Regional Natural Planning
Effective regional planning requires accurate, spatially-explicit information placed in a framework of changing human resource demands. Relevant data come from diverse disciplines including hydrology, soil science, geology, biology, biogeochemistry, geography, and engineering.
Wetlands and Water Resources scientists help our clients understand their data needs, identify and analyze existing data at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and identify critical data gaps. Then we design and implement on-the-ground and remote sensing/GIS data collection programs that can fill data gaps and minimize uncertainty. Finally, we synthesize the available information to help our clients and stakeholders understand present conditions, management options, potential outcomes, and key risk-factors. Wetlands and Water Resources brings years of planning experience and state-of-the-art technology to our clients' landscape-level and long-term planning needs. Our services in this area include:
Site investigations
- Hydrologic, geomorphic, topographic, and bathymetric assessments and surveys
- Fish, wildlife, plant and invertebrate surveys and habitat mapping
- Wetland delineation
- Sediment transport and settling analyses
- Tidal datum reckoning
- Non-tidal and tidal surfacewater hydrology
- Groundwater hydrology
- Hydrogeomorphic assessments
- Limnological assessments
- Wetland biogeochemistry and cycling
- Sampling of surface and groundwater, water quality, soil and sediment, plants and algae
- Watershed, point and non-point assessments
- Hydrologic budgets
- Nutrient budgets
- Fate and transport assessments and modeling
Integrative technical analyses
- Project and topical report development
- Synthesis of complex, multi-disciplinary environmental information
- Integration of water, sediment and plant data collected at various frequencies with various methodologies
Remote sensing, GIS analysis, and cartography
- Aerial photography and photogrammetry planning, rectification, and orthorectification
- Vegetation/biological resource delineation, classification, and mapping
- Compilation, digitization, and management of vector/raster data
- Data analyses such as cut and fill operations, watershed delineation, automatic buffer delineation and change detection, slope/aspect classification, and much more
- Land use classification and digital elevation modeling
- Database management and analysis including: Relational database development and management, export and link to common database applications
- Multiple media, color, size, resolution, and scale options to suit client needs
- Internet map service (web GIS)
Endangered species conservation and recovery
- Plant, wildlife, fisheries, and endangered species surveys, monitoring, mapping, and habitat design
- Integration and coordination with regional, state, and national research and restoration programs
- Complete support through §7 consultations and implementation of agency-generated "Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives"
Planning coordination
- Meeting facilitation
- Scientific support, advice, and input to planning processes
- Stakeholder survey and involvement
