Author(s)

Robert L. France¹, Gary Pardy²

¹Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, Canada.
²Integral Geomatics, Sydney, Canada.

The utility of a spatially-explicit, exposure-based model was examined for its suitability as a tool for rapidly assessing surface water vulnerability in watershed planning. This simple GIS-model uses three types of easily obtainable spatial information: (1) sources of land use-induced change; (2) intensity of watershed drainage; and (3) sensitivity of drainage basins to change. This model was applied to the Thomas Brook watershed in Nova Scotia, Canada, which has been the site of previous studies, conducted over multiple years, using detailed, effects-based, hydrologic models. Doing so allowed us the opportunity to compare the two approaches. Results showed a good concordance in the derived mapped outputs between the two models. Given the rapid ease and inexpensive cost of using the GIS, exposure-based model, we believe it to offer great promise in terms of prioritizing locations for further study or for intervention of best management practices, as well as for planning where to best direct future water-sensitive development through build-out analyses.

Watershed GIS Analysis, Surface Water Vulnerability

France, R. and Pardy, G. (2018) Spatially-Explicit, Exposure-Based Assessment of Surface Water Vulnerability from Land Use Threats for Time-Efficient and Cost-Effective Watershed Development Planning. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 6, 35-55. doi: 10.4236/gep.2018.66003.