Objective

The objective of this project was to demonstrate and refine the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool coupled with the Facilitator Decision Support System (DSS) for scientifically-based watershed assessments on three Department of Defense installations (Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado, and Fort Bliss, Texas/New Mexico) to aid installation managers in sustaining their mission and meeting stewardship requirements in support of testing and training. The tools address installation watershed management concerns of rehabilitation of disturbed areas (due to military training activities, fire, etc.), flooding, erosion, water supply, water quality, and planning for future installation growth and mission expansion. AGWA was evaluated via calibration, validation, uncertainty, and data quality analyses.

Technology Description

AGWA-Facilitator was demonstrated through two 1.2 – 2-day hands-on trainings at each installation. AGWA is a publicly available Geographic Information Systems (GIS) interface that uses freely available national data to parameterize, execute, and visualize outputs of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), the KINematic Runoff and EROSion (KINEROS2), and the Rangeland Hydrology Erosion Model (RHEM) watershed models. Utilization of these models within the AGWA framework enables users to conduct watershed modeling and assessments at multiple temporal and spatial scales over a range of environmental conditions. The Facilitator DSS provides the framework to structure and document installation manager knowledge, expert opinion, and AGWA simulation model results to select a preferred management action.

Interim Results

Thirteen performance objectives were identified to evaluate the performance and acceptance of the AGWA-Facilitator tools, and the costs of implementing the system. Most of the data used in AGWA-Facilitator are generally available at all military installations, and personnel typically have computers capable of running the tools, therefore there would be little cost associated with data or hardware. Both AGWA and Facilitator are public domain and can be downloaded without cost via the internet. AGWA is currently designed to use commercial software (ESRI ArcGIS; https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/about-arcgis/overview/), which requires the user to purchase the software, and have a computer with sufficient RAM and storage capacity to effectively use it (minimum of four gigabytes of RAM). Costs to apply the models depends on personnel skills and knowledge, site complexity, data availability, and stakeholder involvement; however, estimated costs for tool application for one management issue may be:

  • AGWA-Facilitator operation, new data acquired and prepared, $1,038
  • AGWA-Facilitator operation, all data prepared, no EC dams, or outside stakeholders, $902
  • AGWA-Facilitator operation, all data prepared, with EC dams, no outside stakeholders, $1,502
  • AGWA-Facilitator operation, all data prepared, with EC dams and outside stakeholders, $1,942
  • Training cost (personnel time and materials preparation), $23,456

Benefits

Implementation issues are lack of awareness of the tools by upper management who would authorize use of the tools, and lack of continuity in staff due to high turnover (contractors).

Publications

Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) and Facilitator Decision Support System to Aid in Sustaining the Military Mission and Training. 2017. L. Levick. Installation Geospatial Information & Services (IGI&S) News, July 2017.

Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) and Facilitator Decision Support System to Aid in Sustaining the Military Mission and Training – ESTCP Project RC201308. 2019. L. Levick. D. Goodrich, I.S. Burns, H. Wei, P. Guertin, P. Heilman, and G. Armendariz. Poster presentation for the 2019 Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling Conference (SEDHYD), June 24-28, 2019, Reno, NV.

Military Disturbance Tool in the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) Tool for Management of Military Lands. 2019. L.R. Levick, H. Wei, I.S. Burns, D.P. Guertin, and D.C. Goodrich. Oral Presentation and paper for the 2019 Federal Interagency Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling Conference (SEDHYD), June 24-28, 2019, Reno, NV.

Modeling Military Training Impacts on Runoff and Sediment. 2016. H. Wei, L. Levick, G. Ponce, D.C. Goodrich, I.S. Burns, D.P. Guertin, and P. Heilman. Poster presentation at the American Water Resources (AWRA) GIS and Water Resources Specialty Conference, Sacramento, California, July 11-13, 2016.

  • Demonstration,