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An Automated Technique for Delineating and Characterizing Valley-Bottom Settings

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Abstract

Accurate delineation and characterization of valley-bottom settings is crucial to the assessment of the biological and geomorphological components of riverine systems; yet, to date, most valley-bottom mapping endeavors have been done manually. To improve this situation, we developed automated techniques in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for delineating and characterizing valley-bottom settings in river basins ranging in size from approximately 1,000–10,000 km2. All procedures were developed with ARC/INFO GIS software and fully automated in Arc Macro Language (AML). The GRID module is required for valley-bottom delineation and slope calculations; whereas characterization (i.e., measuring the width of the valley-bottom zone) requires Coordinate Geometry (COGO) in the ARCEDIT module. The process requires three inputs: a polygon coverage of the analysis area; an arc coverage of its hydrography, and a grid representing its digital elevation. The AML is designed to operate within a wide range of computer memory/disk space options, and it allows users to customize several procedures to match the scale and complexity of a given analysis area with available computer hardware.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Spatial Analysis Lab, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA

    Wendy A. Williams, J. Chris Winne & Roland L. Redmond

  2. Ecological Applications Service Team, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, P.O. Box 7669, Missoula, MT, 59807, USA

    Mark E. Jensen

Authors
  1. Wendy A. Williams
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  2. Mark E. Jensen
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  3. J. Chris Winne
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  4. Roland L. Redmond
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Williams, W.A., Jensen, M.E., Winne, J.C. et al. An Automated Technique for Delineating and Characterizing Valley-Bottom Settings. Environ Monit Assess 64, 105–114 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006471427421

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006471427421

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