Geospatial Wetland Vulnerability Assessment in Greene County, Ohio

Geospatial Wetland Vulnerability Assessment in Greene County, Ohio

Presenter(s)

Tessa Louise Farthing

Description

Wetlands are an important component of the natural environment. They improve water quality, provide an ecosystem for a great amount of biodiversity, and act as a form of natural flood mitigation. Groundwater eutrophication from various sources of pollution can cause changes in microbial, marine, and plant ecology and therefore require the necessary management practices of the areas. In this study, we analyzed a range of environmental factors to determine the vulnerability to contamination for the Greene County, Ohio wetlands. An index of susceptibility was calculated based on specific parameters of the EPA DRASTIC groundwater assessment method. The specific factors utilized in this study were depth to water, net recharge aquifer media, and topography. In addition, we incorporated land use and other potential sources of pollution to create a more inclusive set of parameters. A geostatistical analysis was conducted to determine the amount and location of wetland areas in Greene County that are subject to a high index of susceptibility. Defining the susceptibility of wetlands helps in decision making for sustainable urban planning as well as determining the wetland areas that are at the highest risk for pollution and may require the most time and funding for research and management practices.

Publication Date

4-24-2019

Project Designation

Capstone Project

Primary Advisor

Shuang-Ye Wu

Primary Advisor's Department

Geology

Keywords

Stander Symposium project

Geospatial Wetland Vulnerability Assessment in Greene County, Ohio

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