Project Highlights
Highlights of current and recent NRAC projects are listed below. More information on any project may be obtained from the contact(s) listed or from the project webpage.
| Wetland Vegetation Monitoring Study for the Conemaugh River Basin, PA |
Project Funding: USGS
NRAC Project Contact: Michael Strager
Project Web Page: n/a
The goal of this project is to develop a program for determining changes in wetland vegetation along a section of the Conemaugh River and Conemaugh Reservoir in PA. The work will be based on the use of hyperspectral remote sensing technology and complementary ground verification of vegetation conditions. |
| Long Term Environmental and Economic Impacts of Coal Liquefaction in China |
Project Funding: Various
NRAC Project Contact: Jerald J. Fletcher, Qingyun Sun
Project Web Page: Coming soon
The Shenhua Group Corporation is developing the world’s first commercial coal liquefaction facility to transform coal into diesel fuel and gasoline in the Inner Mongolia Province of China. This facility will showcase the positive aspects of coal liquefaction technologies but the scale of the development raises environmental concerns as well. Under the US-China Bilateral Agreement, West Virginia University (WVU) and Shenhua Group Corporation are to conduct an assessment of the long-term impacts of the development and operation of the coal liquefaction facility on the ecology, environment, and economy of the most affected region in China. Collaboration between the research team at WVU and the Shenhua Group Corporation will provide a rich and reliable database on the impacts of implementing commercial coal liquefaction technologies on the economy, on environmental quality, and on the overall ecology of the area surrounding the facility. |
| Enhancing Water Resources GIS Datasets for West Virginia |
Project Funding: WV Department of Environmental Protection
NRAC Project Contact: Jacquelyn Strager
Project Web Page: Link
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection requires consistent statewide stream codes to support current regulatory activities. WVDEP also requires statewide delineated stream segment-level watersheds. This project has fulfilled these two requirements by providing enhanced water resources GIS datasets for statewide coded streams and stream segment-level watersheds with accompanying documentation to WVDEP. |
| Parcel Prioritization for the Cacapon Watershed, West Virginia |
Project Funding: WV Department of Environmental Protection
NRAC Project Contact: Jacquelyn Strager
Project Web Page: Link
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection requires consistent statewide stream codes to support current regulatory activities. WVDEP also requires statewide delineated stream segment-level watersheds. This project has fulfilled these two requirements by providing enhanced water resources GIS datasets for statewide coded streams and stream segment-level watersheds with accompanying documentation to WVDEP. |
| Parcel Prioritization for the Cacapon Watershed, West Virginia |
Project Funding: Canaan Valley Institute
NRAC Project Contact: Michael Strager
Project Web Page:
Short summary to follow |
| Gap Analysis of Biodiversity for West Virginia |
Project Funding: USGS
NRAC Project Contact: Jacquelyn Strager, Charles Yuill
Project Web Page: Link
The West Virginia Gap Analysis Project, completed in 2001, was a collaborative effort between West Virginia University's Natural Resource Analysis Center, the West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and the Biological Resources Division of the US Geological Survey. WV-GAP mapped the distribution of over 300 native vertebrate wildlife species in the state, based on an extensive wildlife-habitat relationship database, range maps, and land cover mapping. Final products include the wildlife distribution maps, land cover for WV, and an analysis of biodiversity protection "gaps" in the state. See the project website to view or download final datasets, final report, and more. |
| Development of the Watershed Characterization and Modeling System (WCMS) and Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessment (CHIA) tools |
Project Funding: WV Department of Environmental Protection
NRAC Project Contact: Michael Strager, Jerald J. Fletcher
Project Web Page: Link
The development of the WCMS has been an ongoing effort at NRAC for many years. The Watershed Characterization and Modeling System (WCMS) Extension Version 9 for ArcGIS was developed to bring spatial data and water quality modeling to the desktop of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) personnel. The current version of WCMS 9 provides watershed and water quality modeling components for meeting common WVDEP tasks. WCMS combines a wide variety of spatial data layers with hydrological and water quality modeling concepts to aid in decision making and management of water resources. |