2016 riparian vegetation within the Colorado River Basin

A raster that depicts modeled riparian vegetation in 2016. Training data were collected in Google Earth Engine using National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery. Presence and absence riparian vegetation locations were ocularly estimated within Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ecoregion III boundaries within the Colorado River Basin. Random forests models were then developed at each ecoregion using Landsat composites and associated vegetation indices. Results were mosaicked to create a continuous raster across the Colorado River Basin.GeoTiff raster of 2016 riparian vegetation within the Colorado River Basin. This map was created from a random forest model developed in Google Earth Engine.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation

Valley bottom extraction tool results for Colorado River Basin

Valley bottoms are representative of the "maximum riparian corridor extent", an area which separates the vegetative, topographic, and environmental characteristics of riparian areas from those of the upland. The Valley Bottom Extraction Tool (V-BET) (Gilbert et al., 2016), a freely available ArcMap Toolbox, was used to map valley bottoms across the Colorado River Basin. The V-BET tool requires two primary data inputs: a high resolution (≤10 m2) digital elevation model and hydrologic flowline data with high cartographic precision. The hydrologic flow line data was obtained from the National Hydrography Dataset and a 10-meter digital elevation model from the National Elevation Dataset. The study area was separated into 149 distinct hydrological unit codes (HUCs) at the HUC-8 level and processed each HUC independently within the V-BET toolbox in ArcMap v10.3. Resulting valley bottom extents, which are output from the tool as polygon files, were qualitatively verified by trained interpreters and edited (mainly streams and rivers equal to Strahler stream order "3") manually in a geographic information system to remove any superfluous channels or over/under estimations of extent using the refinement and editing process detailed in Gilbert et al. (2016). This zip file contains two versions of the Valley bottom extraction tool results for the Colorado River Basin; one as a raster version and another as a polygon shapefile.Valley Bottom Extraction Tool (V-BET) was used to spatially define riparian corridors based on topography and vegetation. The V-BET algorithm was applied to all streams and rivers present within the Colorado River Basin (CRB) that were less than or equal to Strahler stream order "3" (USGS National Hydrologic Database, 2016), thereby capturing the extent of valley bottoms and riparian corridors along the majority of large streams and rivers within the expansive CRB network.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation

2006 riparian vegetation within the Colorado River Basin

A raster that depicts modeled riparian vegetation in 2006. Training data were collected in Google Earth Engine using National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery. Presence and absence riparian vegetation locations were ocularly estimated within Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ecoregion III boundaries within the Colorado River Basin. Random forests models were then developed at each ecoregion using Landsat composites and associated vegetation indices. Results were mosaicked to create a continuous raster across the Colorado River Basin.GeoTiff 30 meter raster of 2006 riparian vegetation within the Colorado River Basin. This map was created from a random forest model developed in Google Earth Engine.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation

Mapbook atlas of tamarisk occurrence for 2016 for select Landsat scenes

Models of tamarisk occurrence were created on a Landsat scene by scene basis. There were six scenes modeled in total that included portions of the Dolores, Green, Gila, Verde, and Colorado River. Models were developed using a presence background approach with multi-temporal Landsat imagery and derived indices using the random forest algorithm.Select Landsat scenes in the Colorado River Basin.Users of these maps and other analysis products are solely responsible for interpretations made from these products. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory makes every effort to ensure this map is free of errors but does not warrant the map or its features are either spatially or temporally accurate or fit for a particular use. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory provides this map without any warranty, either express or implied.An ArcGIS created Mapbook atlas of the results of modeling tamarisk occurrence in select scenes in Colorado River Basin for 2016. The atlas includes an overview of the Colorado River Basin with these model results as well as an indexed tile-by-tile map of the results for a more detailed view.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation

Cover field data collection

For these targeted cover data, 7.32 meter radius plots were used to estimate the abundance and height of the vegetation cover. These georeferenced data were collected and complied as part of a project to map riparian vegetation, tamarisk occurrence and Russian olive occurrence in the Colorado River Basin.The tamarisk & Russian olive data is mainly collected in Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Sampling is done opportunistically as land ownership, access, and logistics allow.Users of these maps and other analysis products are solely responsible for interpretations made from these products. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory makes every effort to ensure this map is free of errors but does not warrant the map or its features are either spatially or temporally accurate or fit for a particular use. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory provides this map without any warranty, either express or implied.These shapefiles contain 353 species occurrence and absence records for Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) along rivers within the Colorado River Basin in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation

Map of tamarisk probability for select Landsat scenes in 2016

This raster provides a mosaic of six Landsat scene extent model results of tamarisk occurrence for 2016. The models were developed using filtered and vetted public and private occurrence records for tamarisk in the respective Landsat scenes. The models used Landsat images and associated derived indices in a random forest model.Users of these maps and other analysis products are solely responsible for interpretations made from these products. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory makes every effort to ensure this map is free of errors but does not warrant the map or its features are either spatially or temporally accurate or fit for a particular use. The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory provides this map without any warranty, either express or implied.Probability of tamarisk occurrence in 2016 as a raster for select Landsat scenes in the Colorado River Basin.This project was funded by the Walton Family Foundation