Using GIS and Story Maps for Watershed Management and Monitoring John H. Cartwright Mississippi State University
What is a Story Map? Esri Story Maps let you combine authoritative maps with narrative text, images, and multimedia content. They make it easy to harness the power of maps and geography to tell your story. No Coding Required. Incredibly Powerful. Open Source. Share a place you love. Make your case. Showcase your organization's plans and projects. Everyone has a story. Engage your community, communicate with customers, educate decision makers, and fire up your supporters. https://storymaps.arcgis.com
Principles of Effective Story Maps Connect with your audience Who is your audience? Before you build your story map, think about who will be seeing your story. Craft your text, maps, and other content to suit your audience. Avoid jargon and use accessible language. It's not about dumbing down; it's about striving for clarity and simplicity. Lure people in Choose an image that's exciting and attractive. Craft your title to be active and descriptive. Put your core concepts at the beginning rather than the end. Don't include outbound hyperlinks in your introduction that would distract put those at the end. Choose the best user experience The Esri Story Map application templates come in a variety of flavors. Choose an app with a user experience appropriate for your story. The Story Map Tour, for instance, is great for sets of places with photos and short captions. Make easy to read maps Make sure your maps are as simple, clear, and user friendly as possible while incorporating cartography that matches your project. Edit your map to eliminate unnecessary detail. Choose an appropriate basemap, a simple gray background map might be better than satellite imagery. Strive for simplicity The more you do to remove nonessential elements, the more likely you are to tell an effective story. Shorten your text and simplify your maps. A person should not have to get to the fifth or sixth section in your story to understand its underlying concepts and mission. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/five principles/
How do you get started? ArcGIS Server GIS Data Map Services ArcGIS Online Story Maps are part of ArcGIS Online, Esri's cloud based mapping and GIS platform, so you'll sign in with your ArcGIS Online account to create your story. The Story Map apps are hosted in ArcGIS Online and have interactive builders that make it easy to author your story. Story Maps are also available in Esri's Portal for ArcGIS product, which enables an enterprise to set up itaown cloud based mapping infrastructure. ArcGIS Online Choose a Story Map Application Template Go to the Story Maps Apps list to browse the application templates and choose the best one for your project. Each app lets you deliver a specific user experience to your audience. There are apps for mapbased tours, collections of points of interest, in depth narratives, presenting multiple maps, and more. Spend some time comparing the apps to see the different components they let you incorporate in your story. Photos Graphics Videos https://storymaps.arcgis.com/
Geospatial Education & Outreach The Geospatial Education and Outreach Project (GEO Project) is a collaborative effort among the Geosystems Research Institute, the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Coordinating Council for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems. The purpose of the project is to serve as the primary source for geospatial education and technical information for the citizens of Mississippi. GEO is the largest out project of its kind in the U.S.
Catalpa Creek Project The Catalpa Creek Watershed Restoration and Protection Project is the result of a highly collaborative volunteer effort on the part of over 30 faculty and administrators at Mississippi State University and over 10 staff with state and local agencies including the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, and the Oktibbeha County Soil and Water Conservation District. Efforts by these parties has brought attention to the impairments of Catalpa Creek and recently the associated watershed was officially designated as an EPA priority watershed under section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. Two years of planning have produced a comprehensive Watershed Resources Management Plan and an Implementation Plan for Phase 1 of this project. The long term plans for this site are to have functional installations of best management practices which not only restore the impairments within the Catalpa Creek Watershed, but also are available for research, teaching, and extension in support of the Land Grant University mission. This site will be a place where effectiveness of innovative new and established best management practices can be demonstrated from start to finish. It will also offer experiential learning opportunities for students of Mississippi State University as well as provide professional training potential for agencies. The culmination of these efforts includes a vision for a DREAMS center, which will showcase demonstration, research, education, application, management, and sustainability. This center will raise awareness of conservation issues and be a source of pride for the State of Mississippi. Stakeholder ownership of this project will be key to the longevity of the Catalpa Creek Watershed restoration and protection efforts. Social scientists on the project are assisting with identifying drivers and needs to engage those who live and work in the Watershed and how to best encourage their participation in these efforts to restore and protect a valuable resource for Mississippi State University and the surrounding communities which share its watershed.
Catalpa Creek Project Learning from the Experience of Others Members of the Steering Team have viewed models from other watershed restoration projects. One effort includes International collaboration with the University of Catania where local citizens, university researchers, and government agency employees are sharing their experience with their efforts to restore the impaired Simeto River Watershed which flows through Sicily. Novel Research Approaches to Monitoring & Modeling Integrated research activities are underway to assess critical areas within the Watershed. In addition to traditional survey of stream cross sections, unmanned aerial systems are being used to create digital surface models of eroded areas. Surface models can be validated against survey data.
Why take this approach? Data Management AGOL allows for efficient and effective data management for our field surveys and allows for seamless transfer to collaborative partners. Reach Decision Makers Streamline communication and technology with decision makers, municipal leaders, state agencies, etc Education & Outreach Moves the research to everyone else. Story Maps provides a foundation for a seamless transition to E&O efforts.
Questions? John H. Cartwright Mississippi State University johnc@gri.msstate.edu