Watershed management and riparian buffer analyses using remotely sensed data

Abstract

The physical parameters of past experimental riparian buffer studies were used to develop a riparian buffer classification framework (RBCF) that uses high resolution remotely sensed data to identify the physical parameters of a riparian buffer and assign an estimate of total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiency. Topographic data with a contour interval of 2 feet, color digital orthophotography with 1-foot resolution, and hydrography data covering a 1.8 square mile study area located within the city limits of Raleigh, North Carolina were utilized to test the RBCF. A cartographic model was developed to prepare each data layer for analysis. Applying the RBCF within the framework of the cartographic model produced highly detailed maps of existing riparian areas, and also provided an estimate of a riparian buffer's efficiency in removing TSS from stormwater runoff. In this study, riparian buffers are identified through remote sensing at spatial scales of sufficient detail to determine regulated widths and also to examine the separate management zones within a buffer. Automated processing techniques for remotely sensed data, used in combination with specific resource classification schemes such as the RBCF will enable the assessment and analysis of site-specific conditions at county-wide scales.