Managing Water Resources With GIS

Managing Water Resources With GISWater on our planet is too much of a dynamic entity to be managed efficiently with traditional maps. Aquifers dry up, weather patterns vary, and pollution levels are constantly changing. GIS allows for all of these factors and more to be mapped, analyzed, and updated so that we can ensure clean drinking water, sufficient irrigation water, and safe recreational waters for

everyone.

Water samples collected from fieldwork are sent to labs then entered into a GIS to track pollution levels.

Large-scale spills such as this can be monitored using a GIS to keep environmental harm to a minimum

Modern irrigation systems dependon GIS technology to make sure their source of water is readily available.

Municipalities can access areas at risk for flooding and keep track of flood damage with the help of GIS.

Identifying areas wherewater is safe for drinkingand developing strategies to clean up polluted waters with GIS

Dams and reservoirs thatsupply cities with watercan be monitored using

GIS to ensure supply, taking into account variables such as periodsof rain or drought.

Sources: www.clarkson.edu , www.awra.org , www.jcema.orgwww.oznet.ksu.edu , www.pageweavers.com , www.dof.virginia.govwww.danheller.com , www.conservation-ontario.on.ca , www.lanes.ac.uk , www.oxfam.org.uk , www.iaea.org , www.environment.ky.gov , www.shanghaidaily.com

Pros to a GIS system:--Greater communication and cooperation between users.--Information can be constantly changed and updated.--faster and more accurate thanearlier methods.

Cons to a GIS system:--expensive--complex, requires trainedexperts to run.--difficulty of synchronizingdata gathering methods.

Some Examples of the Broad Applications of GIS