GIS-ROUT: a river model for watershed planning

Previous studies have shown that significant environmental changes are the result of human activities such as urbanization occurring at the spatial sc ale of landscapes. The challenge faced by many planners today is how to und erstand such relationships in order to support integrated watershed plannin g and management. Although many mathematical models have been developed to simulate the chemical transport process in a river, few are actually used i n watershed assessment and management. Recently, incorporating analytical m odels into GIS platforms has emerged as a promising research area attractin g planners and other resource managers. In this paper we present a GIS-base d river water quality model (CIS-ROUT) to predict chemistry changes in rive r water as a result of sewage discharge changes in a watershed. Integration of spatial data, CIS, and analytical models in GIS ROUT makes it possible to examine the dynamic linkages between water quality and human activities in a watershed. Furthermore, the user-friendly interface of the model allow s its users to concentrate on the planning issues, such as examining the 'W hat if..: questions related to different development scenarios. The study n ot only contributes to the application of GIS and water quality models in p lanning, but it also provides a comprehensive view of the watershed that ca n help government agencies and other stakeholders to make informed decision s.