built facilities. Spatial databases containing attribute data and imagery over time provide reliable and standardized archival and retrieval functions, and they allow sharing of data across the Internet. GIS analysis functions and linked mathematical models provide extensive capabilities to examine alternative plans and designs. Map-oriented visualizations in color, three-dimensional, and animation formats help communicate complex information to a wide range of participants and interest groups. Moreover, interactive GIS database and modeling capabilities permit stakeholders to participate in modeling activities to support decision making. GIS is an allencompassing set of concepts and tools that provides a medium for integrating all phases of water resources engineering planning and design. This book provides relevant background on GIS that is useful in understanding its advanced applications in water resources engineering. The book has been developed with two primary sections. For the first part of the book (Chapters 1–4), the emphasis is on developing an understanding of the nature of GIS, recognizing how a GIS is used to develop and analyze geographic data, differentiating between the various types of geographic data and GISs, and summarizing data development and database concepts. Primary field-data collection and methods of interpretation and analysis are also introduced. The second part of the book (Chapters 5–12) focuses on the various subdomains of water resources engineering, the data involved, linkage of GIS data with water resource analysis models, and management applications. Applications include watershed hydrologic and groundwater modeling, water and wastewater demand forecasting, pipe network modeling, nonpoint sources of water pollution, floodplain delineation, facilities management, water resources monitoring and forecasting, and river-basin management decision-support systems. The applications include descriptions of GIS database development, analysis background theory, and model integration with the GIS. The chapter titles in the book are as follows: