SPR 14-483 Threatened and Endangered Species Habitat GIS Modeling

Grants and Contracts Details

Description

This project builds on prior proof-of-concept work wherein the DSS team at the Center built predictive models for the occurrence of blackside dace, a species federally listed as threatened, that occurs in eastern Kentucky. This project necessitated considerable GIS work to build the appropriate layers of stream properties so that those properties could be used to predict the primary habitat of the threatened fish. These GIS layers can now be used for similar predictive efforts for other aquatic species, without having to re-create them. Thus the system can now be used quite efficiently to map expected habitat for a variety of other endangered fish and mussel species. The eastern Kentucky region recently added two more federally listed fish species, as well as some additional mussels so the need for a tool to perform office-based assessments on potential impacts to threatened and endangered species and their habitats is even more imperative. Providing qualified KYTC biologists with a GIS tool that would allow them to more efficiently assess streams for the potential to serve as habitat to threatened and endangered aquatic species would greatly reduce the costs associated with hiring environmental consultants to conduct surveys and author reports.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date7/1/136/30/14

Funding

  • KY Transportation Cabinet

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