Graduate Projects

Zakim Abraham & Jason Schuster

Data was digitally developed to determine sanitary sewer locations, elevations, flow directions and parcels’ impervious areas during the summer of 2002 for the City of Rochester, Minnesota. The purpose of this project was to use these data and to develop and model a GIS template for the City of Rochester. This model was developed to model sewage flow in the event of future sanitary pipe emergencies. This model analyzes sanitary sewer pipe blockages to determine potentially impacted parcel(s) by the blockage. A second model was developed to facilitate planning in regards to storm water management. Storm water runoff was analyzed on a per parcel basis to predict rainfall runoff based on percentages of impervious surfaces. DOQQ photography was used to capture the impervious areas in parcels by onscreen digitizing. ArcMap 8.2 was used to analyze the data.

Ryan R. Bormann

The Development and Implementation of a GIS System for Sunde Land Surveying, LLC.

This paper outlines the exploration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) being used by land surveying managers.  Using ArcGIS 9.0 (ArcView), ArcCatalog, Autodesk Land Desktop and other mapping software, a survey identification application was created for Sunde Land Surveying, LLC. in Bloomington, MN.  The goals of this project were to create a server based application that would give Sunde Land Surveying managers the ability to view and query information about past surveys, and secondly, to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency that is gained from having such an application.

Brian Boulmay & Jeff Bloomquist

Land use planning has become an increasingly complex and dynamic profession that depends on the working relations from all facets of society. Comprehensive planning provides an opportunity to state and develop these beliefs into general goals and policies for a coMMunity over a prescribed amount of time. Maintaining and continually updating these plans is an ongoing process in defining goals and aspirations with varying problem solving methodologies. Sorting through the varying agendas and ideas often falls on decision makers in a bureaucracy, who have to base their thoughts on their best judgement. These conclusions can be greatly enhanced using visual representations of the prescribed subject matter. Winona County’s Planning CoMMission has chosen to implement Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a basic tool that will assist them in updating the Current Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Using GIS provides an avenue to actively view data in a spatial context that will enhance their cognitive reasoning processes and make more sense than archaic textual facts and numbers. The pilot project was to include all steps from accessibility and cost of data to analysis and output of useful data that will be used in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan update process.

Todd Breiby

Land degradation and subsequent soil erosion and sedimentation play a significant role in impairing water resources within subwatersheds, watersheds and basins. Using conventional methods to assess soil erosion risk is expensive and time consuming. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), coupled with the use of an empirical model to assess risk, can identify and assess soil erosion potential and estimate the value of soil loss. The objectives of this project are to: 1) assess soil erosion risk within a Zumbro River subwatershed in southeastern Minnesota using GIS and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), 2) comparatively analyze the use and scaling effect of STATSGO and SSURGO soil databases with RUSLE and 3) assess the sensitivity and scaling effect of estimated soil loss to model variables.

Mitchell Brinks

The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) was nearly eliminated during the mid 1900’s by habitat destruction, competition, and other human-related disturbances. However, the past few decades have seen an unprecedented resurgence in bluebird numbers thanks in a large part to the placement of bluebird nest boxes by concerned citizens. A study was conducted using geographic information system (GIS) technology to determine the optimal nest box locations for bluebirds in Minnesota by analyzing nest site selection in relation to the distance between nest boxes and elements of the landscape such as roads, buildings, water, trees, and other boxes. Thirty-five years worth of data of roughly 80 nest boxes from an existing study near Pierz, MN were provided by bluebird researchers Dave and Carol Fiedler of Buffalo, MN. Field work included marking the locations of the boxes with a global positioning system (GPS) as well as describing the landscape characteristics surrounding the box. Distances were measured using ortho-rectified aerial photographs with much of the display and analysis done using Arcview 3.2 and ArcGIS. Each of the bluebird competitors was analyzed separately and then combined to develop buffer distances for ideal bluebird box placement.

Cory Brose

Spatial distributions and densities of traffic collisions were defined through utilization of a Geographic Information System. Traffic Collision data for La Crosse, Wisconsin were acquired from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Database and spreadsheet programs were used to edit and standardize the traffic collision to index with 1995 Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) system files.

Steve Bruggeman

An analysis of the Rochester areas was conducted in order to understand which coMMunity wells were the most vulnerable to contamination from petroleum sources. Analysis involved the development of five modules: Leaksite Proximity to CoMMunity Wells, Groundwater Flow Direction, Pollution Sensitivity of Leaksite Locations, CoMMunity Well Characteristics, and Leaksite Conditions.

Ryan Budlong

An analysis of the Whitewater River Watershed in Southeastern Minnesota was performed to determine suitable locations for riparian habitat buffers. A model was created to determine subwatersheds most suitable for potential riparian habitat buffer sites. Three factors were used in determining the subwatershed ranking system for the potential buffer sites: proximity of row crops to streams and rivers, subwatershed slope, and proximity of feedlots to rivers and streams of the Whitewater River Watershed.

Aaron Buffington

This study takes a look at the values that Rochester's urban parks are given by the local coMMunities, and more specifically, the correlation between the urban parks and residential property value. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was implemented to show direct patterns and correlations between the city park system and residential property values.

Kimberly M. Cannon

This paper illustrates how Geographic Information Systems can be used to expand a pet food product into new market areas. A correlation analysis of pet feed in tons sold against demographic variables helped to identify a customer profile. Determining pet feed potential and estimated gross revenue was then estimated and analyzed spatially. The customer profile was then compared to areas higher in gross revenue to determine areas for Land O'Lakes Purina Feed, LLC to conduct further research to determine if these locations would be suitable for market expansion.

Beth Collins

The Girl Scouts Northern Pine Council wanted to know how the number of girls enrolled as Scouts varied over time. They were also interested in relating zip codes to Service Units. Using ArcView and Bureau of Census data, this paper looks at one method to determine and map changes in the number of girls in Scouting and how zip code boundaries relate to Service Unit boundaries.

Lynne DeHaan

Habitat use and selection was determined for radio-marked mallard broods on Pool 7 of the Upper Mississippi River for 1993 and 1994. Data were collected on a daily basis using standard telemetry techniques. Habitat use was determined using methods that consider telemetry error in estimating brood locations. Compositional analysis was used to determine habitat selection at two levels.

Nicole DeMotto

Using spatial statistics, hot spot analysis and overlay analysis property crime data for Winona, Minnesota was analyzed for spring 1996 and spring 1998. The intent was to examine the influence businesses with an On-Sale liquor license, also known as a bar or tavern, had on property crime. The results show an influence on property crime, however property crime may be a greater externality of university students than of bar patrons.

Kevin H. Donlon

A picture may be worth a thousand words but a map tells a story. It speaks to the viewer by exposing its many relationships. Its testimony is unquestioned making it a powerfully persuasive tool. This report will discuss how this tool will be used by a real estate company to improve its services, woo prospective clientele, and ultimately contribute to the company’s bottom line. A Geographic Information System (GIS) captures, analyzes, and displays data in a visual, spatial context. In essence, the product of a GIS is a map. Use of GIS technology is particularly fitting to the application of real estate practice considering that property is geospatial in nature, its associated attributes are plentiful, and the relevance of location is key. This paper describes how a large map was produced using GIS technology. The map depicts over 1,000 properties displaying the property owner’s last name, assessor’s parcel number, acreage, Williamson Act status, and it indicates which properties have been sold by Shane P. Donlon, Incorporated. The paper describes how GIS can use prior sales data to illustrate current market trends and create customized maps for market perception. The results will aid investors so that they may be well informed while contemplating expensive decisions.

Alexander Dubish

Determining the animal disposal site capacity of a county is extremely important, especially in the event of a catastrophic emergency. Emergency events can include natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or human induced disasters. This analysis investigates the ability to dispose of large animal carcasses such as cattle, hogs, or sheep by burial in Minnesota counties and compares the respective county livestock populations. An interpretation of county soil surveys was utilized to delineate potential animal disposal sites coupled with the livestock population data by county. GIS was used to control, manipulate, and interpret a significant amount of data for a statewide analysis. This analysis develops a framework for the mitigation, planning, and the siting of animal disposal sites in the event of catastrophic mortality of livestock in Minnesota counties.

John Ebert

Non-metallic mining has become a mandatory issue to be addressed by all counties, townships, and cities in Wisconsin. The initiation of this program began in the year 2000 and was designed to concentrate on pollution that was originating from non-metallic mining sites. The goal of the mandate was to set a series of guidelines, developed by the Regulatory Authority (Buffalo County), to which quarry operators must adhere. As part of mining program requirements, Buffalo County is developing a series of resource modeling efforts in hopes of protecting natural resources. Serving as a 'pilot program,' the non-metallic mining program offers Buffalo County the opportunity to develop an administrative GIS research/resource model that can be used for other programs and/or projects that will benefit from a comprehensive GIS - administrative approach to conserving natural resources and managing programs effectively.

Nathan Eide

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is one of the most important commercial tree species in northeastern Minnesota.  The Lake County Forestry department is interested in assessing the quality of aspen stands on tax forfeit land.  Knowing the quality of aspen is important for forest management decisions.  Using handheld computers, data from 2,231 plots was collected in stands labeled as aspen in the forest inventory.  Five categories of data from this inventory were interpolated into rasters using ArcGIS 9.x Spatial Analyst Extension.  Inverse Distance Weight (IDW), Spline, and Natural Neighbor with multiple combinations of parameters were all used to derive interpolations.  Each of these interpolated rasters was statistically compared with each other to find the most appropriate method of interpolation.  The IDW method using a power of 3 and a 140 m fixed radius was the most accurate.  The interpolated rasters for each data category were then reclassed based on an index scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most desirable trait for aspen.  The reclassed rasters were then added together to find the overall quality index.  Based on the results from this study, aspen quality increases with distance from Lake Superior.  No values greater than 23 out of 25 and no values less than 5 were generated.  GIS can successfully be used to analyze quaking aspen quality.  Lake County Forestry department now has an important tool to help decision-making processes.

Andrew Eischens

Surveying of clientele frequenting the Red Lobster restaurant in La Crosse , Wisconsin , was performed to identify key customer characteristics to aid in the determination of future restaurant placement. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses and investigation of existing Red Lobster markets' physical and demographic attributes, coupled with clientele surveys and demographic census data, led to the production of very specific and highly accurate maps. These maps portray areas containing characteristics matching various analysis criteria leading to a potentially successful future Red Lobster location.

Derek Erickson

Sustainable development is progress that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and coMMunity well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend... The Sustainable Development for Minnesota Lakes Project attempts to answer the question of what should lakes and their watersheds look like in the next two generations. The Sustainable Development project created an outline plan so that major local and public developments can be planned and prioritized and can be reproduced for other lakes and their surrounding watersheds.

Timothy Fox

Canopy Gaps in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain plot were measured as a part of a songbird nest-site selectivity study. Two methods of measuring floodplain forest canopy gaps were compared.

John Gabbert

This project seeks to discover a relationship between breast and prostate cancer incidence and organochlorine/dioxin exposure among Wisconsin residents of areas within the prevailing winds of an incinerator emissions plume. The French Island waste incinerator/biomass electrical generating facility in La Crosse, Wisconsin began burning both waste wood and refuse-derived fuels prior to 1990, its first full year doubling as a municipal waste incinerator. The plant's owner, Xcel Energy, was fined in 2002 by the Wisconsin Attorney General for excessive dioxin emissions on a number of occasions between 1995 and 2000. In a related matter, finalized in October, 2003, the USEPA found the facility in violation of the Clean Air Act for emissions of particulates, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen chloride. The plant, located in a region of Wisconsin popularly known as “God's Country,” has since improved its pollution control capabilities.

Adel Gilroy

One of the biggest problems in the farming industry is erosion on farmland from water and the transport of sediment into watersheds. This study compared the level of soil erosion by water on farmland of eight-digit hydrologic units between the years of 1992-1997, and whether or not the presence of acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) affected soil loss levels within the study area. The Conservation Reserve Program is a program provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, to install conservation practices and assist private landowners with sustaining their land. A geographic information system (GIS) analysis using CRP and NRCS data, along with county, elevation and agricultural data, was conducted to determine factors contributing to differences in soil erosion levels for the state of Iowa from 1992-1997. For further analysis, two sections of various counties were chosen: one encompassed by an eight-digit hydrologic unit that showed a high level of erosion, and secondly, by a unit with a low erosion level.

Josephine Gitu

The demography of any region is constantly changing due to births, deaths, migration of people, etc. Winona County, Minnesota is no exception and is experiencing changes in the characteristics of its population. These include total population change, population density, race, ancestry, age structure, dependency ratio, sex composition, education and human resources, housing units, labor force, occupation, journey time to work, income and poverty. There was an increase in the population in Winona County from 1990 to 2000. There was also an increase in the population density of approximately three people per square mile. The majority of the population are of European ancestry and are White Caucasian. In terms of age, there was an increase in the number of people of employable age. The dependency ratio of the population declined and the population also attained higher education levels. The number of women is slightly greater than men. This paper illustrates some of the basic techniques used to describe and analyze census data using geographic information system (GIS) analysis techniques.

Corryne Goettsch & Heidi Voth

Analyses of physical boating capacity and beach use within pool 6 of the Upper Mississippi River were conducted to determine if the pool is being used beyond its capacity. Data from the Minnesota--Wisconsin Boundary Area CoMMission aerial surveys were obtained for several years between 1989 and 1997. Based on the counts of moving and beached craft it was possible to determine the number and types of craft utilizing the pool.

Joseph Guenther

Historically wetlands have been converted to agricultural production because of their native fertility and ability to hold moisture. Diverse opinions are increasingly expressed with regards to wetland policy, whether it is protection, development, or resource extraction...In this study Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to assess the potential for restoration through reconnection of floodwater to the Zumbro River floodplain.

Julie Haddon

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey are developing a factsheet for each of the coMMunity water supplies (CWS) in Illinois serving as a source of public water supply....My work during my internship was to help create a factsheet for the Decatur CWS in order to understand the watershed and its source water. I also chose to extend this analysis to focus on potential point sources of contamination and their relationship to the public water supply intakes.

Brian Hall

The purpose of this study was primarily to characterize and quantify selected aspects of known bald eagle winter night roost sites, and secondarily to use the results of the analysis as criteria for predicting potential future roost habitat. Five sites with known winter eagle use were studied. Forestry information for each site was collected. Roost sites were modeled in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to permit analysis of several spatial characteristics. Results of analyses were used as parameters in a model to predict additional areas suitable for eagle use.

Mark Hamernick

The home ranges and habitat selection of Blanding's turtles were examined at an area known as the Weaver Dunes, located in Wabasha County, Minnesota as part of an ecological survey of the species. 38 individual Blanding's turtles (23 females, 12 males, 3 juveniles) were radio monitored from April 15th, 1999 to April 1st, 2000 in an effort to better understand particular characteristics of the species' spatial behavior at this specific locale.

Andrew Hayden

Under the direction of the Arrowhead Regional Development CoMMission (ARDC), Duluth, Minnesota a study was conducted to help identify parcels near the Duluth International Airport that would be prime for iMMediate development. The study involved the collection and analysis of data utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The analysis of the data is to be used as a guide for development strategies for parcels near the Duluth International Airport. It is expected that the results of this analysis can be used as a tool in guiding the development of the Northern Development Area, which would be of great economic benefit for the Duluth International Airport, City of Duluth, City of Hermantown and the State of Minnesota. This analysis can also be of great benefit to perspective developers in their site selection process and could be easily modified to meet any specific objectives they may have.

David Haynes

This project outlines procedures and resources used on the construction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) susceptibility model. The PAH susceptibility is due to PAH loading from impervious surface features in the watershed. The susceptibility model determines areas in the watershed which contribute to PAH loading. These hotspots represent areas that should be closely monitored, as they have the greatest potential to detrimentally impact the aquatic life in the No-Name Creek Watershed. The model also looks to find potential PAH sinks or other abnormalities within the watershed boundaries.

Dave Holmen & Blake Kowal

Analysis was conducted for forest change over time within the Lower Minnesota Watershed. Areas at high risk for erosion and 1977 forested areas were then compared. Finally these areas were associated with respect to soil type. Analyses were performed in EPPL7 using EPIC data layers.

Chad Ihrke

Olmsted County Solid Waste Division has chosen to develop a geologic data management system in hopes of better understanding subsurface conditions at the Kalmar Landfill. A pilot project has been initiated to organize and extrapolate data in the southern third of the landfill. This pilot project consists of two primary objectives: 1) develop a database management system for the existing and future boring logs, and 2) extrapolate the lithology data using geostatistics and interpolation methods to generate probable subsurface geologic conditions.

Steve Jakala

This paper documents the importance of GIS enabled air dispersion modeling for use in Emergency Management operations and outlines the steps taken to design and build a GIS enabled air dispersion modeling tool for ESRI’s ArcGIS software. The tool contains report generating functionality that has the ability to analyze the area affected by the plume and create a summary report on the people and resources that are in harms way. The paper also provides a sample case study on the analysis of an accidental chemical release scenario.

Jean Johnson

It is hypothesized that patients will seek care at a tertiary care center for an elective procedure requiring highly specialized care. Furthermore, patients with an emergent condition not requiring highly specialized care will seek care at the nearest hospital. This analysis suggests that there is a correlation between urgency and severity of condition and distance traveled for hospital inpatient services. A geographic information system was utilized to obtain a distance analysis based on zip code point files and straight-line distance. The sample group was 3326 patients. This sample included 2043 Mayo Clinic patients and 1283 Mercy Medical Center patients.

Carrie Jones

GIS is a very effective tool in completing many types of analysis and manipulation of data. For this reason, it seems very effective to use GIS in stormwater management utility projects. Projects that contain many variables such as cost, area, and credits can be extremely cumbersome to work with. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the benefits of using GIS related to stormwater utility assessment. Several methods of data capture and data manipulation will be explored. Examples of the data capture methods explained are the use of imagery to create digitized impervious areas and the use of GIS tools and queries to evaluate “what if” scenarios. Results of these methods are discussed through a pilot application for the City of Tampa, FL Stormwater Department.

Paul Kelly

To increase the understanding of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvensens) in the upper Mississippi River a radio telemetry study was conducted in Pools 4 through 10. Currently lake sturgeon are listed as a species of concern. GIS analysis of available data was performed to determine the spatial relationships that exist between lake sturgeon and their habitat.

Ross Kleiner

The validity of all geographic analysis is directly related to the accuracy of all geographic datasets representing real-world phenomena involved within a given study.  Spatial data of customers or test subjects are often obtained through address geocoding.  GIS users run the risk of producing unsatisfactory geocoding match rates due to discrepancies in the source data, reference data, or both datasets.  Research conducted in this project examined the improvements in geocoding match rates when combining two updated multiple road centerline datasets.  A Geographic Information System (GIS) geocoded records from source address datasets representing multiple test areas with two competing spatial reference datasets of road centerlines.  Comparative statistics between the two reference datasets were created for analysis.  Investigations of the geocoded output datasets revealed a projected improvement in match rates when combining the two road centerline datasets into a hybrid reference dataset.

Sam Klimoski

Creating a model of an existing, complex architectural structure like a theater can be a time consuming and difficult undertaking. Issues such as line of sight, accuracy, and time constraints can pose problems when creating such a model and, in turn, when plans for renovations are made from that model. These issues can be overcome and alleviated with the use of High Definition Survey (HDS) scanning, also referred to as 3D laser scanning.

Jeff Knopf

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. With a membership of approximately 64,000 citizens, it maintains a large fleet of single-engine aircraft. A primary mission of the CAP is search and rescue. This study shows that GIS
can be used in a variety of ways to enhance CAP search and rescue missions. Results demonstrate increased accuracy in coordinate location and reduced expenditure of time. These directly translate into improvements in efficient utilization of resources and safety of personnel.

Beth Knudsen

Florence Township is situated 90 miles south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and is bordered on the east by the Mississippi River. Its steep topography and vegetative cover are typical of the southeast Minnesota bluffland landscape. Its desirable location and scenic appeal have led to increasing rates of housing development, higher traffic levels and changing demographics.
Florence Township developed a comprehensive plan in 2003 using natural resource based planning principals. Using ESRI ArcView and Spatial Analyst, suitability analyses were performed based on the goals of the plan.

Blake Kowal & Dave Holmen

Analysis was conducted for forest change over time within the Lower Minnesota Watershed. Areas at high risk for erosion and 1977 forested areas were then compared. Finally these areas were associated with respect to soil type. Analyses were performed in EPPL7 using EPIC data layers.

Andy Kruse

Analysis of potential market areas within the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area was performed for Hydro Restoration Incorporated. The analysis consisted of two phases. The initial phase identified current customer demographic attributes. The second phase of the analysis used current customer demographic information to identify areas with similar demographic attributes within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The areas identified by the second phase of the analysis will be used to make informed marketing decisions.

Derek Lee

The traditional archeological data recovery method utilizes 1-meter units and screens all matrix through ¼ inch mesh. Modern excavation techniques have begun to incorporate available GIS and survey technology to increase the amount of area surveyed while maintaining more precise provenience information in an effort to interpret community-wide spatial patterns. Typical clustering assessments rely heavily on visual interpretation of point data. However, the level of precision inherent to these datasets enables the quantification and delineation of nonrandom artifact distribution clusters through more statistical means. Flaking debris data from five piece-plotted archeological excavations was compiled to establish sampling accuracy as it pertains to this non-traditional excavation method. Flaking debris from archeological site 13DB497 was selected for in-depth analysis. Statistical procedures were employed to demonstrate both the clustered nature of the distribution as well as to delineate 5 primary clusters. Further interpretations were then conducted to illustrate a potentially significant cultural variation between the 5 clusters and the remaining portion of the excavation.

Michelle Lilly

Great River Bluffs State Park of Minnesota contains many bluff prairies, or goat prairies . . . Management practices have been implemented in the park to preserve these natural coMMunities. Aerial photography from nine years between 1936 and 1996 was used to determine bluff prairie boundaries for each year. The boundary sizes (in acres) were compared and combined with a database of management practices to perform analyses using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Travis Ludwig

The Chippewa National Forest has large expanses of land that are densely forested and largely uninhabited providing excellent habitat for Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentiles). The Chippewa National Forest is currently updating its forest management plan and one of the issues is the importance of goshawk habitat. The goshawk is a listed Sensitive Species in the Eastern Region for the U.S. Forest Service. This study used a geographic information system to assess which forest types are important as goshawk habitat. Since limited knowledge exists concerning goshawk habitat, three habitat estimations (minimal convex polygons, Kernel 95% and Forage Buffer) were used to determine which forest stands occur within goshawk utilization areas. While quaking aspen plays a vital role in goshawk habitat in the Chippewa National Forest, goshawks there are opportunistic and take advantage of many other forest types.

Robert Marros

This paper illustrates how a Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to visualize the spatial distribution of Starbuck's Coffee locations in Chicagoland. The location of Starbuck's Coffee was compared to the data available by census tract from the US Census Bureau. In particular, the income by census tract and location were considered. By visualizing and analyzing the spatial locations it is possible to determine areas that are underserved and determine areas that seem to have a predominant demographic that Starbucks Corporation prefers.

Melissa Mathis

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is causing large problems in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest. From 1996–2001, these destructive beetles killed more than half a million ponderosa pine trees in the northern and central parts of the forest. The dead trees are not only safety hazards but also increase the risk of wildland forest fires particularly near populated areas. A GIS was used in this project to examine the relationships between ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stand characteristics and the occurrences of mountain pine beetle infestations. A study area was selected in a severely infested site to identify three forest factors mountain pine beetles prefer. These forest factors were used in a susceptibility model to identify other tree stands that may be vulnerable to mountain pine beetle outbreak in the Black Hills National Forest. According to the model, the tree stands in the Northern Hills Ranger District were found to be the most susceptible to mountain pine beetle infestation.

Mara May

Land cover/ land use maps provide valuable information to a variety of users. Accuracy assessments determine how useful these maps are to the user. A thematic accuracy assessment was designed and implemented for the vector-based 2001 land cover/ land use dataset for Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River... A stratified random sampling design was implemented based on the dominant land cover classes. Coordinates were generated for sample points using a random point generator for each stratum or land cover class . . . RecoMMendations for future assessments are made based upon the results of this study.

Susan Miller

Soil erosion, due to intensive agricultural practices, has been and continues to be of significant concern in the Whitewater Watershed, a coldwater tributary of the Mississippi River, in southeastern Minnesota. Conservation efforts, in the form of best management practices (BMPs) have been underway for many years and a number of residents have enrolled in various government programs designed to reduce soil loss. However, the effectiveness of these programs is unknown... A model was created based on six criteria dealing with soil erodibility, landuse/landcover, land mass, intensity of current conservation program participation, density of hydrologic and biological sample sites and the potential impact conservation land practices would have on soil conservation.

Kristin Moe

The changes in channel areas induced by impoundment of Navigation Pool 5 of the Upper Mississippi River are widely recognized. This study seeks to describe and quantify channel activity, determining effects on the pool following impoundment. Three study periods are introduced in which changes in channel areas are described. Lateral channel migration proved to be a minimal factor in the study. Migrations rates varied between 1.06 and 1.89 m/year and may not be accurate for the first period of study. In the period from 1890 to 1975, water areas increased by 269% throughout the pool. Such a tremendous increase can largely be attributed to dam closure. This period was followed by a time of noticeable channel abandonment. Backwater areas in the upper pool began filling in with sediment. The final period, 1989 to 2000, indicated a trend toward channel stabilization. Rates of channel creation were nearly equal to those of channel abandonment.

Michael Montemayor

This paper outlines the exploration of internet based mapping software for municipal government use. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other mapping software, a land parcel management application was created for the City of Winona. The project’s goals were to first implement an intranet based parcel viewing and querying system that would allow city employees to obtain information about city parcel data. Second, to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of internet GIS access to city officials as a means to make city data available to the public.

Ryan Moore

Preparation of Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 34 (GASB 34) financial reports was completed for the City of Rochester, MN – Public Works Division (RPW) utilizing geographic information system (GIS) technology. The following infrastructure networks were analyzed: bridges, sanitary sewers, sidewalks, bike paths, storm ponds, storm sewers, streets, and traffic signals. RPW estimated the financial value of each asset at the time of installation. Having this financial value provided the baseline information needed for City of Rochester, MN – Finance Department (RF) to depreciate the value of each asset, a requirement of GASB 34. After all GASB 34 information was populated in the infrastructure networks, summary reports were generated and submitted to RF.

Fran Morrow

Everyday, millions of people worldwide call a friend, check email, send text messages, watch TV, download music, and surf the web over a wireless network. Regardless of cell phone carrier, each network is often subject to ridicule by end users due to poor coverage and lack of connectivity. Telephia, an independent market research firm for the wireless industry, seeks ways to improve network performance using Mobile Test. The Mobile Test division of Telephia creates drive routes, drives the route to measure network performance, and sends data back to the Telephia office team which then generates a report for the client. This paper demonstrates a mapping tool that was created and documented within the Mobile Test department to monitor a drive’s progression from start to finish in order to eliminate errors and omissions in data collection. Examples used for this paper are taken from the September 2005 Denver drive route. This mapping tool helps formulate more efficient drive routes, applies quality control in the field, and facilitates faster drive time analysis.

Khalid Mubarak

Data obtained from water samples collected from some 1,700 wells in Olmsted County were used to estimate the total mass of nitrate-nitrogen and chloride stored in the primary aquifer and to analyze the spatial distributions of these anions and their correlation with hydrogeologic factors and known land use classes. The study included separate analysis for each of the three water-bearing stratigraphic units making up the primary aquifer; these are the St. Peter sandstone (OSTP), the Prairie du Chien Group (OPDC), and the Jordan sandstone (CJDN). The hydrogeologic factors examined include aquifer position within the stratigraphic column, the presence or absence of Decorah-Platteville-Glenwood confining unit, the thickness of overlying surficial deposits, and the aquifer thickness. Cropland was the only land use examined on a subwatershed basis; cropland acreage is serving as a surrogate variable for nitrogen fertilizer use. All of these factors were analyzed using spatial and statistical methods.

Robert Mueller, Jr.

Currently emphasis on accurate and timely collection of fisheries data generates a need for investigation into advanced techniques in bathymetry, including recent refinements in Geographical Information Science (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).  The study area for this project was the east basin of Lake Winona, a small Mississippi River floodplain lake in Winona, Minnesota USA.  Lake Winona was the site of recent dredging operations aimed at decreasing littoral zone areas to reduce plant growth and stunted fish populations.  To assess potential effectiveness of dredging operations, bathymetric data were collected with a Garmin depthfinder and GPS unit, and interpolation techniques to produce lake morphometric characteristics (splining, kriging, and inverse distance weighting) were compared within ESRI’s ArcMap 9.0.  All interpolation methods produced similar outputs for cross validation statistical comparisons, although kriging produced the best predictive output of actual bathymetric contouring for Lake Winona.  Calculation of morphometric characteristics from derived bathymetric information showed significant changes in Lake Winona compared to historic accounts.  Lake dredging was successful in reducing littoral zone areas by 30 percent and increasing lake volume by 28 percent, while increasing the mean depth by 60 percent (from 2.6 feet to 4.3 feet).  Habitat for stunted fish populations was substantially reduced.  Today, information from this project is being used to assess the feasibility of further bathymetric studies and to refine management approaches to improve the Lake Winona fishery.

Martin Murphy

Northeastern Iowa has seen dramatic landscape changes in the last 160 years. What was once a pristine forest and prairie landscape embedded in karst topography is now encased in intensified agriculture and urbanization. The result of our rush to convert these naturally sustained habitats of northeastern Iowa’s Yellow River Watershed into a “better life” and recent attempts to maximize profits with concentrations of land holdings and production methods is a degraded state of the environment, as reflected in water quality reports. A rapid procedural method for conservation measures using geographic information systems was developed by this research and tested on the Williams Creek Subwatershed. The results describe a subwatershed procedural methodology while indicating 179.2 acres of impervious cover and 5.4 acres of potential erodable slopes contained within a buffered Postville headwater stream. The procedures developed for this project can be modified and applied elsewhere to help target land conservation measures such as riparian buffers, erosion and sediment controls, as well as land treatments and other stewardship activities.

Lee Nelson

The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, a district of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, is an area that experiences wildland fires. Changes in management practices have caused a post wildland fire revegetation project to be evaluated for effectiveness. Information from the project area was collected, the area was mapped and transects were surveyed to determine field conditions. Compiled information was compared and combined for analysis. Burn area compiled maps, aerial photography, elk and wild horse and burro populations, vegetation comparisons are presented with the aid of using Geographic Information Systems, to give land managers a concise report to help formulate decisions. An assessment of management practices, past and current, are presented to give land managers a scope for decision making. It appears that if current conditions continue, the revegetation project success will be compromised. Improvements in interagency coMMunication and cooperation are needed for successful implementation of this and future projects.

Greg Nichols

Winona , Minnesota was founded by a Mississippi river Steamboat captain in 1851. Winona is lodged between rolling limestone bluffs and the Mississippi river, once making it a focal point for lumber producers in the 1850’s. During this period Winona enjoyed that status of being the largest city in Minnesota. Winona is still thriving, but in different ways, it is now home to three institutions of higher education, technology driven businesses, and various industries. This study will demonstrate how a Geographic Information System (GIS) can be used to identify problematic intersections that exist within the city of Winona. This study will be comprised of three years (1999-2001) of traffic accident data. In addition this study will involve identifying key factors in the environment that may contribute to these occurrences.

Justin Niebuhr

This paper examines the implementation of geographic information systems (GIS) in the targeting of a market and the sighting of office locations. The locations of current clients were compared to the office they used; client density maps were made for each office to help determine location client densities; and multiple buffer analysis was done in support of the density map.

Kevin Thomas Olson

The use of geographic information systems (GIS) in predicting and estimating soil erosion and deposition loads has become more accurate as technology has advanced. The increased technological capabilities have further enabled researchers to expand and specialize modeling efforts to fit specific scenarios and/or model certain types of erosion processes. The expansion of technology has also extended into the various data sources that are commonly used in erosion modeling. One of the most important data parameters of erosion modeling is the digital elevation model (DEM) or digital terrain model (DTM). DEM data quality is measured by the cell size, with larger cell sizes indicating lower data quality and smaller cell sizes indicating higher data quality. Within the past several decades, the quality of DEMs has increased from 100’s of meters in cell size to sub-meter quality. The purpose for this research project is to provide an analysis of soil erosion estimates using LIDAR (2-meter resolution) elevation data compared to 30-meter resolution elevation data in the Trout Brook sub-watershed. The primary objective for this project will be investigated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, a transport capacity limited model, which predicts the spatial distribution of soil erosion and deposition rates for a steady state overland flow.

Olaniyi Oyebode

The Vermillion River Watershed is an important natural and economic resource for Dakota County, Minnesota due to its scenic beauty, water quality, and recreational opportunities. As the county continues to develop, the watershed is also undergoing rapid urbanization as a result of land use changes. Land use changes result from complex interactions of many factors including policy, management, economics, culture, human behavior, and the environment (Pedlowski, et al, 1993). Understanding land use change is critical since these anthropogenic processes can have broad impacts on the environment. This project illustrates how combining a geographic information system (GIS) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) can aid the understanding of land use change and the effects of watershed urbanization on stream flow characteristics. Historic land use maps and other spatial data layers (drivers) along with ANNs and stream gauge records to assess stream flow changes. During the period of 1990 – 2000, urban land use increased from 9% to 13% within the vermillion watershed. Assuming all driving factors remain the same, the urban land use will be 26% by year 2010. Between the period of 2000 and 2006, median and minimum daily discharges, total volume runoff and flood magnitude in the Vermillion River north creek subwatershed increased moderately.

Mark Pantaleo

Advanced Identification (ADID) wetlands are a special breed of wetlands. They are the ultimate offspring of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI), which was conducted, in the early eighties. In the late eighties the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Corps of Engineers (COE) designated certain wetlands in Lake County, IL. to possess special biological and hydrological functions. The question which I investigated was "are ADID wetlands in danger of losing these special designated functions?" The analysis procedures that were performed were new to Lake County. They involved utilizing land use and quarter section population data on a sub-watershed basis. This means that natural boundaries were used to perform analysis on political or straight boundaries... The results of this study are meant to act as an indicator of which ADID wetlands might need to be analyzed more closely.

Jesse Pearson

A Comparative Business Site-Location Feasibility Analysis using Geographic Information Systems and the Gravity Model

A site-location analysis was conducted using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to locate where future Kowalski’s Markets could be located in the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area.  Kowalski’s Markets will here after be referred to as Kowalski’s.  Kowalski’s provided their preferred demographic information from their two most successful store locations of which the potential market analysis was based on.  A comparative analysis was completed between the final GIS analysis and the gravity model, where both site location analysis techniques were combined to provide results of the areas that have the highest market potential as well as site selection recommendations.  There were four recommended site locations and four future potential areas to build new Kowalski’s stores and expand their market.     

Sam Pociask

The southern region of Iowa has long been an area that has provided viable habitat for bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). In recent years the number of bobwhite have declined dramatically. This has resulted in an increasing pressure to address the decline in bobwhite populations in Iowa. This study uses geographic information systems to determine changes in land use for 72 randomly selected sections in the southern 1/3 of Iowa. This study gains an understanding of how changing agricultural practices have altered the landscape in Iowa’s quail range. Aerial photography from the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s were used for this study. FRAGSTATS was used to analyze summary data from each year after conversion to grids.

Connie L. Pokorny

Groundwater is vital to the Barrington Area as it is the only feasible source of drinking water. The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) is a regional planning agency with jurisdiction over an approximately seventy-three square mile area, with its center located approximately thirty-five miles northwest of Chicago. It consists of seven suburban municipalities, and two townships. Population growth and development, recent droughts, declining quality and quantity of deep aquifer water, and the lack of other sources of water have increased the need for a greater understanding of the shallow aquifer. Regional maps of shallow aquifers in Illinois exist at the state-wide level, but are not as detailed as local government officials and planners would like. Existing maps show general trends in bedrock geology and drift thickness, but very little variation for regional planning purposes at the county and municipal level. Detailed subsurface maps can be very expensive and time consuming to create as they might require the drilling of new boreholes to generate more precise subsurface information. Using public water well records provided by the Illinois State Geological Survey and GIS, a method of data standardization was developed in order to make raw water well data more usable for map-making procedures. Once the data was classified, maps and a 3D model were created based on statistical averages of hydrologic conditions at over 24,000 points in the BACOG study area. The products developed with this method bridge the gap between the generalized regional state maps, and the current unavailability of more detailed subsurface maps. This method is useful to local governments since it provides a closer look at groundwater resources, and in a reasonable and relatively inexpensive time-frame.

Jennifer Rand

As cities continue to grow, in both population and area, so does the increased use of our natural resources and open spaces.  Olmsted County is aware of this issue and concerned with development encroachment, exploitation of rare species and overuse of natural areas.  To address these issues, Olmsted County Park staff has proposed to establish another county park in its system.  Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to determine site suitability for the proposed location as well as to demonstrate GIS benefits for managing parkland.

Chad Richtman

The purpose of this research was to develop a viable method of determining volumetric flow in large rivers using equipment available to a field biologist or university program.  The study area was located on a side channel of the Upper Mississippi River near Trempealeau, Wisconsin.  Location, depth, and flow velocity data was gathered at various points throughout the study area.  This data were then downloaded into Geographic Information System (GIS) software for analysis.  Utilizing the tools built into the software, interpolations of depth and velocity data were performed.  These interpolations were used to calculate the volumetric flow on a cell-by-cell basis. By summing the volumetric flow through all cells, a total value was attained. 

Marc Rogers

Fragmentation analysis of the Whitewater watershed, in southeast Minnessota, revealed 4 structural measures of grass-shrub habitat that were significant predictors of sensitive species population densities. Models were developed using simple linear regression and further refined to incorporate spatial autocorrelation using a Moran's test. Significant variables were divided into a five class ordinal model based on Jenks Optimization Method. Ordinal values were suMMed to determine an overall measure of subwatershed restoration potential. Results suggest that grass-shrub habitat should be restored in 0.6 ac patches equally dispersed about the landscape to optimize sensitive species densities.

David D. Rokus

This research examines potential storm water recharge, infiltration, and runoff throughout Hadley Valley Watershed in Rochester, Minnesota. The three most influential properties of infiltration include: Land Use – based on percent impervious surface, Hydrologic Soils – based on permeability and porosity, and Percent Slope – derived from elevation points. These primary factors are selected, classified, and ranked according to their influence on infiltration and runoff. A geographic information system organizes these data layers and clips features to the watershed boundary using ArcGIS 9.1. The vector features are converted to grid and develop a Potential Infiltration Model through a weighted overlay process. This infiltration model identifies and maps current locations and levels of storm water recharge in the watershed. A second model is developed to locate possible storm water best management practices. Locations in proximity to wetlands, sinkholes, other BMP structures, and environmentally sensitive areas are restricted; areas within drinking management supply areas (DWSMA), and some clay soils require testing prior to construction. The BMP Model reveals optimal locations where infiltration ponds and trenches, dry wells, rain gardens, and vegetated swales may be implemented to increase infiltration. A Runoff Model intersects land use and soils and a comparative analysis of the Potential Infiltration Model is completed. Further analysis including: peak runoff rate, time to concentration, and average runoff coefficient are calculated using the intersection of the primary layers. This type of water resource management provides a base hydrological system with benefits for all people, businesses, and ecosystems.

Martha Roldan

The first concerted national effort to address soil erosion problems on private land began in 1933 with the establishment of the Soil Erosion Service. Coon Creek watershed in southwestern Wisconsin, with its dendritic network of creeks and steep slopes, was chosen as the site of the first national Demonstration Project... This study focuses on the reforestation of agricultural woodlots. Using a geographic information system (GIS), a spatial analysis of landcover change can help to understand forest regeneration.

Thomas Sandberg

Physician shortages are a looming national problem. The current landscape of physicians in Minnesota is one that varies by region and within counties.  Minnesota has several metropolitan areas that serve as bases for large provider concentrations and rural parts of the state where provider coverage is scant.  The state has enough physicians to adequately serve the needs of its population; however, there is a problem of distribution.  There is an assumption that paraprofessionals make up for some of the physician shortages, but the geographic extent is unknown.

Bill Sands

This paper describes a wetland assessment methodology used for the Norwood Young America watershed area in Carver County. The purpose of the assessment is to aid local government in their efforts to organize, prioritize, and manage wetland resources in a comprehensive manner. The assessment gathers initial information on the area's wetlands, evaluates a limited number of regionally and locally important wetland functions, and estimates the value of wetland functions.

Chris Scharenbroich

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) would like to be proactive in the development of Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Access Plans to assist with any potential disagreement that may result in different views of access to WMAs as well as to plan future access needs. A WMA access classification system was developed to help describe access on WMAs. A GIS model was developed to provide a means to develop a WMA access classification system through a path distance function.

Ben Schlawin

This study involved the analysis of ten years of graduates from Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. The study focus was to determine how the spatial distribution of the graduates was affected by the relocation of the school campus. The spatial and statistical analyses performed on the data revealed no significant differences between the graduates from the two sites that could be attributed to the relocation.

Mike Schlecht

Analyses were conducted to determine various habitat preferences for secretive marshbird species including the Virginia rail, sora, least and American bittern within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.

Chuck Schoeneberger

Thunderstorms are affected by many factors and there are ongoing efforts to understand them. One of the factors that influences storm intensity is the boundary layer or ground. If you make assumptions and simplifications, you can examine and relate the effects of landforms to thunderstorm damage. The intent of this paper is to look at the known geospatial historical data from the National Weather Service's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) from 1950 through 2001. In this effort, these data were plotted, contoured, and then compared to landforms too look for relationships. The results showed relationship with tornado density and intensity to river valleys and hills, as surface moisture plays an important role in storm processes. Hail reports show no outstanding conclusions, and due to data acquition limitations, no hard conclusions can be found with straight-line wind events.

Jamie Schulz

Historic and current wetlands were used to determine potential wetland areas within Rice Lake State Park. The number of wetlands in the park, outside the park in the subwatershed basin (basin), and in the entire basin was tested to determine if there was a statistical difference in the wetland numbers between 1938 and 1998.

Jason Schuster & Zakim Abraham

Data was digitally developed to determine sanitary sewer locations, elevations, flow directions and parcels’ impervious areas during the suMMer of 2002 for the City of Rochester, Minnesota. The purpose of this project was to use these data and to develop and model a GIS template for the City of Rochester. This model was developed to model sewage flow in the event of future sanitary pipe emergencies. This model analyzes sanitary sewer pipe blockages to determine potentially impacted parcel(s) by the blockage. A second model was developed to facilitate planning in regards to storm water management. Storm water runoff was analyzed on a per parcel basis to predict rainfall runoff based on percentages of impervious surfaces. DOQQ photography was used to capture the impervious areas in parcels by onscreen digitizing. ArcMap 8.2 was used to analyze the data.

Amy Seitz

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service surveys submersed aquatic vegetation annually to measure American wild celery (Vallisneria americana ) population density and frequency of occurrence, in Lake Onalaska , Navigation Pool 7 of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Since 1980, sampling continues to be conducted in August during peak vegetation growth along fixed transects. There has been significant change in density and frequency of occurrence since 1980. Statistically significant correlations have been found between American wild celery density and water depth. After a population decline in the late 1980’s American wild celery continues to recover.

Christy Shostal

In preparation of another catastrophic flood, like the one experienced in 1997, Red River Basin stakeholders expressed the necessity for better methods for providing flood warnings. Traditional flood forecast hydrographs generated by the National Weather Service can be difficult for the general public to interpret and potential flood inundation extent can be very difficult to visualize. In 2005, the International Water Institute and the National Weather Institute retained Houston Engineering, Inc. to develop a custom flood forecasting display tool for near real-time flood inundation mapping for the Fargo, North Dakota-Moorhead, Minnesota Metropolitan Area. This tool was to consist of two major components: 1) a custom desktop GIS tool to be run by the NWS staff during flood evens to perform flood inundation mapping; and 2) an interactive Internet Map Server (IMS) application to display the map products to the public. This project focuses solely on the development of the custom desktop GIS tool for near real-time flood inundation mapping. The Flood Wave (FLDWAV) unsteady state hydraulic model, developed by the NWS, was used to provide water surface elevation forecasts. ArcObjects and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), within ESRI’s ArcGIS, were the programming languages used to create the tool. The custom tool provides the public with an easy to understand spatial visualization of potential flood inundation.

Jonathan Sobiech

Analysis of non-native invasive species was completed for Ramsey County Parks and Recreation (RCPR). The study included three phases. The initial phase examined eleven different species that are troublesome species within the Ramsey County parks and open spaces. For each species, a fact sheet was created describing where the species originated, how it reproduces, where it is coMMonly found, criteria for levels of infestation, and potential control methods. The second phase was to create a data dictionary for the eleven species and three levels of severity associated with each. This information was imported into a Trimble GPS unit. Using this data, GPS locations were collected for each species. Levels of infestation were also noted at this time. Finally, this information was integrated into maps and tables for managing these invasive plants.

Katherine Spurr

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to examine the nesting behaviors of great blue herons ( Ardea herodias ) and great egrets ( Ardea alba ) in the Mertes Slough area of Pool 6, Upper Mississippi River . Nest trees and nests were located by canoe and locations recorded by use of global positioning system (GPS) technologies. Nesting trees and nests were plotted on a 1989 land cover use dataset for Pool 6 and analyzed spatially with Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI™) mapping software. Special attention was given to the explorations of nesting patterns in relation to a recreational canoe path that traverses through the rookery area. This study's findings suggest that the heronry is expanding over time and in the direction of the canoe path; however, herons and egrets show preference for nesting sites in areas 20-30, and 30-40 meters from the canoe path. Explanations are incomplete in explaining these nesting behaviors.

Nicole Stecker

Mass transit systems are becoming ever more popular in metropolitan cities. The light rail system is one of the more popular transit systems. The Twin Cities recently introduced their first light rail corridor, the Hiawatha Line, with continued expansion anticipated in the new future. Studies performed in other states with light rail systems show property value increase in the surrounding areas of the light rail and its’ stations. This research focuses on the Hiawatha Line and the coMMunities it serves to analyze changes in property values.

Kurt Swendson