C.S.I. : Grad Research

Luke Swan , M.Sc., Resource Management, Central Washington University

Thesis Title:

ALTERNATIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF REACH-SCALE CHANNEL DYNAMICS IN THE NACHES RIVER , WASHINGTON: HYDRAULIC ASSESSMENT WITH A MANAGEMENT FOCUS

Detailed, spatially explicit mapping of fluvial landscapes serves several important functions, including the delineation of baseline conditions for examining channel evolution, determining the impacts of land use change, and acting as a guide for stream habitat evaluation and restoration projects. This research examines a reach of the Naches River , a wandering gravel-bed river located in central Washington State . Stream gauge records are used to calculate flow probabilities, and River2D, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, is combined with a high resolution LiDAR dataset to compute spatially distributed process variables (e.g., shear stress and stream power). Model output is imported into a GIS where it is visualized with image and terrain data and analyzed as a hydraulic time series. Probability of inundation and process-based maps are created, and highlight the variability of the system over a range of frequencies and magnitudes. Additionally, the utility of these maps as management tools is demonstrated.

Chris McColl, M.Sc., Resource Management, Central Washington University

Thesis Title :

COUPLING LAND USE FORECASTING AND HYDROLOGIC MODELS FOR IMPROVED LAND USE DECISION SUPPORT WITHIN UPPER KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON

This thesis develops a methodology for integrating a land use forecasting model with an event scale, rainfall-runoff model in support of improving land use policy formulation at the watershed scale. The models are loosely coupled, structured upon a common GIS platform that provides improved data exchange. The hydrologic model is calibrated for a specific storm event that occurred within central Washington State. The land use forecasting model forecasts future spatial distributions of low-density residential land uses, under low and high growth estimates. Forecasted land use patterns for the years 2015, 2025, and 2050 are used as land use data input for the calibrated hydrologic model. Hydrograph impacts are predicted as the study area undergoes development. Results of this integration process demonstrate the synergy that can be achieved through linking the selected models, offering land use decision-makers a valuable tool for discerning between future land use alternatives from a hydrologic perspective.

Cindi Bell, M.Sc., Resource Management, Central Washington University

Thesis Title:

ASSESSING THE ROLE OF PARTICIPATORY GIS AS A PROCESS TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN LAND USE AND RESOURCE PLANNING

The CommunityViz model gives citizens and community planners the opportunity to see the visual impacts new development proposals may have on their communities. CSI held a series of workshops to demonstrate the capabilities of CommunityViz and allowed participants to focus the model on aspects that were deemed important within the group. This provided the opportunity for feedback from participants through surveys and interviews to determine if the participants found value in the model and understood it. Data collected from surveys was quantified to determine the participants' overall reactions to the use of the model for group decision-making.