Desktop Geographic Information System for Salmonid Resources in the Columbia River Basin

We developed a desktop geographic information system (GIS) of Northwest salmonid resources in the Columbia River Basin based on a series of ArcView projects. The system includes data on chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum salmon (O. keta), coho salmon (O. kisutch), pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), sockeye salmon (O. nerka), and steelhead (O. mykiss). Each ArcView project is categorized into salmonid spawning escapement, hatchery releases, and presence/absence tabular data. Salmonid spawning escapement data sets are further divided by observation type (i.e., dam counts, ish per mile, etc.) and linked to spatial data sets (i.e., coverages - digitized geographic ’ tiles) representing streams and rivers within the Columbia River Basin. Additional coverages (dams, hatchery locations, state boundaries, and land ownership) have been incorporated into each project to provide geographic reference and permit data analysis. This desktop GIS allows scientists and managers to view salmonid population characteristics and geographic features simultaneously over varying spatial scales The addition of detailed habitat information (e.g., land use, roads/mile, water temperatures) in the future will enable scientists to identify how past and future watershed activities will affect salmonid populations in the Northwest. 1997 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NWFSC (Northwest Fisheries Science Center) Library Public Domain 1861