Applied Information Management
The Applied Information Management (AIM) team uses its expertise in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, custom databases, statistical software, and environmental modeling tools to support the following services:
- • GIS Visualization
- • Environmental Spatial Analysis
- • GIS Application Programming
- • Web-Based GIS/Database Applications
- • Watershed Modeling
- • 3-D Visualization
- • Build-Out Analysis
- • GIS Training
GIS Visualization
Building a major development—be it a wind tower, a commercial development, or a transmission line—is an expensive and potentially controversial undertaking. Carefully considering the aesthetic impact of such a development through the use of GIS (geographic information systems) tools can help to defuse tensions and reduce the time it takes to obtain community and regulatory approvals. These tools, which include viewshed analysis, 3-D modeling, photomontage, and photo simulation, are essential whether you are working with the project's proponents or opponents. We are a leading innovator in the use of GIS tools to solve complex analytical and technical problems. Working for both developers and citizen organizations, we have conducted more than 30 viewshed analyses of cell tower and wind turbine developments proposed for Maine, Vermont, and New York. In Vermont, we completed 21 cell tower viewshed analyses as part of a detailed Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and preparation of materials for permit applications under Act 250 (Vermont's land use and development law). We are seasoned in rapid turnaround projects and have a complete library of in-stock and pre-processed GIS data.
To download examples of our GIS visualization work, click on the following files:
Photo Simulation (example 1) (205 KB)
Photo Simulation (example 2) (517 KB)
Environmental Spatial Analysis
Whether the challenge is identifying watersheds vulnerable to pesticide exposure or determining the onsite wastewater treatment capacity of a new neighborhood development, spatial analysis using GIS enables the integration of complex data sets to support environmental decision making. Stone Environmental has extensive experience working with the full spectrum of environmental data sets, including national and local level land cover (NLCD), soils (SSURGO, STATSGO), topography (NED), and hydrography (NHD). Our team has earned a strong reputation for developing spatial analysis methods that yield the deepest insights into the environmental issues being studied. These include techniques for identifying unsuitable areas for onsite wastewater treatment, determining environmental restrictions on growth, and selecting water bodies most susceptible to agrochemical exposure. We’ve conducted analyses for hundreds of projects in the US, as well as in Canada and the EU, and for countries as far-flung as New Zealand and Indonesia.
GIS Application Programming
The data analysis techniques that GIS can provide are more powerful and cost-effective when users can apply them repeatedly for varying situations. We make this possible by writing customized GIS tools and applications for our clients. We start by fully understanding the user’s needs and defining the workflow. Next, we develop and test the spatial analysis technique that will form the basis of the application. Once the client approves the technique, we develop a flexible, user-friendly interface that matches our client’s workflow. Our customized GIS tools and applications empower our clients to efficiently perform complex spatial assessments, giving them more time for evaluating the results.
Web-Based GIS/Database Applications
GIS and database applications are more effective when all interested users can access them. We offer Web-based application programming services to meet this demand. Our team has designed Web-based data management applications for onsite wastewater management (IWIMS®) as well as GIS applications that serve soils data over the Internet. Our Web-based applications enable our clients to take advantage of Stone’s expertise in spatial analysis and database design anytime, anyplace.
Watershed Modeling
Solving complex water resources problems often requires a watershed approach that uses sophisticated, industry-standard models, such as SWAT, SWMM, and HEC-HMS. Modeling enables simulations of historical, current, and future watershed conditions. A virtual crystal ball, our watershed models allow clients to see the effects of best management practices on phosphorus runoff in agricultural watersheds, investigate the impacts of reduced pesticide use on surface water quality, assess the impacts of climate change on municipal water supply, and test the effectiveness of detention ponds in reducing sedimentation from stormwater runoff. In addition to providing clients with a tool for performing “what if” scenarios, Stone’s watershed modeling team helps clients save time and money by reducing the need for costly field experiments and sampling programs. We have performed numerous watershed modeling studies, from 6,000-square-mile watersheds in California to 6,000-acre watersheds in Vermont. Although we look for every opportunity to apply environmental models to solve difficult problems, we recognize that the misuse of models can lead to poor decision making. Our team implements innovative techniques for model calibration and validation, follows standard good modeling practices, and uses scientific expertise to identify when a model is out of line. Our modeling efforts are particularly suited to supporting TMDL development, water supply analysis, and stormwater assessments.
3-D Visualization
Our 3-D data visualization services are customized to meet the demands of subsurface contaminated site investigations, agrochemical groundwater field studies, and hydrogeological modeling. We perform powerful geostatistical analyses using state-of-the-art techniques to build strong arguments from our client’s data sets. Visualization of these analyses, in the form of dazzling images and animations, provides clients, regulators, and stakeholders with a clear picture of subsurface environmental conditions, ranging from the migration of underground contaminant plumes, to the geological structure of a site, to the transport of a surface application of an agricultural chemical.
Build-Out Analysis
Growing communities increasingly rely on “build-out” analysis to help them project future development, as well as to refine zoning regulations. Stone has assisted numerous communities in projecting build-out conditions by integrating GIS analysis with databases of zoning and land use constraint factors. This methodology, developed as a reusable tool, allows projections of population, residential units, and commercial density to be made while assuming any combination of zoning regulations and land use constraints. Our clients are then able to envision the effects of proposed zoning regulations by reviewing the build-out analysis results in GIS. The automated tools Stone provides enable clients to more efficiently review numerous build-out options, leading to better decision making that uses defensible techniques.
GIS Training
Stone provides onsite, customized ArcGIS training to organizations looking for an alternative to standardized training curricula. Our philosophy is that an organization will get greater benefit from a GIS training course if it revolves around the organization’s own data sets and applications. We work closely with clients before a training session occurs to develop data sets and applications that students will use in their everyday activities or that are of specific interest to the organization. We then tailor course concepts and example exercises to address those issues. This strategy helps organizations get a jump-start on their way to GIS proficiency.
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