OpenNSPECT

NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Overview

This open-source version of the Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool is used to investigate potential water quality impacts from climate change and development to other land uses. The downloadable tool is designed to be broadly applicable for coastal and noncoastal areas alike. Tool functions simulate erosion, pollution, and the accumulation from overland flow.

Requires MapWindow GIS v.4.8.8 (open source software)

Previous Versions: N-SPECT for ArcGIS 9.3, 9.2, 9.0 and 9.1

Features

• Obtain estimates and maps of surface water runoff volumes, pollutant loads, pollutant concentrations, and total sediment loads
• Identify areas that might benefit from changes to proposed development strategies
• Process digital elevation data quickly and easily
• Analyze land use change scenarios

Additional Information

Data Requirements

Land use or land cover data

• C-CAP Coastal Land Cover
• Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) National Land Cover Database
• Elevation
• Soil

Rainfall factor (R-factor)

• CONUS
• Alaska
• Hawaiian Islands—Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu
• Puerto Rico

Precipitation

Note: View detailed information about data requirements and links to common data sources.

Support

• OpenNSPECT 1.2 Data Acquisition and Preprocessing: Instructions for Your Watershed
• User’s Manual for OpenNSPECT, Version 1.2
• Technical Guide for OpenNSPECT, Version 1.2
• OpenNSPECT, Version 1.1, Example Analyses for the Waianae Region of Oahu, Hawaii
• Computing Pollution Export Coefficients for N-SPECT

Case Studies

• Ko‘olaupoko Watershed Restoration Action Strategy
• Integrating N-SPECT with the Development of a Management Plan in South Carolina
• Tools for Assessing Impacts on Water Quality in South Carolina
• Linking Land Cover to Water Quality in Alabama
• Development of Regional Pollution Export Coefficients

OpenNSPECT Community and User Group

Join the group to stay connected and share information about topics such as applications, software updates, and more.

Recommended Citation

Eslinger, David L., H. Jamieson Carter, Matt Pendleton, Shan Burkhalter, Margaret Allen. 2012. “OpenNSPECT: The Open-source Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool.” NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Charleston, South Carolina. Accessed [Month Year] at coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/opennspect.html.