Without reliable spatial data for wetland and riparian areas, it is impossible for land managers to accurately assess the distribution of critical aquatic habitats and model potential impacts caused by climate change. Wetlands in the Southern Rockies are particularly important for wildlife habitat, as they are often far more productive than the surrounding uplands. In addition, wetlands are an integral component of regional hydrologic cycles through their role in flood abatement, storm water retention, groundwater recharge, and water quality improvement.
Colorados wetlands were mapped by the FWS early 1980 and in late 1990, and though the maps exist, they were created for print and most are not useful as digital data. In todays electronic era where Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the norm, paper maps and scanned images of paper maps are not as useful as digital polygon data. Acreages cannot be calculated and analyses cannot be conducted based on scanned paper maps. To fill this digital data gap, the Colorado State University Natural Heritage Program has set an ambitious goal of converting all existing National Wetland Inventory (NWI) paper maps for Colorado to digital data by 2015.
Specifically, this project will digitize the original National Wetland Inventory maps for the 316 quads within the Southern Rockies LCC boundaries of Colorado which lack digital map data on wetlands. Photo-interpretation for these quads was completed before 1990 and is available as scanned images. The images will be converted to fully attributed polygonal data that can be used for a variety of spatial analyses. The project will supply decision makers with a seamless Colorado wetland GIS dataset to support well-informed land management practices within the Southern Rockies LCC.
