Tools
Nonpoint-Source Erosion and Comparison Tool
Nonpoint-Source Erosion and Comparison Tool (N-SPECT) is a GIS extension that helps coastal managers predict potential impacts to water quality from land cover change. Users first enter baseline information, including land cover, precipitation, and soil characteristics, and then explore different land cover change scenarios, such as development, to view potential changes in surface water runoff, nonpoint source pollution, and erosion.
Initially created as a decision-support tool for the Wai’anae region of Hawaii, N-SPECT can be applied to coastal areas around the U.S.
Sample Functions
- Produce accumulated runoff, pollutant, and sediment load grids
- Produce pollutant and sediment concentration grids
- Compare pollutant concentrations in receiving waters to user-specified water quality standards
- Incorporate management scenarios to simulate effects of land cover changes on pollutant loads
User Requirements
- ArcView 8.x or 9.x
- Spatial Analyst
- Land cover grid
- Digital elevation model
- Precipitation grid
- Set of land cover pollutant coefficients
- Water quality standards
- Soil type data
