Overview
Land cover data provide a useful perspective to help local land use decision makers understand what is actually on the ground as opposed to what might have been planned or permitted.
This step-by-step guide describes how land cover data can be analyzed to assess several water quality indicators. Included with each step is a link to a web-based map that highlights the land cover information explored, as well as a link to a document that describes the data and analysis used to create those maps.
Six-Step Process:
- Identify impacts from impervious surfaces
- Identify effects of forest cover
- Analyze relationship of forest cover to impervious area
- Identify whether developed grasses are a factor
- Examine riparian buffers
- Examine other potential water quality factors