Lightning Talk

1. Utilizing GIS to Locate
Environmental & Recreational Stream
Flows & Institutionally Protected Streams
in the Snake-Salt River Basin, Wyoming
Chris Nicholson
Tony Bergantino
University of Wyoming
Water Resources Data System & Wyoming Water Development Office
October 2013
GIS in the Rockies

2. Water Resource Data System and Wyoming Water Development Office
The Water Resources Data System (WRDS) is a clearinghouse of hydrological and
climatological data for the State of Wyoming and serves a support role to the WWDO.
WRDS is funded by the WWDO and housed within the Department of Civil and
Architectural Engineering at the University of Wyoming.
Õ
The Wyoming Water Development Program
was established in 1975 to promote the
development of the state's water resources. The
program provides, through a commission,
funding for planning, construction, and
operation of water projects. These projects can
be for water conservation, storage, distribution
and use of water deemed as necessary to develop
and preserve Wyoming's water resources.
Õ
River Basin Planning divides the State into 7
Basins for study of water availability, use, and
future use projections.
Õ

3. Introduction
In 2012, the Wyoming Water Development
Office commissioned a report entitled
Environmental and Recreational Water
Use Study that sought to improve the
accuracy of defining and displaying
recreational and environmental water use
estimates in Wyoming’s river basins.

4. Definitions:
Recreational water uses
Non-consumptive uses that require a sufficient water
supply for a quality experience.
• boating
• fishing
• waterfowl hunting
• winter sports
Environmental uses
Non-consumptive, & include water needed to support fish,
water dependent plants, many animal species, & associated
water-dependent ecosystem functions.
• maintaining minimum reservoir pools
• instream flows
• direct wildlife consumption
• evaporation
• maintenance of riparian areas.

5. Identified 3 Types of Environmental and
Recreational Uses
Protected Uses – These uses are protected, in some way, from incursions by
traditional water uses. (instream flow segments & wild river segments)
Complementary Uses – These uses exist without explicit protection, but continue
to exist typically by virtue of their location. (uses in the National Forest that exist
because of Federal Management)
Competing Uses – Competing uses are those environmental or recreational uses
that are in a location where other traditional water use diverters may constrain or
eliminate the environmental or recreational use at any point in time.
How do we begin to know where these uses are
in relation to stream segments?

6. Snake River Basin
Snake/Salt River Basin
WA
MT
1. Approximately 90 percent of this
region is under public ownership
(i.e. federal and state lands)
2.Home to two national parks (the
southern portion of Yellowstone
National Park and all of Grand
Teton National Park)
3.Known for its world
recreational opportunities
class
An excellent test case to examine
recreational and environmental
uses using GIS.
OR
ID
WY
CA
NV
UT
CO

7. Goal of GIS Analysis
To identify the location of stream segments that are deemed by Federal and
Wyoming State agencies as having recreational and environmental uses
associated with them AND have some level of institutional protection.
2 Parts to the Study
1) Develop a GIS model to identify stream
segments with varying levels of both use and
protection.
2) Look at surrounding uses in relation to these
segments to see which traditional uses (points)
may be protected, complimentary or
conflicting.
This presentation focuses on #1

8. Methods
Simple map algebra function (e.g. raster calculator analysis) was performed
on multiple, existing GIS coverages in ArcGIS 10.0 with Spatial Analyst to
create two models.
2 Models were created by assigning stream segments relative values:
1. Stream segments that have differing levels of recreational and
environmental use
2. Stream segments with differing levels of “protection” resulting from
institutional constraints.
The results of the GIS model illustrate the stream segments where:
1. Future development may be difficult
2. Recreational and Environmental flows may be complementary to OR
in competition with other traditional water uses (i.e. agriculture,
municipal, industrial uses)

9. Variables
GIS data in Wyoming was limited by availability to the following 5 variables:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
National Wild and Scenic Rivers
WGF Critical Stream Corridors
WGF Stream Classifications
Instream Flow filings
Land Ownership
These datasets are readily available online, alleviating the need to
create from scratch any “new” data for the analysis.

10. WGF Stream Classifications
Federal and State
Institutional Protection
Values
Category
Blue Ribbon (national importance)
Red Ribbon (statewide importance)
Yellow Ribbon (regional importance)
Not Present
Value
5
4
3
0
Instream Flow Filings
Category
Present
Not Present
Value
5
0
Instream Flow Filings
Category
Present
Not Present
Value
5
0
National Wild & Scenic Rivers
Category
Wild
Scenic
Recreation
Value
15
10
5
Land Ownership
Category
USFS National Forest
Bureau of Land Management
USFS Wilderness Area & Wilderness Study Areas
NPS National Park/Monument
National Wildlife Refuge
State Wildlife Habitat Management Area
Wyoming State Land
Private Lands
Value
3
3
15
15
15
4
2
0
WGF Critical Stream Corridors
Category
Present
Not Present
Value
5
0
National Wild & Scenic Rivers
Recreational &
Environmental
Use Values
(Variable values were discussed ad nauseum )
Category
Wild
Scenic
Recreation
Value
5
4
3
Land Ownership
Category
USFS National Forest
Bureau of Land Management
USFS Wilderness Area
NPS National Park/Monument
National Wildlife Refuge
State Wildlife Habitat Management Area
Wyoming State Land
Private Lands
Value
5
5
4
4
3
3
1
0

11. The Basic Steps
1. Identify
&
Digitize
stream
segments to be included in the
model; based upon segments used in
both the Water Availability Model
and those found in the five GIS
variables used in the model.
2. For polyline layers (i.e. instream flow
segments), buffer segment by
quarter-mile based on attributes.
3. Place a quarter-mile buffer around
digitized stream segments & Clip
polygon layers to stream segment
polygon (i.e. land ownership).
4. Convert vector files to rasters.
5. Reclassify raster files based on two
sets of variable values
6. Sum raster files using Spatial Analyst
Raster Calculator.
Critical
Streams
Blue
Ribbon
Streams
Instream
Flow
Segments
National Wild
& Scenic
Rivers
Land
Ownership
Raster
Calculator:
Sum
Scores of
Relative
Level of Use
&
Institutional
Protection

12. Use & Protection Maps

13. Overlapping the
Two Models
Knowing which stream
segments are highly used
and associated with
recreational/environmental
uses AND streams that are
institutionally protected
allows us to see if there are
areas of conflict.

14. Snake River Basin
Environmental and Recreational
Use Locations
Use Locations Overlaid with
Institutional Protections Values

15. Salt River Basin
Environmental and Recreational
Use Locations
Use Locations Overlaid with
Institutional Protections Values

16. Part 2: Steps after Steam
Segments are identified…
GIS Layer
Aquatic Habitat Priority Areas
Bridger Teton Sites
Bridger Teton Trails
Caribou Targhee Dispersed Areas
Caribou Targhee Dispersed Sites
Caribou Targhee Sites
Elk Feed Grounds
Fishing Spots
Golf Courses
Grand Teton National Park Resources
National Wetlands Inventory
Nature Conservancy Easements
Non Nature Conservancy Easements
Palisades Wilderness Study Area
Scenic Highways and Byways
Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area
Ski Areas
Trout Unlimmited Projects
Yellowstone National Park Resources

17. Classify uses in each subbasin as Protected,
Competing, or
Complimentary and
analyze each use in
relation to other
traditional uses that
surround it.
For Example:
Snake Headwaters
@ All Uses within the National Parks are Protected
@ 6 Protected Uses outside of the Parks
H 3 Camping, 3 Trailheads

18. Final product will be part of the
Environmental and Recreational Water Use Technical Memorandum
Snake/Salt River Basin Plan 2013 Update
http://waterplan.state.wy.us/plan/snake/snake-plan.html

19. Thank you
Questions?
Chris Nicholson
Water Resources Data System & Wyoming State Climate Office
307-766-3741
cnichol5@uwyo.edu
http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu
http://www.wrds.uwyo.edu/sco/climate_office.html