UGA
Atlanta Water Resources
Turning Over a New Leaf: Modeling Green Infrastructure in Atlanta

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>> SEAN: Rapid development in Atlanta and its suburbs is expanding areas of impervious surface that will continue to exacerbate stormwater management problems.

>> JASON: Reforestation and urban green spaces have been shown to improve the health of surrounding water bodies by slowing runoff and allowing soil to absorb particles and contaminates before they can enter surficial water bodies.

>> JACOB: The goal of this DEVELOP project is to assist The Nature Conservancy in identifying locations within metro Atlanta to focus reforestation of degraded areas and forested land protection efforts to reduce sediment and nutrient-laden stormwater runoff in local watersheds. 

>> BETTY: NASA’s Landsat 8  images the Earth every 16 days, acquiring measurements of the Earth’s surface in the visible, near-infrared, shortwave, and thermal infrared.  Terra orbits the Earth 16 times a day and collects a variety of datasets.

>> WENJING: By using both Landsat and Terra data, our team created a multivariate suitability model designed to identify reforestation targets and assess the current hydrological processes within metro Atlanta.

>> ALEX: To identify areas for reforestation, we implemented a Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy or (LUCIS) model. The LUCIS model integrates a broad range of input datasets to produce scenarios that determine potential conflict zones among primary land use allocations.

>> SEAN: A suitability map was created for conservation, agriculture, and urban land use classes by assessing several different inputs relating to water quality. These results were then combined into one, final raster showing locations of shared preference or conflict between land use types. This method was repeated to generate multiple scenarios highlighting the impact of differing land use allocations. 

>> JACOB: The objective for urban land-use management was to identify areas with the highest untreated stormwater flow potential from impervious surface. Our analysis of state and federal data for pollution sites, housing characteristics, floodplain zoning, and urban land cover identified locations with the highest potential to contribute to untreated stormwater runoff. 

>> WENJING: Conservation suitability was determined by assessing existing forest cover, protected areas, topography, distance to waterways, and proximity of urban developments. By combining these types of data, we were able to identify locations for both reforestation and forest protection scenarios. 

>> VERONICA: Our goal for managed lands was to identify places at risk of impacting water quality. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool or (SWAT) model will be implemented to assess the hydrological processes and farmland management in our study area by incorporating nutrient cycles, pesticide loading, and sediment erosion data.

>> JASON: The defined goals and objectives of each suitability layer combine into our final LUCIS model. This model produces multiple and flexible land use allocation based on community preferences and land use prioritization.

>> SEAN: Our analysis of currently forested watersheds and potential reforestation areas will be used by the Nature Conservancy and their partner organizations to help create a conservation plan for the city of Atlanta. These decision-support tools will help the Nature Conservancy identify areas where they can continue to assist local planners and policy-makers in reforestation and stormwater management efforts. 

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