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NC DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT NC CENTER FOR GEOGRA PHIC INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS
December 2005
Table of Contents
1.0 Background ................................................................ 3
1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.2.1 2.3 2.4 2.5 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.1.1 4.1.2 5.1 5.2 CAMA Requirements for Land Suitability Analysis in Land Use Plans .................. 4 GIS Approach ........................................................................................................... 5 GIS and Spatial Analysis .......................................................................................... 6 Raster vs. Vector Approach...................................................................................... 6 Technical Issues with a Raster Data Model.......................................................... 8 Introduction to Spatial Analyst ............................................................................... 11 Introduction To Model Builder............................................................................... 11 Computer Requirements and Getting Started ......................................................... 13 Define the Criteria................................................................................................... 16 Define the Data ....................................................................................................... 22 Determine the GIS Operations ................................................................................ 23 Data Preparation...................................................................................................... 26 Using ModelBuilder................................................................................................ 27 Running the Land Suitability Model....................................................................... 27 Evaluating the Results............................................................................................. 44 Modifying the Land Suitability Model ................................................................... 45 Description.............................................................................................................. 54 Criteria ................................................................................................................ 55 Setting Classifications in the Model ................................................................... 56 Exporting Images .................................................................................................... 61 Note on ArcView 3.x Extensions ............................................................................ 61
Figure 2-2 Raster Data Example ...................................................................................... 7 Figure 2-3 Raster Overlay Example ................................................................................. 8 Figure 2-4 - Vector Polygon ............................................................................................... 9 Figure 2-5 - Raster Polygon; 209 ft Resolution.................................................................. 9 Figure 2-6 - Raster Polygon; 400 ft Resolution................................................................ 10 Figure 2-7 - Model Builder Example ................................................................................ 12 Table 1 Criteria Table Example ......................................................................................... 19 Table 2 Calculating Absolute Weight ................................................................................. 21 Table 3 - Environmental Criteria ........................................................................................... 55 Appendix 1 - Data Notes Appendix 2 - Data Processing for ArcView 3.x Models Appendix 3 - Data Directory 2
1.0 Background
The Land Suitability Analysis (LSA) project is a GIS-based process for evaluating the suitability of land for development. The LSA project is a joint effort by the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and the North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA). The project is an outgrowth of the 2002 Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) land use planning requirements that place added emphasis on basing land use policies on natural systems capabilities and limitations and a land suitability analysis. The CRC requirements contain specific provisions for development-related analysis of natural systems and land suitability. The LSA project makes it easier for local governments to address these requirements. Also, the project increases the capacity of coastal communities to consider land suitability in developing their land use plans and other related policies and in making day-to-day decisions about land use and development. The project also makes GIS technology and spatial information more accessible to local governments in the coastal area. In this regard, the project utilizes ESRI GIS software with the Spatial Analyst extension along with data layers available from DCM, CGIA and other sources to evaluate natural features and existing development related to the suitability of land for development. The project also allows local governments to add their own spatial data. The two major outputs of the LSA project are an environmental composite map and a land suitability map. The environmental composite map shows the extent and overlap of natural features and environmental conditions that indicate the capability and limitations of natural systems for urban development. The land suitability map shows the relative suitability of land in a planning area for urban-type development. Both of these map outputs are consistent with current requirements for preparing Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) land use plans 1. The project team identified the following requirements for the application of GIS to land suitability:
The project must be capable of easily handling very large amounts of spatial data
Some of the information specifically identified by the CRC 2002 land use planning rules is not currently available. Appendix 1 details data that are included in the LSA project and those that are not included.
As new data are available, updating the project should be relatively easy The project should be capable of accommodating locally developed data The project should be interactive, enabling local decision-makers to modify the weighting the factors used in the analysis
The output of the LSA should be suitable for planning and policy development; products should not be designed to apply to specific land parcels or sites
1.1 CAMA Requirements for Land Suitability Analysis in Land Use Plans
In the CAMA land use planning process, land suitability analysis is a mandatory component of the local land use plan. It is a process for determining a planning area's supply of land that is suitable for development. The analysis includes consideration of a number of factors, including natural system constraints, compatibility with existing land uses and development patterns, existing land use policies, and the availability of community facilities. A key output of the analysis is a land suitability map that shows vacant or under-utilized land that is suited for the development. This map is a major part of the foundation for the development of local land use policies and the future land use map. [CAMA Land Use Planning 15A NCAC 7B .0702 (c)(5)] The CRC requirements for CAMA land use plans are the basis for identifying the data that are used in the LSA project. In the CAMA planning requirements, there are six categories of factors that must be considered in analyzing development suitability [.0702 (c)(5)]. These factors are listed below. CAMA Land Use Plan Land Suitability Factors (A) Water quality;
(B) Land classes I, II, and III summary environmental analysis (see further description below) (C) Proximity to existing developed areas and compatibility with existing land uses; (D) Potential impact of development on areas and sites designated by local historic commissions or the North Carolina Department
of Cultural Resources as historic, culturally significant, or scenic; (E) Land use and development requirements of local development regulations, CAMA use standards and other applicable state regulations, and applicable federal regulations; and (F) Availability of community facilities, including water, sewer, stormwater, and transportation."
The raster data model represents features as a matrix of cells (pixels) in continuous space. Each layer represents one attribute (although other attributes can be attached to a cell). And most analysis occurs by combining the layers to create new layers with new cell values.
Figure 2-2 Raster Data Example
Raster data are used for land suitability modeling because analysis can be performed on several raster layers at once. For example, raster data enable the user to perform a weighted overlay on several layers. Vector data enable analysis on only two layers at a time in an operation that
requires a great deal of computer resources. Raster data provide continuous coverage of a geographic area and analysis is much more efficient.
Figure 2-3 Raster Ove rlay Example
Resolution
The cell size used for a raster layer will affect the results of the analysis and how the map looks. The cell size should be based on the original map scale and the minimum mapping unit. Using too large a cell size will cause some information to be lost. Using a cell size that is too small requires a lot of storage space, and takes longer to process, without adding additional precision to the map. For a given analysis, you will need to decide the optimal resolution to maximize accuracy and performance. The higher the resolution, the greater the accuracy; but performance suffers. The LSA project uses 1acre cells (209 feet per siderounded from 208.7 feet) to represent base data that are mapped at a scale of 1:24,000.
Only one item of information is available for each location within a single layer
Multiple items of information require multiple layers. If, in a soils vector layer, you have two attributesseptic suitability and flood frequency--you will have to create two raster layers: one that contains septic suitability information and one that contains flood frequency information.
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Additional capabilities available through the standard user interface include queries on multiple grid themes, neighborhood and zone analysis, grid classification and display, summary histograms, and more.
Operations available with Spatial Analyst: Convert feature themes (point, line, or polygon) to grids Create raster buffers based on distance from any raster or vector feature Create density maps of point features Perform Boolean queries and algebraic calculations on multiple grid themes simultaneously Do neighborhood and zone analysis Display and reclassify grid data
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change the data sets used by the model, modify the influence of each data set on the model, perform complex analysis functions, and generate maps that illustrate the results of analysis. Data derived from one model can be used as input for another model. Users can run a model with a variety of parameters to assess data sensitivity or to evaluate geographically different but structurally similar data sets. Users can copy portions of their models within a model and smaller models can be combined to build larger models. In the case of Land Suitability Analysis, the layer weights can be easily changed, and the models may be re-run to evaluate the new results. ModelBuilder is ideal for this task because it allows users to overlay multiple layers, rank order categories within each layer, include a weight for each layer, and sum using map algebra. ModelBuilder creates a process-flow diagram that displays the layers and operations. For example, the land suitability model combines and classifies multiple GIS layers to produce a land suitability map as illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 2-7 ArcView 3.xModel Builder Example
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To install the ArcGIS 9.x land suitability model for a county, copy the county folder from the workshop CD to the C: drive of your PC at the root. Relative paths have been stored. For more information, please see the text file found on the CD.
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List of Data
Model Results
No
Evaluate Results
Acceptable Results?
Yes
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Within a quarter-mile of Water Pipes have high suitability; areas within a quarter-mile to a half-mile of water pipes have medium suitability; areas further than a half-mile away from water pipes have low suitability
Within a quarter-mile of Sewer Pipes have high suitability; areas within a quarter-mile to a half-mile of sewer pipes have medium suitability; areas further that a half-mile away from water pipes have low suitability
Within Coastal Wetlands are LEAST suitable Within Exceptional and Substantial Non-Coastal Wetlands are LEAST suitable Within Federal Lands and State Lands are LEAST suitable Within Protected Lands are LEAST suitable Within Estuarine Waters are LEAST suitable
According to these criteria, values for layers are quantitatively scored according to suitability for development. For example, an area that is inside a storm surge area or within 500 feet of a Significant Natural Heritage Area has low suitability. These areas receive a score of 2 (negative 2). An area that is close to existing infrastructure (roads, sewer lines, existing development, etc.) has high suitability for development. areas receive a score of +2 (positive two). Note that the proximity concept is represented by a buffer in the model. A buffer should not be smaller than the distance of one side of a cell. In this case, the smallest buffer is 500 feet and a cell has a width of 209 feet. Also, to account for proximity of features to cells on the boundaries of the study area (county), themes that are subject to buffers are clipped to a polygon of the county plus 2 miles (2-mile buffer of county boundary including the county). The final map will be clipped to the county boundary (not buffered). Additionally, most the data layers are ranked according to how important they are to the overall analysis. In the criteria spreadsheet developed by the project team (Table 1), users may rank a layer as 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being very important. Other values may be used, but keep in mind the advantage of keeping the factors relatively uncomplicated for presentation and explanation in public meetings. These
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The least suitable areas (protected lands, military areas, coastal wetlands, estuarine waters, and exceptional and substantial non-coastal wetlands) are treated somewhat differently. They are given scores of 0 or 1. Areas within protected lands, coastal wetlands, etc., receive a score of 0. Areas outside of these sensitive areas receive a score of 1. These layers will be discussed further below.
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The following is an example of the criteria used to assign values, and weight the layers. Table 1 Criteria Table Example
----------Criteria and Rating--------Layer Name
Least Low Medium High Suitable Suitability Suitability Suitability
0 Coastal Wetlands Exceptional and Substantial Noncoastal Wetlands Estuarine Waters Protected Lands Beneficial Noncoastal Wetlands Storm Surge Areas Soils with septic limitations Flood Zones Water Supply Watersheds Significant Natural Heritage Areas Hazardous Substance Disposal Sites NPDES Sites Wastewater Treatment Plants Municipal Sewer Discharge Points Airports Developed Land Primary Roads Water Pipes Sewer Pipes Total Inside Inside Inside Inside
-2
Inside Inside Severe Moderate Inside Inside < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' > 1 mi > 1 mi .5 - 1 mi .5 - 1 mi
Outside Outside Slight Outside Outside > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' < .5 mi < .5 mi
Explanation of Table Least, Low, Medium, and High Suitability are the four classifications available for this analysis. Values are assigned 2, 0, 1, and +2 respectively. Note that the first set of layers (green shading) are either least suitable (the value of zero will be multiplied by the results of the layers with white and gray shading for a product of zero) or medium suitability (the value of one will be multiplied by the results of the other sets of layers for a product equal to the score based on those other sets).
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The next step is to rank the layers from 1 to 3 with 3 representing the most weight in land suitability. The spreadsheet included on the Land Suitability CD is ready for the user to modify the default weights (see Table 2). Once a ranking is agreed upon, the model requires that the user quantify the ranked layers from an ordinal scale (ranked 1 thru 3) to a percentage of the total (percent weight) to assign relative weights. The relative weight for a layer is equal to 100 (percent) divided by the product of the sum of all rankings times the ranking for that layer. In other words, it is the whole pie divided by the number of pieces (yielding the size of a piece), times the number of pieces for that layer. If all layers were assigned a weight of 1, the relative weight in percent for any one layer would be equal to the 100 divided by the number of layers (one equal piece of pie each). The far right column of the spreadsheet (see Table 2) expresses the relative weights as a ratio (or multiplier required for the model, below). Note that these numbers change for each county depending on the number of layers that apply. The calculations are already set in formulas in the spreadsheet.
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0 Coastal Wetlands Exceptional and Substantial Noncoastal Wetlands Estuarine Waters Protected Lands Beneficial Noncoastal Wetlands Storm Surge Areas Soils with septic limitations Flood Zones Water Supply Watersheds Significant Natural Heritage Areas Hazardous Substance Disposal Sites NPDES Sites Wastewater Treatment Plants Municipal Sewer Discharge Points Airports Developed Land Primary Roads Water Pipes Sewer Pipes Total Inside Inside Inside Inside
-2
Inside Inside Severe Moderate Inside Inside < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' < 500' > 1 mi > 1 mi .5 - 1 mi .5 - 1 mi
Outside Outside Slight Outside Outside > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' > 500' < .5 mi < .5 mi
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 23
4.348 8.696 4.348 8.696 4.348 8.696 4.348 4.348 4.348 4.348 4.348 4.348 8.696 13.043 13.043 100.000
0.04348 0.08696 0.04348 0.08696 0.04348 0.08696 0.04348 0.04348 0.04348 0.04348 0.04348 0.04348 0.08696 0.13043 0.13043 1.00000
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Our criteria are now defined in the form of a table. Be sure to use the excel spreadsheet provided which contains all the formulas you need. If you change assigned weights (1, 2, or 3) the percent weights in the spreadsheet will be automatically updated. If you add or delete layers, the spreadsheet should be updated as well (i.e., the number of pie pieces will change). As noted earlier, Coastal Wetlands, Exceptional and Substantial Non-Coastal Wetlands, Military Areas, Estuarine Waters, and Protected Lands are treated differently. These are the least suitable areas for development and are differentiated accordingly. Values are assigned 0 for inside the area and 1 for outside the area. We will apply Boolean logic in the land suitability model (by multiplying the ranked layers by 1 or 0) so we can differentiate the least suitable areas from the rest.
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Buffer:
Many criteria specify that areas within a specific feature have suitability; outside have high suitability (and vice-versa). Example: Areas within 500 feet of a Hazardous Substance Disposal Site have low suitability.
2 2 2 HSDS => 500' buffer => 2 2 2 2 2 -2 -2 -2 2 2 2 -2 -2 -2 2 2 2 -2 -2 -2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
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Reclassify:
Some layers need to be reclassified. For example, the Soils With Septic Limitations layer has a septic attribute that contains values, Severe, Moderate, or Slight. These values are reclassified to 2, 1, and +2 respectively.
Sev Sev
1 1
-2 1 1 1 1 +2
-2 -2 1 1 -2 1
-2 -2 +2 1 -2 -2
+2 1 +2 +2 1 -2
1 1 +2 +2 +2 +2
Mod Slight Slight Slight Mod Sev Mod Slight Slight Sev Sev Mod Slight Sev Slight
1 +2 +2 +2
1 1 1 +2 +2 +2
-2 1 1 1 1 +2
-2 -2 1 1 -2 1
-2 -2 +2 1 -2 -2
+2 1 +2 +2 1 -2
1 1 +2 +2 +2 +2 X 0.08696 =
0.09 -0.2
-0.2
-0.2 -0.2
0.09 0.09 0.09 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.09 -0.2 -0.2 0.09 0.17 -0.2 0.17
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-0.3 -0.3 0
0.09 0.09
Coastal Wetlands
1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1
Least Suitable
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
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This type of operation is also used to clip the final model output to the county boundary. Reclassify the county boundary. Gray represents No Data.
Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty ->Reclass-> Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty Cnty 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Multiply the reclassified county boundary with the land suitability. The No Data values will drop out, clipping the land suitability map. County Boundary
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 X 1 1 2 3 5 5
LSA Map
2 1 2 3 4 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 1 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 2 1 2 3 =
Clipped LSA
2 1 2 3 3 4 2 3 3 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 1
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ArcView 3.x: Setting a 500-foot buffer for some of the weighted layers
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ArcGIS 9.x: Setting a 500-foot buffer for some of the weighted layers AND Reclassification
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ArcView 3.x: Setting a 2,640-foot (0.5-mile) and 5,280-foot (1-mile) buffer for some of the weighted layers
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ArcGIS 9.x: Setting a 2,640-foot (0.5-mile) and 5,280-foot (1-mile) buffer for some of the weighted layers AND Reclassification
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ArcView 3.x: Setting a 1,320-foot (0.25-mile) and 2,640-foot (0.5 mile) buffer for some weighted layers
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ArcGIS 9.x: Setting a 1,320-foot (0.25-mile) and 2,640-foot (0.5 mile) buffer for some weighted layers AND Reclassification
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ArcView 3.x: Overlay of the weighted layers using multipliers from the criteria spreadsheet
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ArcGIS 9.x: Overlay of the weighted layers using multipliers from the criteria spreadsheet
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ArcView 3.x: Setting up the overlay of the least suitable (excluded) layers and the weighted layers
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ArcGIS 9.x: Setting up the overlay of the least suitable (excluded) layers and the weighted layers
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ArcView 3.x: Setting the last overlay that clips the results by the county boundaries
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ArcGIS 9.x: Setting the last overlay that clips the results by the county boundaries
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In order to classify by natural breaks in ArcView 3.x, convert the grid to points and classify the new point theme. Turn on the Spatial Tools extension (under File -> Extensions). Next, convert the grid theme to a point shapefile (Transformation -> Grid to Point). Classify the new points theme by natural breaks using the Grid_code item as the classification field. Note the breaks. Go back to the grid result theme and enter the noted breaks in the legend editor. Verify the results by viewing the newly classified grid underneath the vector layers. The land suitability pattern should be related to vector layers visually, though of course the model has computed the spatial relationships in a way that the vector layers cannot.
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2. Click Next > 3. Select a shapefile as the input theme. Note: a theme must be a feature theme (point, line or polygon), and it must be in the current ArcView project. 4. Select StFips as the input field (this is a common field that will need to be added to the shapefile database prior to this stepafter adding field, you can normally calculate all values to equal 37). Note: the values of the input field are used to determine the output theme cell values. The type of field chosen also determines the type of grid theme created (continuous or discrete). Click Next > 5. Choose Categories as the type of data (categorized values represent a type instead of a measurement). Note: this screen only appears when the input field is an integer. Click Next -> 6. Set the new class value and label = 0. This sets the value of all cells inside the shapefiles features to 0. Note: this screen only appears when the input field is a character or integer. Click Next -> 7. Use the default color setting. Click Next -> 8. Choose cty_buffer as the extent theme. Click Next -> 9. Choose This cell size: and type 209 (if necessary). Note: the value entered represents one side of the grid cell and must be the same units as the view map units (in our case the map unit is feet). Each cell in the output grid represents one acre (208.7 feet rounded to 209 feetper side which equals 43,560 square feet). Thus the grid resolution is 1 acre. Click Next -> 10. Name the theme and file. Click Finish.
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Enter function into the model process 1. Drop (add) a connection from the new function to the Arithmetic Overlay function for the excluded themes: Click the Add Connection Button Click and drag the connection from the new derived data block to the least suitable themes Arithmetic Overlay function (top)
Example of process connection 2. Set the no data value = 1. This sets the value of all cells outside of the shapefiles features to 1. Double-click the Arithmetic Overlay function to open its Properties dialog box Scroll to the newly derived shapefile and change the operator to multiplication (note: the first theme has to be addition for a base, but the other least suitable themes are multiplying by 0 or 1) Change the Value for No Data to 1 Click OK Save the model 3. Run the model: Click the Run button Note: adding a least suitable/excluded theme will not affect the weighted layers, thus there is no need to alter the assigned weights. However, when adding a nonexcluded factor/theme (those themes where weighting factors apply soils, sewer lines, significant natural heritage areas, etc.), weights will need to be modified accordingly.
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Exercise A2: Modifying the Land Suitability Model by Adding Data and Processes (ArcGIS 9.x) The processes outlined in Exercise A1 regarding ArcView 3.x are generally the same for ArcGIS 9.x (with the primary differences being the interface and terminology). Thus, only a few points are noted below. To edit a model, Right-click a model in a toolbox and click Edit. The ModelBuilder window opens so you can add or modify the processes in the model. To build processes you add tools into the ModelBuilder window, then supply values for the parameters of each tool. Both system tools and custom tools can be dragged into the ModelBuilder window, or you can use the Add Data or Tools button in the ModelBuilder window. Elements representing the tool and the derived data the tool will create are added to the display window. The derived data element is a variable that can be connected to other processes in the model. Below is a dialog box for a vector to raster conversion displaying the required inputs.
You can drag input data from the ArcCatalog tree or from the table of contents of any other ArcGIS Desktop application, such as ArcMap, into the ModelBuilder window. If the value set for the variable is of the correct input data type, the variable will connect to the tool. When all required parameter values are set, the process will be colored in. Additional tips for using ArcGIS ModelBuilder are provided in a text file provided with the model CD.
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Exercise B: Modifying the Land Suitability Model by Changing Weights To change relative weights in the model (or to change weights after adding or deleting a weighted layer from the model), first modify the Land Suitability Model Criteria Table. Open the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file LSA Weighting Criteria.xls:
Two categories of dataexclusive and weightedare present in the model. The least suitable areas are represented by the exclusive data sets: these are assigned values of 0 or 1 and are differentiated from the other data within the model logic. These areas are unlikely to be developed for reasons of environmental resource value or conservation ownership. The weighted data are rated according to their respective suitability for development. The layers are rated as -2, 1 or 2, with 2 being assigned to the conditions most suitable for development (within the model, a constant of 3 will be added to each rating so that the results will be positive). This rating scheme avoids zero values (used for the exclusive areas) and results in a reasonable comparison of less and more suitable areas. In addition to the rating, the user may assign variable weights to each layer to represent greater or lesser importance in the model. The default weights were assigned based on the best judgment of the modelers. The user may change weights and modify
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the land suitability model accordingly. (Refer to section 3.1 Define the Criteria for a more complete explanation of the LSA Criteria Table). Exercise: 1. Change the weight assignment of the layers as follows: Beneficial Noncoastal Wetlands = 2 Flood Zones = 3 Note the change in the Percent Weight column each time an Assigned Weight value is changed:
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2. Record the new weight percentages in the LSA model: Double-click on the Arithmetic Overlay in ArcView 3.x and Single Output Map Algebra in ArcGIS 9.x process for the weighted data layers. ArcView 3.x
ArcGIS 9.x
In ArcView 3.x, under the Overlay Table tab, change the Multiplier value for each layer to reflect the new Multiplier value in the Criteria Table. Double-check the values before clicking OK.
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In ArcGIS 9.x, change the Multiplier value for each layer to reflect the new Multiplier value in the Criteria Table.
3. Run the model and note changes in the output. Note, in ArcGIS 9.x, it is not necessary to re-run the entire model. It is suggested that you only re-run those processes effected by your changes.
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Note that you may exclude a theme from the model (for what if purposes or if data for that theme are not reliable) by deleting the link from the theme to the next process in ModelBuilder and leaving the theme in the model for reconnection later if desired. If the theme is a weighted theme, you need to change the weights in the spreadsheet and in the properties of the weighted layers arithmetic overlay. Caution: check all classifications and weights before running the model. In some cases, ArcView 3.x Model Builder changes values to defaults for no apparent reason. This is not an issue with ArcGIS 9.x.
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This version of the environmental composite includes some work-around classification schemes. Like the land suitability model, the environmental composite model uses 1acre grid cells to represent the landscape. Conceptually, if a grid cell intersects a Class III feature (the most environmentally sensitive), it retains the Class III value no matter what other features also intersect that cell. If a cell intersects a Class II feature (but no Class III) it retains the Class II value without regard to Class I (least sensitive) features. Class I cells do not intersect Class II or Class III features.
4.1.1 Criteria
Table 3 - Environmental Criteria Layer Coastal Wetlands Exceptional or Substantial Non-Coastal Wetlands Beneficial Non-Coastal Wetlands Estuarine Waters Soils with Slight or Moderate Septic Limitations Soils with Severe Septic Limitations Flood Zones Storm Surge Areas HQW/ORW Watersheds Water Supply Watersheds Significant Natural Heritage Areas Protected Lands
Class I
Class II
Class III
For a given cell, the computed value of the cell will be determined by the highest class theme that contains the cell. For example, if a cell is in a coastal wetland (Class III) and in a storm surge area (Class II) and intersects a soil with a slight or moderate septic limitation (Class I), the cell value will be Class III. In other words, if a cell does not meet the criteria for Class III, but qualifies as Class II, it has Class II for a value. If a cell does not qualify for either Class III or Class II, then it may be Class I or contain no data from the themes identified in the criteria.
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Outside Polygons 0 0 0
Inside Polygons 1 11 34
Breakpoints 1 11 34
Total 0 1 11 34 12 35 45 46
Class 0 Class I Class II Class III Class II Class III Class III Class III
The breakpoints are set so that the possible combinations result in appropriate classes assigned to grid cells. In Model Builder, the screens should look like the following. When opening Model Builder, please check to be sure the number of classes and class values have been retained. If they do not look like the following, edit the values in the Model Builder interface.
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ArcView 3.x
ArcGIS 9.x
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ArcView 3.x
ArcGIS 9.x
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ArcView 3.x
ArcGIS 9.x
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Run the model and evaluate the results as described above for the land suitability model. The resulting Environmental Composite Map is similar to the Land Suitability Map in that Class III areas are consistent with the Least Suitable category and the Class I areas are related to the Most Suitable areas. The primary difference is the absence of infrastructure in the Environmental Composite Map that heightens the emphasis on environmental sensitivity and relative land conservation value.
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This is used for converting a grid theme to a point vector theme. ArcView 3.x cannot convert a grid theme to a polygon theme.
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Hazardous Substance Disposal Sites Formerly called Superfund sites. Historic property State-owned historic sites are available as a selection from state-owned property. NPDES sites Major and minor NPDES sites from the Division of Water Quality. Wastewater treatment plants Point locations from public water and sewer data (Rural Economic Development Center (REDC) program in late 1990s); may overlap with NPDES sites. Discharge points Wastewater treatment plant discharge points (REDC); may overlap with NPDES sites. Land application sites Point locations were wastewater is applied to land by a public system from (REDC) data. Airports Airport boundaries from CGIA. Developed land Land cover classified as developed based on percent impervious surface in satellite imagery, 1996 land cover; high intensity plus low intensity developed. Roads Primary roads from CGIA; street centerlines are too dense for analysis. Water pipes Water pipes from REDC data, not available in Tyrrell, Pamlico and New Hanover counties. Sewer pipes Sewer pipes from REDC data, not available in Tyrrell, Pamlico and New Hanover counties. Community facilities and supplemental data Data were furnished by the Division of Coastal Management (not converted to grids) to be used in conjunction with the land suitability map: public schools, hospitals, community colleges, public universities, hurricane evacuation routes, railroads, primary nursery areas, and marinas; county data may be added such as fire stations and fire districts.
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2. Data considered for land suitability, but not used in draft map Public trust waters Not mapped in digital format, but are adequately represented by estuarine waters for the land suitability model. Ocean hazard areas/ocean erodible areas Not available in digital format, but the areas are covered by hurricane storm surge inundation areas and velocity zones in the floodplain layer. Inlet hazard areas Not available in digital format, but the areas are covered by hurricane storm surge inundation areas and velocity zones in the floodplain layer. Historic districts The only current data in digital format are state-owned historic sites, of which there is only one in the coastal region: the former US Coast Guard station on Hatteras Island; this area was not included in the model but could be added for Dare County if desired. Archeological sites Current digital data not available; requires site-specific consultation. Maritime forests Included in exceptional non-coastal wetlands in CREWS data. Mineral resources Data not available in digital format. Shellfish areas Most areas suitable for commercial harvest are included in HQW/ORW. Areas of Environmental Concern Site-specific areas that are not mapped in digital format; areas are likely covered by other coastal environmental layers in the land suitability model. Soils with erosion hazards Available in woodland management and productivity table in detailed soil survey; would require extra processing for those selected soil types. Un-vegetated beach area Coincident with hurricane storm surge inundation areas and velocity zones in floodplain data. Wellhead protection areas Data creation in process by Source Water Assessment Program; future use possible.
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Water supply watersheds DWQs water supply watersheds layer was clipped to the county boundaries. Significant Natural Heritage Areas Significant Natural Heritage Areas layer was clipped to the 2mile buffered county boundary. Hazardous substance disposal sites Hazardous substance disposal sites layer was clipped to the 2mile buffered county boundary. NPDES The NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) layer was clipped to the 2mile buffered county boundary. Wastewater treatment plants Municipal wastewater treatment plants layer was clipped to the 2mile buffered county boundary. Sewer discharge points -- Municipal sewer discharge points layer was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Land application sites Land application sites (point location of application of sludge from wastewater treatment plants) layer was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Airports The layer of airport locations was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Developed lands 1996 land cover was used to create a layer of developed lands. The 1996 land cover is available by 1:100,000-scale tiles. CGIA selected the tiles that covered the CAMA counties and queried the tiles for Description = high intensity development or Description = low intensity development; the tiles were then merged to create a layer of high or low intensity land cover that covered the CAMA counties. A county plus 2-mile buffer was then used to clip the data for each county. Primary roads The primary roads layer was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Water pipes - The water pipes layer was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Sewer pipes - The sewer pipes layer was clipped to the 2-mile buffered county boundary. Final county boundary - The county boundary was taken from the Corporate Geographic Database cb100 file which does not include a detailed shoreline.
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Location of airports in NC. Wetland significance determined by Division of Coastal Management - subsets by type and functional significance. Areas depicting jurisdictional boundaries of counties in North Carolina; contains county line features only. The dataset includes the following attributes: arcs coded with type number; polygons coded with county FIPS code, county name, county abbreviation, acres, and population. This does not include a depiction of the shoreline. <county>_cty.shp with a 2-mile buffer High intensity developed and low intensity developed land cover classifications as a subset of land cover classified from 1994-95 LandSAT TM satellite imagery, CGIA. 1:24,000-scale hydrography subset based on classification (SA, SB, or SC) is Estuarine Waters. The boundaries of all types of land in North Carolina owned and managed by the United States government. Waters identified as having excellent water quality in association with an outstanding resource. Point and non-point source pollution management strategies are applicable to these waters. Polygons are assigned High Quality Water (HQW) and Outstanding Resource Water (ORW) designations. Locations of uncontrolled and unregulated hazardous waste sites (formerly called Superfund Sites). The file includes sites on the CERCLA Information System (CERCLIS) National Priorities List, the State Inactive Hazardous Sites list, the Sites Priority List, and some Department of Defense files. Polygons are coded with NC DENR, Division of Waste Management, Superfund Section ID; state or federal status; longitude and latitude coordinate; and a site name. 68
County boundary
cty_buffer devland
hqworwdwq
hsds
Descriptive Name Municipal discharge points Lands managed for conservation and open space; or protected lands
Definition
Location of municipal waste treatment plants, derived from the water and sewer survey.
Lands in NC managed for conservation and open space relating to many purposes including recreation, wildlife habitat, water quality, and farmland preservation. This is a composite layer from 13 sources, representing an integrated depiction of lands that have been permanently protected or designated for open space. Polygons are coded with owner name and type, manager name and type, acres, area name, whether it counts toward the Million Acre Initiative goal, and other attributes. Multiple legends display alternative groupings of properties. Key to field names: LAND_ID = Unique identifier for property based on the state plane coordinates of the center point, generated by formula in GIS. MANAGEMENT = Organization managing the land for conservation or open space purposes. MANAGER TYPE = Type of organization managing the land. OWNER = Organization that owns the land or holds the easement or development rights to the property. OWNER TYPE = Type of organization that owns the land or holds the easement. TRANS_TYPE Type of transaction for conservation or open space purposes. AREA NAME = Reference name for the land area. TRANSACTION YEAR = Year of initial transaction for conservation or open space purposes. MILLION_QU = Property qualifies toward the goal of one million additional acres of protected land beginning in 1999. PUB_ACCESS = Public access to the property (yes, no, or conditional) ACRES = Land area computed by the GIS; not the deeded acres. COUNTY = County in which the center point of the property falls. HECTARES = Land area in metric units, computed by the GIS. RIVER_BASIN = River basin in which the center point of the property falls. DENR_REGION = Department of Environment and Natural Resources region in which the center point of the property falls. COG REGION = Council of Government (lead regional organization) region in which the center point of the property falls.
QUAD_NAME = US Geological Survey 7.5minute topographic quadrangle in which the center point of the property falls.
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Definition
prds
Primary roads
flood
Flood zones
slandapp
snha
hss93f
Surface water discharge locations as recorded on permits issued for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Sites (NPDES). Points are coded with owner of permit, name of stream receiving discharge, site latitude and longitude, number of discharge pipes, county of discharge, subbasin number, technician review date, and map index numbers. Interstate routes, US routes, and selects state routes in NC, to be used as a general-purpose roads layer. Arcs are assigned US, state and interstate route designations and numbers. Flood zones newly furnished by the NC Dept. of Emergency Management NC Floodplain Mapping Program, & old Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Q3 digital files, NC Division of Emergency Management. Locations where treated wastewater or sludge is applied to be absorbed into the soil. Points are coded with the following attributes: id, permit expiration date, construction date, renovation date, and estimated area. Areas containing ecologically significant natural communities or rare species. NOTE: Due to its dynamic nature, this data becomes out-dated very quickly. The Natural Heritage Program (NHP) MUST authorize release of this data, in writing, prior to distribution, access or hardcopy output of this layer. Polygons are coded with NHP site number, name, and acres. Boundaries of all types of North Carolina stateowned complexes. Detailed soil surveys by county, including soil types with septic limitations, CGIA. Locations of pipelines for wastewater distribution. Arcs are coded with the following attributes: system id, material, diameter, type (pressure, gravity, vacuum), utilization type (interceptor, outfall, collection), construction date, and renovation date. Hurricane storm surge inundation areas, fast moving storm, from 1993 study, CGIA.
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Definition
Wetlands
Water pipes
Locations of facilities used to treat wastewater and the related appurtenant works. Points are coded with the following attributes: id, treatment plant location descriptor, permitted flow capacity, maximum daily flow, average daily flow, type of treatment technology, sludge disposal technology, infiltration/inflow, estimated area, installation date, and renovation date. Wetlands delineated by Division of Coastal Management - subset by type and functional significance. Locations of pipelines for water distribution. Arcs are coded with the following attributes: system identification number, original construction year, renovation year, material, and diameter.
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