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Modeling the Suitability of Potential Wetland Mitigation Sites with a Geographic Information System

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Abstract

Wetland mitigation is frequently required to compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. Site conditions and landscape context are critical factors influencing the functions that created wetlands perform. We developed a spatial model and used a geographic information system (GIS) to identify suitable locations for wetland mitigation sites. The model used six variables to characterize site conditions: hydrology, soils, historic condition, vegetation cover, adjacent vegetation, and land use. For each variable, a set of suitability scores was developed that indicated the wetland establishment potential for different variable states. Composite suitability scores for individual points on the landscape were determined from the weighted geometric mean of suitability scores for each variable at each point. These composite scores were grouped into five classes and mapped as a wetland mitigation suitability surface with a GIS. Sites with high suitability scores were further evaluated using information on the feasibility of site modification and project cost. This modeling approach could be adapted by planners for use in identifying the suitability of locations as wetland mitigation sites at any site or region.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office, under contract W-31-109-Eng-38. We thank Mark Kamiya for his support for this study and reviews of project results. We gratefully acknowledge John Hayse and John DePue for helpful reviews of a draft of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Assessment Division, Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

    Robert A. Van Lonkhuyzen, Kirk E. LaGory & James A. Kuiper

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  1. Robert A. Van Lonkhuyzen
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  2. Kirk E. LaGory
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  3. James A. Kuiper
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Van Lonkhuyzen, R., LaGory, K. & Kuiper, J. Modeling the Suitability of Potential Wetland Mitigation Sites with a Geographic Information System. Environmental Management 33, 368–375 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-3017-3

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