Can Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and hydrologic models facilitate wetland and watershed management?
A. Possibly. More government agencies, consultants, and others are using GIS and computer-based hydrologic models to assist the analysis of water regimes, the mapping of wetlands (where digital data is available), the assessment of the functions and values of wetlands, and the design of projects including assessment of alternative designs. Such systems are proving useful as more digital data becomes available and the costs of data storage and analysis are reduced. However, there are financial and other limits to accuracy and types of ecosystem and hydrologic data typically available for GIS analysis. GIS analysis must, therefore, be combined with some measure of continued on-site data gathering and analysis. Q. Is local government wetland and watershed management a new concept? A. No. Partial integration of wetlands into watershed management has been undertaken by thousands of local governments throughout the Nation in the last two decades. These local governments have mapped wetlands
