This web application does not support use of Microsoft Internet Explorer. It is not designed or tested for use with IE and functionality may be limited or impaired.
Please use this application in Google Chrome (Bison Connect, for Department of Interior employees) or Mozilla Firefox.
These data are preliminary or provisional and are subject to revision. They are being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The data have not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and are provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the data.
The Western Lake Erie Restoration Assessment (WLERA) model was co-developed by investigators in the Environmental Studies Program at the New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida and the USGS - Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The web mapping application for interfacing with the WLERA model was developed by programmers at the Wisconsin Internet Mapping Group.
The WLERA is a geodesign framework for measuring the potential to restore coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes basin. This framework is based on the expert coupling of multiple criteria decision analysis and geographic information systems. Experts included regional wetland ecologists, biologists, planners and geographers from federal, state, academic and non- governmental organizations. Criteria include historical water levels, topography, soils, mapped wetlands, managed lands, and impervious and non-impervious development on the landscape. The WLERA data and kernel analysis are organized in ArcGIS 10.3 geodatabases and python applications.
Within the 195,621 ha study area between the mouths of the Detroit River, MI and Black River, OH, the WLERA normalized composite index model identified over 7,500 hectares of areas highly suitable for coastal wetland habitat restoration. The model results 1) range from -100 to 100 with positive values representing areas with higher potential for restoration (yellow to green). 2) have a pyramided spatial resolution of 1 meter at the lowest level, and 3) can be aggregated by any irregular area, including individual land ownership parcel boundaries or custom boundaries created with the Area Summary Tool in the web mapping application. Areas with the highest restorability class (greater than 80) coincided with 10 areas currently selected by GLRI for restoration in WLE. As the region continues to restore coastal wetland habitats, this tool and analysis will support restoration decisions.
The development of the WLERA has been supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative and the University of Michigan Water Center.
WLERA version 1.0.0
These data are preliminary or provisional and are subject to revision. They are being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The data have not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and are provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the data.
Chris Sanocki, Geographer
sanocki@usgs.gov
Kurt Kowalski, Wetland Ecologist
kkowalski@usgs.gov
Blake Draper, Software Developer
bdraper@usgs.gov
Hans Vraga, Project Manager
hvraga@usgs.gov
This application and the others in the GLCWRA project will be improved with additional features throughout 2017. To receive email updates of future feature additions and other improvements to this application, along with periodic news regarding latest efforts to improve coastal resilience in the region, please join the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes LCC Coastal Conservation Community mailing list.
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Calculate restoration suitability statistics for custom area or selected parcels
Play around! This is an interactive web mapping application to help you make decisions about restoring coastal wetlands in Western Lake Erie. Turn layers on & off to understand how they relate to restoration decisions, scale in and out, change basemaps, and use the Area Summary Tool if you are interested in a particular area.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative supported the development of this website.