Institute for a Sustainable Environment. SLICES Introduction.   Accessed November 26, 2011: http://ise.uoregon.edu/slices/Main.html.

The Slices Framework is an open source tool for those interested in restoration and conservation within the Willamette River floodplain.  Slices represents the Willamette River and adjacent areas as a series of 1km slices that lie perpendicular to the Willamette floodplain.  While the river channel, floodplain vegetation and land use changes throughout time, the floodplain remains relatively constant.  By using the floodplain as a reference point, Slices allows us to track ecological changes to a single location over time.  Current scientific studies in the Willamette basin gather data on channel complexity, floodplain forests, cold water refuges, fish assemblages, flood levels and flood storage.  This data will is stored in a GIS and layered over the Slices Framework.  Currently the Slices Framework consists of pre-made interactive maps, attribute tables and GIS files. These resources provide access to data useful in identifying potential restoration sites and predicting restoration impacts through time.

Willamette River floodplain slices

NOAA.  Portland Harbor Watershed Database & Mapping Project: GIS & Mapping. Accessed November 22, 2011: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.php.

There are currently a number of scientific studies being conducted to locate and quantify toxics, natural resources and habitat restoration opportunities in the Portland Harbor Superfund site. Cleanup of the Portland Harbor and subsequent restoration activities rely upon understanding the current conditions of the site.  NOAA is combining findings from these studies with information from public agencies into a GIS and making them available through their decision support tool.  Using this tool, decision makers can analyze and share data at numerous spatial scales.  Data available through the Portland Harbor Database & Mapping Project includes: sediment chemistry, river depth, aerial photographs, effluent inputs, shoreline characteristics, habitat features, land ownership, dredging and cleanup activities.  The decision support tool allows individuals to select layers and conduct queries which address their unique needs then develop a visual means of sharing findings.

A sample of GIS layers available through NOAA's database and mapping project

Oregon State University, Institute for Natural Resources, Northwest Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering. Willamette Basin Explorer.  Accessed November 21, 2011: http://oregonexplorer.info/willamette.

Willamette Basin Explorer, a subset of Oregon Explorer, is a digital library containing numerous tools for policy makers and community members managing land and water resources in the Willamette Valley.  One of these tools, the advanced mapping tool, allows resource managers to create unique maps of the basin without requiring GIS software.  The advanced mapping tool provides open access to GIS data throughout the Willamette Basin.  GIS layers available in Willamette Explorer include: past and present land use and land cover, restoration and conservation opportunities, floodplain restoration, historic floods and water quality.  Willamette Explorer also uses models to project three future scenarios in the Willamette Basin: conservation trend, development trend and plan trend.  These three scenarios predict the impact that land use will have on natural resources in the Willamette Basin.  Resource managers interested in river restoration can use Willamette Basin Explorer to identify restoration opportunities which are both ecologically and socially feasible.

Using Willamette Explorer to map historic flood extent in the Portland Harbor

Simenstad, C.A., Burke, J.L., O’Connor, J.E., Cannon, C., Heatwole, D.W., Ramirez, M.F., Waite, I.R., Counihan, T.D., and Jones, K.L., 2011, Columbia River Estuary Ecosystem Classification—Concept and Application: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011-1228, 54 p.

Authors used GIS data from State and Federal agencies to develop fine scale ecosystem classifications for the Columbia River estuary.  Past spatial frameworks have categorized ecosystems according to geomorphology, hydrology and salinity.  However most have failed to address geologic history, regional climate, watershed, ocean, river and human development factors which greatly affect estuary ecosystem function.  Simenstad et al. incorporate these factors in their ecosystem classification which divides the Columbia River basin into a series of ecosystems from coarse/regional scale to fine/local scale as follows: ecosystem province, ecoregion, hydrogeomorphic reach, ecosystem complex, geomorphic catena, primary cover class.  The final classification is a visual tool for analyzing the distribution of ecosystem units at a variety of spatial scales.  Authors recommend this technique for individuals pursuing scientific research, monitoring, restoration and management.