New Miami Valley Watersheds HydroVIEW launched on Ohio Watershed database
January 22, 2020
The HydroVIEW data platform developed by Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs now includes watersheds in the Dayton region.
Great Miami and parts of the Little Miami watersheds were added to the existing Ohio Watershed database on the HydroVIEW data platform. HydroVIEW allows users to visualize varying water qualities for specific watersheds in Ohio on an online map. The Voinovich School created HydroVIEW with funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency; the Dayton expansion was funded by a $10,000 grant from Confluence Water Technology, a regional water technology organization.
“HydroVIEW is an ArcGIS online-based watershed planning tool rich with water quality data showing areas of impact, and high quality as well,” said Jen Bowman, Voinovich School director of environmental programs. “Combining multiple layers of water quality information from a variety of sources, HydroVIEW helps communities and organizations in the first steps of watershed project selection and planning.”
Bowman presented the Appalachian Basin’s HydroVIEW at a groundwater workshop in summer 2018 and wrote a proposal to Confluence to secure the grant for the Great Miami Watersheds expansion. The Dayton-area expansion is part of the Confluence project, which is working to protect the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer from potential pollutants. This aquifer provides drinking water to 400,000 people in the city of Dayton and supports numerous industries.
Data collection on the Dayton area began in February 2019; the platform was created in the summer allowing for its launch in fall 2019. Bowman and her partners look forward to the opportunities this will bring partnerships, communities, and OHIO.
“The HydroVIEW data platform being expanded to Great Miami Watersheds will build new partnerships with people interested in restoring and protecting water resources,” Bowman said. “The platform will help to facilitate a dialogue to engage Ohio University faculty and students and Confluence members on surface and groundwater challenges.”
To view both the Appalachian Basin HydroVIEW and new Great Miami Watersheds HydroVIEW, click here.