A GIS APPROACH TO WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT IN KNOX COUNTY, TN

This abstract describes the first stage of development of a framework for student-led data collection and assessment of water quality in springs, wells and streams in Knox County, Tennessee. The overall goals of the project are to help students develop research skills, while advancing the understanding of geologic and anthropogenic controls on water quality in an area with diverse land use, including urban, suburban, industrial and agricultural activities. The first step of this project is the creation and field-testing of an optimal GIS-based method for collecting, presenting and sharing field, laboratory and archival data on water resources, hydrology, geology, water quality, land use and other factors in a user-friendly manner. The methods that are being employed in order to be successful in this enterprise include ArcGIS Online, along with ArcMap, for both display and data management through multiple devices, with and without an internet connection, in both a field and non-field setting. The collection of data in the field, as well as the digitization of physical materials, is being made through the use of the ESRI Collector application. The end-result of this initial work is the construction of a database that is accessible through computers, tables or smart phones, so that data collected in the field can be archived and quickly shared with other members of the research team. Initial steps include creating layers with topographic data, satellite imagery, political boundaries, street maps, geologic maps and locations of springs from previously published government reports. Field testing included searching for springs and updating their locations using GPS coordinates from the investigators’ smart phones.