The Resource Lands Assessment of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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The Resource Lands Assessment of the Chesapeake
Bay Watershed
The Mason-Dixon Summit May 26, 2005 Presented
by Peter Claggett, USGS
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• Between 1990 and 2000
• population increased 8
• impervious surfaces increased 41

If recent trends continue, the area of developed
land in the (Bay) watershed will increase by more
than 60 by 2030 Chesapeake Futures
Choices for the 21st Century, STAC 2003.
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Housing Trends 1960 1990 (census block groups)
Total Housing Units 1960
Total Housing Units 1970
Total Housing Units 1980
Total Housing Units 1990
Historical Block Group Analysis courtesy of D.
Theobald, 2001
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Development Hot Spots (1990 2000)
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Urban Sprawl Conceptual Model
Jobs
People

• Footprint Factors
• Smaller families
• Bigger houses
• More parking
• More ball fields

• Local Factors
• Land values
• Zoning
• Taxes
• Schools
• Crime
• Proximity to work, open space, and school

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Development Pressure in the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed (1990 2000)
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The Mason-Dixon Effect
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Introduction to RLA
Resource Lands Assessment
Resource Lands Assessment

• Where are the forests, farms, and wetlands that
• have the highest values related to water quality,
  habitat, economy, and culture?
• are most vulnerable to loss?
• Based on the above, what are the highest priority
  areas to preserve?

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Introduction to RLA
Resource Lands Assessment
Predecessors
Marylands Green Infrastructure
Delmarva Conservation Corridor
Southeastern Ecological Framework
Marylands Strategic Forest Lands Assessment
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Landscape Models
Resource Lands Assessment
Ecological Network Water Quality Forest
Economics Cultural Assets Prime Farmland
Vulnerability
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Ecological Network (Hubs and Corridors)
Resource Lands Assessment
Goal
Identify, evaluate, and prioritize an
interconnected network of the best remaining
examples of forest and wetland habitat.
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Ecological Network (Hubs and Corridors)
Resource Lands Assessment
Data Layers
Land Cover Streams Wetlands Roads Protected
Lands Biological Conservation Database (element
occurrence points)
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Ecological Network (Hubs and Corridors)
Resource Lands Assessment
Results
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Water Quality Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Goal
Identify those forests and wetlands that, if
lost, would have the greatest potential to
compromise or degrade watershed and water
quality.
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Water Quality Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Data Layers

• Local Parameters
• Proximity to Water
• Erodible Soils
• Net Primary Productivity
• Slope
• Wetland Function
• Forest Fragmentation
• 100 Year Floodplains
• Hydrogeomorphic Regions

• Regional Parameters (summarized by HUC 11
  watershed)
• Stream Density (m/sq km)
• Percent Forested
• Percent Impervious
• Water Quality Rank
• Municipal Water Supplies

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Water Quality Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Results
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Forest Economics Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Goal
Identify those forests that, if lost, would have
the greatest potential to impact the regions
resource-based economy.
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Forest Economics Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Results
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Forest Economics Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Results
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Prime Farmland Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Goal
Identify the best lands to support long term
agricultural productivity and sustainability
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Prime Farmland Model
Where are prime soils in the Bay watershed?

• STATSGO Prime Soils
• 1250K scale
• national coverage
• generalized from soil surveys
• shows percent prime soils
• within a soil mapping unit

• Extent of farmland on prime soils
• STATSGO
• 2000 Land Cover
• Percent Slope
• Square-mile overlay grid

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Vulnerability Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Goal
Identify those lands most vulnerable to
development.
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Vulnerability Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Data Layers
Impervious Surfaces Housing Unit Data (1990 and
2000 Census) Roads Land Cover Parcel Data (MD)
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Vulnerability Model
Resource Lands Assessment
Results
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Potential Restoration Site
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RLA Products MDs Green Infrastructure
Resource Lands Assessment

• Basin-wide Static Maps for Download (pdf)
• http//www.chesapeakebay.net/maps.htm
• Spatial Data and Documentation
• ftp//ftp.chesapeakebay.net/gis/rla/
• Interactive Map Viewer
• http//maps2.chesapeakebay.net/website/rla/viewer.
  htm
• Marylands Green Infrastructure
• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/gi/overview/o
  verview.html