Calculating the Impact of ~65 years of Anthropogenic Activity on the Utah Lake Watershed Using Remote Sensing and Spatial Modeling
Location
Logan Golf & Country Club, Logan, UT
Start Date
3-26-2019 5:00 PM
End Date
3-26-2019 7:00 PM
Description
Utah Lake is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States. Since pioneer settlement in 1847, anthropogenic activities have altered the landscape. Utah has been one of the fastest growing states since 2010 and is projected to continue through 2060. Utah County, where Utah Lake is located, is expected to have the highest population growth in the state during this period. This watershed has and will face degradation due to land use and land cover changes (LULCC). To better understand how anthropogenic activities have affected this watershed, it is crucial to examine the long-term spatiotemporal LULCC. We used GIS and remote sensing techniques to document a ~65-year history of LULCC (quantifying agriculture, urban, and barren) utilizing imagery from Utah Geological Survey (UGS) and Landsat. The area of land cover change over the past ~25 years was quantified. The shoreline and lake volume change were modeled from 1953 to 2018. This information could be used by the legislature to implement meaningful watershed planning and management, especially in light of the state considering House Bill 272; which claims to pave the way for a “comprehensive restoration of Utah Lake (build an island on Utah Lake).”
Calculating the Impact of ~65 years of Anthropogenic Activity on the Utah Lake Watershed Using Remote Sensing and Spatial Modeling
Logan Golf & Country Club, Logan, UT
Utah Lake is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States. Since pioneer settlement in 1847, anthropogenic activities have altered the landscape. Utah has been one of the fastest growing states since 2010 and is projected to continue through 2060. Utah County, where Utah Lake is located, is expected to have the highest population growth in the state during this period. This watershed has and will face degradation due to land use and land cover changes (LULCC). To better understand how anthropogenic activities have affected this watershed, it is crucial to examine the long-term spatiotemporal LULCC. We used GIS and remote sensing techniques to document a ~65-year history of LULCC (quantifying agriculture, urban, and barren) utilizing imagery from Utah Geological Survey (UGS) and Landsat. The area of land cover change over the past ~25 years was quantified. The shoreline and lake volume change were modeled from 1953 to 2018. This information could be used by the legislature to implement meaningful watershed planning and management, especially in light of the state considering House Bill 272; which claims to pave the way for a “comprehensive restoration of Utah Lake (build an island on Utah Lake).”