Land Cover Change for the Houston Region and the Galveston Bay

Bill Bass, HARC

Transcript

1. Land Cover Change for the Houston Region and Galveston Bay Bill Bass, GISP
2. Galveston Bay Watershed • The Galveston Bay watershed is approximately 24,000 square miles. • Approximately half the population of Texas (27.5 million)1 live in the Galveston Bay watershed. 1U.S. Census, July 2015
3. Changing Landscapes Source: Houston-Galveston Area Council, Circa 2000
4. Changing Landscapes Source: Google, Circa 2015
5. Changing Landscapes Source: Houston-Galveston Area Council, Circa 2000
6. Changing Landscapes Source: Houston-Galveston Area Council, Circa 2014
7. Changing Landscapes Source: Houston-Galveston Area Council, Circa 2000
8. Changing Landscapes Source: Grand Central Park
9. Land Cover Change • Impervious & developed areas growth • Wetland areas decreased by 54,000 acres
10. Developed Areas 1996 Animation
11. Developed Areas 2010 Animation
12. Wetland Areas 1996 Animation
13. Wetland Areas 2010 Animation
14. Land Cover Change Animations 1996 - 2010 • Harris & Montgomery Counties
 Developed Areas https://vimeo.com/176231053
 Wetland Areas https://vimeo.com/176497180 • Houston-Galveston Region
 Developed Areas https://vimeo.com/176218783 
 Wetland Areas https://vimeo.com/176220936
15. Galveston Bay Report Card • Annual citizen driven scientific analysis of Galveston Bay • Engage community about health of Galveston Bay • Supported by a grant from the Houston Endowment • Implemented by Galveston Bay Foundation & HARC Inspire people to take actions that protect and preserve Galveston Bay.
16. Inputs and Grading TPWD Coastal Fisheries TCEQ SWQM NOAA C-CAP Land Cover NOAA Sea Level Rise Data Texas Colonial Waterbirds Data
17. GalvBayGrade.org • Overview • Find Your Watershed Tool • See the Grades • What You Can Do • Cover Stories http://GalvBayGrade.org New for 2016
18. Overview • About the Bay • Bay facts • Map of watershed • About this Project • 6 Topic Areas • 19 Indicators • How We Grade • Letter Grading System • Descriptors from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Critical’ • Public Audience http://GalvBayGrade.org
19. Find Your Watershed • Find results by watershed • Enter an address
 or explore the map by clicking on a watershed. http://GalvBayGrade.org
20. See The Grades • Shown by • Topics Areas • Indicators • Prior year change • ‘What We Can Do’ tips for each indicator http://GalvBayGrade.org
21. What You Can Do • Filter by Topic Area • Search by Keyword • Suggestions linked to resources. http://GalvBayGrade.org
22. Cover Stories • Blog articles and in- depth stories on current events. • Links to current and past full reports. • Report updated annually. http://GalvBayGrade.org
23. GalvBayGrade.org Research Contacts • Lisa Gonzalez
 HARC President 
 lgonzalez@HARCresearch.org • Erin Kinney, PhD
 HARC Research Scientist Coastal Ecology
 ekinney@HARCresearch.org • Heather Schiappa
 Galveston Bay Foundation 
 Report Card Coordinator
 HSchiappa@galvbay.org
24. HARCresearch.org HARC (härk), n. an independent research hub helping people thrive and nature flourish. @bass_wm www.linkedin.com/in/wmbass Bill Bass, GISP GIS & IT Manager (281) 364-6087 BBass@HARCresearch.org