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Going Open Source: Migrating EPA’s BASINS to MapWindow Open Source GIS

Going Open Source: Migrating EPA’s BASINS to MapWindow Open Source GIS. Dr. Daniel P. Ames Department of Geosciences, Idaho State University 2005 Intermountain GIS Conference Pocatello, Idaho. Outline. What is BASINS? Why consider open source GIS? What is MapWindow? What is the approach?

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Going Open Source: Migrating EPA’s BASINS to MapWindow Open Source GIS

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  1. Going Open Source:Migrating EPA’s BASINS to MapWindow Open Source GIS Dr. Daniel P. Ames Department of Geosciences, Idaho State University 2005 Intermountain GIS Conference Pocatello, Idaho

  2. Outline • What is BASINS? • Why consider open source GIS? • What is MapWindow? • What is the approach? • What are the challenges and anticipated benefits?

  3. What is BASINS? • “Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Non-point Sources” • GIS-based watershed modeling and data analysis software • Built by EPA to support watershed approaches such as TMDL • Includes spatial and temporal data for the United States, analysis tools and models

  4. SETAC GIS & WQ Short Course, 2002

  5. BASINS 3.1 GIS Interface Ties all software components together through ArcView 3.x and extensions.

  6. Drinking water supply sites Dam sites EPA region boundaries State boundaries County boundaries DEM (shape and grid) Ecoregions NAQWA study unit boundaries Managed area database (Federal and Indian Lands) Soil (STATSGO) BASINS Spatial Data • Land use and land cover (shape and grid) • Urbanized areas • Populated place locations • Reach file 1 • Reach file 3 • National Hydrographic Data (NHD) • Major roads • USGS hydrologic unit boundaries (accounting and catalog units) Courtesy of Tetra Tech Inc.

  7. BASINS Utilities and Tools • Automatic data downloader and software updater • Spatial data: NED DEM, NLCD land cover, NHD stream networks. • Temporal data: USGS streamflow, STORET water quality. • Automatic updater for software updates. • Data analysis tools • “Target” to summarize data by watershed in a region • “Assess” to summarize stream quality in a specific watershed • “Data Mining” to link stations to water quality and monitoring records • Watershed delineation tools to identify watershed boundaries and contributing areas • Manual - heads-up digitizing based on elevation polygons • Automatic – raster DEM based algorithms for finding watersheds

  8. Data Extractor Web-linked tool to set up a new BASINS Project

  9. Downloading BASINS Core Data Once a watershed HUC is selected, the software downloads all of the base GIS and observation data forthat watershed.

  10. Web Data Download Tool Additional data can be automatically downloaded from various web-sites and integrated with the base dataset.

  11. Automatic Software Updates A software updater checks for software updates which can include bug fixes as well as new analysis tools and models.

  12. Models in BASINS • Multiple Objectives • Source assessment • Receiving water evaluation • Various Scales • Local scale • Watersheds • Basins • Various Levels of Complexity • Screening • Detailed Courtesy of Tetra Tech Inc.

  13. Models in BASINS • PLOAD – export coefficient based lumped model • Steady state, spatial, fit, deterministic. • “Screening level” model for looking for spatial trends in water quality based on land cover type • SWAT – soil water accounting tool • Dynamic, spatio-temporal, process, deterministic. • Agriculture-centered watershed model • HSPF – hydrologic simulation program FORTRAN • Dynamic, spatio-temporal, process, deterministic. • Primarily hydrologic process model with water quality components.

  14. Simple Models in BASINSPLOAD Export Coef. Model LP = U(LPU * AU) Where: LP = Pollutant load, lbs; LPU = Pollutant loading rate for land use type u, lbs/acre/year; and AU = Area of land use type u, acres

  15. PLOAD Output Options Total pollutant loads by watershed – map and table Pollutant loads per acre by watershed – map and table Event Mean Concentration (EMC) by watershed – map and table

  16. B A C Meteorological Data D Landuse Distribution E HSPF HSPF Stream Data F Complex Models in BASINS Landuse and pollutant specific Data Landscape data Point Sources Windows interface GIS Core Model Post Processing Courtesy of Tetra Tech Inc.

  17. BASINS Architecture • GIS-based main user interface • Currently ArcView 3.x • Spatial data stored as shapefiles • Temporal data stored in binary “wdm” files • All key functions exist in dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and executables • Tight integration – ArcView extension provides the GUI and calls functions in a DLL • Loose integration – ArcView extension prepares input files and launches external executable

  18. BASINS 4.0 • Due Spring 2006 (prime contractor: Aqua Terra Consultants) • Builds off BASINS 3.1 • Significant restructuring • No third party dependencies or purchase requirements • MapWindow Application and Plug-in Architecture

  19. Why Open Source GIS? • Original intent of EPA was to provide all software and data freely because it is a federally financed project. • However… No PC-based free or open source GIS alternatives in 1996.

  20. Why Open Source GIS? • Software code licensed under the Mozilla Public License can be used for both commercial and non-commercial applications. • Allows user-developers to access update and improve core GIS and model functionality.

  21. Why Open Source GIS? • Increased distribution and use of BASINS – including internationally. • Since MapWindow was released as open source in January 2005, download bandwidth from www.MapWindow.com has increased from 1 GB per month to about 15 GB per month.

  22. Open Source GIS Options • www.OpenSourceGIS.org lists 189 projects (not MapWindow!!). • www.FreeGIS.org lists 235 projects (yes MapWindow ) • Mostly data conversion, reading and writing libraries, specific viewers, web tools and Linux/Unix tools.

  23. What is MapWindow? • A “Programmable Geographic Information System” that supports: • Manipulation and viewing of GIS data • Analysis of GIS data and attributes • Custom GIS modeling • Custom GIS application development http://www.MapWindow.com/

  24. Why MapWindow? • We needed a spatial component for our modeling and data analysis projects to support: • Manipulation and editing of spatial data sets • Manipulation and editing of attribute data • Development of custom models using GIS • We couldn’t find a freely distributable GIS that was functional enough to support the functions and types of analysis we needed • So...with help from several funding sources including the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) we built MapWindow

  25. Build a MapWindow Project and distribute it with the free MapWindow GIS application The MapWindow application is a stand alone software that is freely distributable along with your data Data DistributionOption 1:

  26. Base MapWindow Functionality • Map area for displaying data • Legend and editor for creating custom color schemes for layers • Toolbar and buttons to create, save, and open MapWindow Project files • Toolbar buttons for adding and removing layers from the map • Toolbar button for selecting features • Toolbar buttons for navigating the map (zoom in, zoom out, zoom to a layer, pan, etc.) • Toolbar button to Print the current map • Preview Map

  27. Custom MapWindow Plug-insDistribute data analysis functionality with your data • Water Quality Analyst • Streamflow Analyst • PhotoViewer • TIN Builder/Viewer • Grid Wizard • Model Manager • Terrain AnalysisUsing DEMs (TAUDEM)

  28. For Example: Watershed Information System Launch button Plug-in List Map Area VB Plug-in MapWindow App Plug-in Functions Legend

  29. Data DistributionOption 2 • Use the MapWinGIS ActiveX control to create your own custom tool • The core MapWindow component is a programming object that can be added to a form in Visual Basic or other languages supporting ActiveX

  30. MapWinGIS ActiveX Control • Open, create, and save geo-referenced image, grid, shapefile, triangular irregular network, and dbf attribute data • View, label, color, highlight, shapefile data on the map • Perform spatial queries on the data • Search for features with specific attributes • Dynamically edit the spatial data and immediately see the changes in the map • Interact with the data through the map • Build TINs from Grids, Images from Grids, Shape files from TINs and Grids, Grids from Shape files, etc.

  31. Watershed Tools at USU “Pre-BASINS” • Nooksack River DSS, WA • Virgin River DSS, UT • Big Lost River DSS, ID • Watershed Information Systems • Newton Reservoir, UT • Otter Creek, UT • Echo Reservoir, UT • Strawberry Reservoir, UT • Others

  32. Plug-in Development Comparison

  33. ActiveX Control Comparison

  34. The Approach • Customize the MapWindow application interface using the XML configuration file • Build BASINS functionality as MapWindow plug-ins • Link to external DLL’s and EXE’s as needed (i.e. models). • Embed MapWinGIS ActiveX in some of these as needed to provide support maps in specific tools.

  35. XML Configuration File

  36. BASINS MapWindow Plug-ins • BASINS plug-ins will include • Project management • Software updater • Data downloader • Data analysis • Models • All functions that were previously contained in ArcView 3.x extensions

  37. MapWindow Plug-ins Interface

  38. Challenges • Although BASINS only uses a relatively small number of GIS functions, not all have not been implemented in MapWindow (i.e. clip, mosaic) • Use existing free and open source libraries where possible… • General Polygon Clipper (GPC) • TAUDEM for watershed delineation

  39. Challenges • Projections – Love ‘em or leave ‘em? • Read and write ESRI .prj files • Projection libraries – proj4 • Data formats – Personal Geodatabase? MrSid? GeoTiff? JPEG2000? • Use other open source and free libraries. • GDAL

  40. Anticipated Benefits • Finally realize the original goal of EPA in the development and distribution of a fully open and free modeling and data analysis system. • User community will add and share new functions, models, analyses, data viewers, etc.

  41. Acknowledgements • Paul B. Duda, John L. Kittle, Jr., Mark H. Gray, Paul R. Hummel – Aqua Terra Consultants • Russell S. Kinerson, Paul Cocca, David Wells, Marjorie Wellman, Ed Partington, Lauren MacWilliams – EPA Office of Science and Technology • Kurt Wolfe – EPA Ecosystems Research Division – Athens, GA • Shane Cherry, Ron Rope – Idaho National Laboratory • David Tarboton, Jeff Horsburgh – Utah State University

  42. What’s next?

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