Project Number: 6602-13000-022-05
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 16, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2010

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research is to develop a geographical database for the Jobos Bay Conservation Effects Assessment Project (JB-CEAP). The geographical database will be the basis for evaluation of the natural resource conditions in the watershed and planning future research. The goal of the project is to evaluate and develop conservation management techniques for the agricultural area draining into the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR).

Approach:
A comprehensive geographical information system (GIS) database for the areas of the Salinas and Guayama Municipalities in South Central Puerto Rico which drain via surface and subsurface water flow into JBNERR will be developed. The database is necessary tool for the assessment of natural resource conditions and use. GIS is also a necessary component of applying non-point source pollution models to examine these conditions. The geographical database will be contained within the Salinas and Guayama Municipalities and will include but not be limited to the following ArcView compatible GIS layers projected in State Plane NAD 1983: ¿ Surface Water Hydrography ¿ Contour Maps of appropriate resolution ¿ Groundwater drainage boundaries ¿ Surface Drainage Watershed boundaries ¿ Digital elevation model of highest resolution available ¿ Geographic coordinates for groundwater withdrawals, water discharge points, sampling points, climate stations, research instrumentation, point discharge ¿ Land Ownership boundaries ¿ Digitized SSURGO level soils GIS layers ¿ Supporting characteristic data for the soils of the municipalities ¿ Detailed maps for research sites ¿ Digitized surface water bodies ¿ Current and historical land use and land cover