Layers   Tools
Watershed
Digital Raster Graphic (DRG)
Lafayette
LULC
Historical(1970-1980's)
2001
Measure distance: Select the line tool button, click on Google Earth at several points, click on Calculate Distance button. When done click Clear.
Measure Area: Select the line tool, click on several points in Google Earth to create a polygon, click the Calculate Area button. When done click Clear.
Result:
Line Tool  
 
Elevation
 

Exploring Land-Use Land-Cover (LULC) Coverage Map


Overview
Land use (LU) is a description of how people utilize the land (e.g., urban versus agricultural) while land cover (LC) represents the physical material at the surface of the earth (e.g., grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water, etc.). LULC are usually determined based on field surveys and analysis of remotely sensed imagery. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produces LULC maps for the conterminous U.S. and Hawaii; for more information visit the USGS and WebGIS websites. For this watershed, we have two LULC coverage maps: one that is outdated (called historical) and a more recent coverage that was done in 2001.


Your Task
Work with the two LULC coverage maps (See LULC in Layers section at the bottom left of this page) to answer the following questions. Download and open this WORD file and use it as a template to record your answers.
  1. How many LULC classes are in the watershed according to each coverage layer (historical and 2001)? Identify and list the classes for both layers?
  2. What is the dominant LULC category in the watershed according to each coverage layer (historical and 2001)?
  3. Cross-check (verify) the LULC coverage against what you see in the satellite image layers photos. Do they fully agree? Try to identify examples of agreement and disagreement.(copy and paste a few samples) Which of the LULC coverage’s agrees more with the satellite image?
  4. What is the main land-use change that occurred between the more recent 2001 LULC versus the historical LULC?

    Not Mandatory for Freshmen
  5. One important parameter that controls the flow of water over land is the Manning roughness coefficient (n). Use your hydrology textbook (or any other online resources) to estimate a typical range of the surface roughness manning coefficient (n) for the following land-use categories (residential, cropland and forest).

Once finished, click Next to continue.

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