Spatial Decision Support
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Effective watershed management requires the integration of theory, data, simulation models, and expert judgement to solve practical problems and still provide a scientific basis for decision making at the watershed level. Increasingly, State, Federal and Tribal water resource professionals as well as watershed managers and local governments in the Midwest are experimenting and supporting some web-based education, data distribution and decision support tools.
The decision support systems, (DSS) with
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), interactive modeling,
and on-line scenario development options are in their early stages
of evolution and use. Yet, these more advanced interactive systems
hold the most potential for having the greatest impact on decisions.
(For more information about web-based GIS applications throughout
EPA Region 5, including a comparison and analysis of targeted audiences,
interfaces, data models, and more, see: Survey
of Web-GIS applications in EPA Region 5)
These DSS tools can help decision makers in understanding and evaluating alternative management approaches:
They can often serve as the initial screening tool for analyzing
information of a particular environmental problem, doing the “up-front
“ legwork that a consultant normally would undertake.
A selection of Case Studies is available to further illustrate how a number of DSS tools have been applied to solve problems in a variety of situations.