Land Use Planning Activities

Land Use Planning Activities

© 2002 American Geological Institute http://www.agiweb.org

Contents: All Activities and Investigations
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
Activity 6

Students challenged to develop comprehensive land-use plan their community for the next 20 years
Students will:

• Understand the importance of land use planning in protecting natural resources, such as water, air, and soil.
• Understand how land use planning impacts the quality of human life in a community.  
• Participate in scientific inquiry and construct logical conclusions based on evidence.  
• Describe how the principles of Earth science relate to geologic change. 

Activity 1  --  Your Community's Water Resources

To learn more about this topic, visit the following web sites: 1. Water Sources and Land-Use Planning
 

• Clean Water Action Plan 

The home page for the Clean Water Action Plan, an iniative for restoring and protecting the nation's water resources.  Click on the links to review the details of the Plan, to learn the most recent actions related to the Plan, and also to move to other related links.
(http://cleanwater.gov/)
• "Water-Managing a Natural Resource" - USGS Fact Sheet 

This site briefly reviews the role of the USGS in managing the water resources of the United States.  Topics covered include reservoir management, in-stream management and recreation, groundwater as a resources, groundwater contamination, and much more.  Site also contains links to regional (Northeast, Southeast, Central, and Western US) hydrologists.  Clicking on these links will take you to sites which give more detailed, regionally focused information.
(http://water.usgs.gov/wid/html/wtrmgt.html)
• "AWRA State Section Websites" - American Water Resources Association 

Click on your state to be taken to a list of links which will connect you with up-to-date information about water resources specific to your state.
(http://www.awra.org/state/)
• "National Water-Use Maps" - USGS 

Download color maps illustrating water usage in the United States.  Data is from 1990, but the maps are informative and break up usage into categories including commerical water-use, domestic water-use, livestock water-use, thermoelectric power water-use, and more.
(http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/wumaps.color.html)
• "Watershed Information Network Questions" - Environmental Protection Agency 

This very comprehensive site answers basic questions about watersheds, such as, what a watershed is, what data and maps are available for studying watersheds, how to get involved with watershed protection, what laws exist to protect water resources, and more.
(http://www.epa.gov/win/questions.html#resources)

To complete the Inquiring Further section of this activity: To learn more about monitoring local issues, visit the following web sites:

• "AWRA State Section Websites" - American Water Resources Association 

Click on your state to be taken to a list of links which will connect you with up-to-date information about water resources specific to your state.
(http://www.awra.org/state/)
• "Water Where You Live" - EPA Office of Water 

Click on your state to recieve a list of links which provide information about water quality issues in your state, as well as real time data and general environmental links.
(http://www.epa.gov/ow/states.html)
• "Local Offices for Water Resources" - USGS 

Click on your state to link to the USGS Water Resources office in that state.  Each state site is slightly different, so you will need to do a bit of exploring.
(http://water.usgs.gov/wrd002.html)

To learn about problems other communities are experiencing in with watersheds, visit the following web sites:

• "Watershed Information Network Questions" - Environmental Protection Agency 

This very comprehensive site answers basic questions about watersheds, such as, what a watershed is, what data and maps are available for studying watersheds, how to get involved with watershed protection, what laws exist to protect water resources, and more.
(http://www.epa.gov/win/questions.html#resources)
• "AWRA State Section Websites" - American Water Resources Association 

Click on your state to be taken to a list of links which will connect you with up-to-date information about water resources specific to your state.
(http://www.awra.org/state/)

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Activity 2--  Urban Development and Air Quality

To learn more about this topic: 1.  Urban-Heat-Island Effect
 

• "Urban Heat Island Project" - NASA and the EPA 

Review of the collaborative effort of NASA and the EPA to study the urban-heat-island effect.  Click on links on the sidebar menu to learn how the urban-heat-island effect impacts human health, to read relevant news articles, examine technology used to study urban-heat-islands, and much more.
(http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/uhipp/urban_uhipp.html)
• "High Spatial Resolution Airborne Multispectral Thermal Infrared Data to Support Analysis and Modeling Tasks in EOS IDS Project ATLANTA" - by D.A. Quattrochi and J.C. Luvall 

Technical article goes in-depth into the study of the urban-heat-island effect in Atlanta.  Examines the problem and the methods that are being taken to study it.
(http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/atlanta/)
• "Baton Rouge Shines with Urban Heat" - NASA 

Contains a thermal data image of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/essd19may98%5F1.htm)
• "Sacramento Glows with Urban Heat" - NASA 

Contains a thermal data image of Sacremento, California.
(http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/essd01jul98%5F1.htm)
• "Salt Lake City Shows Hot and Cold Spots" - NASA 

Contains a thermal data image of Salt Lake City, Utah.  Interesting to see how the nearby mountains provide a reprieve from the urban-heat-island effect for the city.
(http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/essd21jul98_1.htm)
• Heat Island Group homepage - Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory, Environmental Energy Technologies Division 

Click on a title to learn how air quality, high temperatures, cool roofs, vegetation, energy use, and cool pavements are related to the urban-heat-island effect.  This site contains a lot of excellent general information as well as many excellent color graphics.
(http://EandE.LBL.gov/HeatIsland/)

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Activity 3  --  Flooding in Your Community

To learn more about this topic:

1.  Floods and Development of Floodplains
 
• "Floodplain Management: Extectutive Order No. 11988: May 24, 1977, 42 F.R. 26951" - EPA 

Floodplain management has been an issue for many years.  Read the text of this Exectutive Order signed by President Jimmy Carter which orders the study and regulation of floodplain land management.
(http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/regs/eo11988.html) 
• "Flood Warnings - United States" - NOAA 

Current listings of floods in the United States.
(http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/us/flood.html)
• "Significant Floods in the United States During the 20th Century - USGS Measures a Century of Flood" - USGS Fact Sheet 024-00 

Reviews methods for monitoring floods, the thirty-two most significant floods of the 20th Century, the different "types" of floods (regional, flash, ice-jam, storm-surge, etc.), how to find flood information online, and interesting facts on floods.
(http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.024-00.html)
• "The "100-Year Flood"" - USGS Fact Sheet 229-96 

Site explains the usage of the term "100-year flood".  Includes graphical representations of data related to flooding in Washington state and a glossary of flood terms.
(http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/FS/FS-229-96/)
• "Floodplain Management Summary" - FEMA 

Introduces the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and contains many useful links pertaining to flood mitigation.
(http://www.fema.gov/nfip/fldmanre.htm)
• "Flood Losses" - Hydrologic Information Center, National Weather Service 

Provides statisical data on the monetary damages inflicted on the United States from 1903 to the present.  Data available in numerical and graphical forms.
(http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/flood_stats/Flood_loss_time_series.htm)
• "Floods - Frequently Requested Products and Services" - NOAA 

List of links that cover floods, flood guidnace, and flood terminology.
(http://www.websites.noaa.gov/guide/sciences/atmo/floods.html)

To complete the Inquiring Further section of this activity:
To learn more about the flood prediction, visit the following web sites:

• "Stream Gaging and Flood Forecasting" - USGS Fact Sheet 209-05 

Site examines the partnership between the National Weather Service and the USGS to provide accurate flood prediction.  Reviews how stream gaging and weather forecasts can be used to predict floods and reduce flooding related damages.
(http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_209-95/mason-weiger.html) 
• "Floodrisk" - EarthSat 

Real time data color maps indicating forecasted flood danger for the next 24 hours.  A United States map, as well as individual state maps (not all states represented), available.
(http://www.earthsat.com/wx/flooding/floodrisk.html)
• "Floodthreat" - EarthSat 

Real time data color map of the United States indicating how much rain would need to fall over any three-hour period to cause a flash-flood.
(http://www.earthsat.com/wx/flooding/floodthreat.html)

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Activity 4  --  Slope of Land in Your Community

To learn more about this topic: 1. Angle of Repose
 

• "Would the angle of repose of the same material be different on Mars than on Earth?" - NASA 

An interesting site, which in addition to answering this question, also provides a good review behind the physics of the angle of repose of a material.
(http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/soil/Difference_in_angle_of_repose_for_Earth_and_Mars_soils_.txt)
• "The Angle of Repose" - University of Maryland, Geology Lecture Notes 

Slide illustrating the angles of repose for different materials, including moist and dry sand, and sands of various grain sizes.
(http://www.geol.umd.edu/~kaufman/ppt/chapter8/sld018.htm)
2. Mass Movement
 
• "Debris-Flow Hazards in the United States" - USGS Fact Sheet 176-97 

Site examines different types of debris flows,  where they are likely to occur, and steps to takes to minimize the damages associated with debris flows.
(http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov/factsheets/html_files/debrisflow/fs176-97.html)
• ""Real-Time" Monitoring of an Active Landslide Above Highway 50, California" - USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory 

Site contains data related to the monitoring of an active landslide between Placerville and South Lake Tahoe, California.
(http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/CalifLandslide/framework.html)
• "Landslide monitoring, Woodway, Washington" - USGS  

Site devoted to the study and monitoring of a landslide in western Washington.  Includes a summary of the data collected, including rainfall, pore pressure, and movement data.
(http://landslides.usgs.gov/woodway/)
• "Landslide Recognition and Safety Guidelines" - USGS 

Comprehensive site reviews what makes an area susceptible to landsliding and what do to if you are in a high-risk area, as well as providing links to finding out more about landslides.
(http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/elnino/landslide-guidelines.html#Information)
• "Landslide Images" - USGS 

A compilation of landslide images, including a color map of the United States illustrating landslide distribution and several photographs of damage caused by landslides.
(http://landslides.usgs.gov/html_files/landslides/slides/landslideimages.htm)

 
To complete the Inquiring Further section of this activity: To learn more about catastrophic mass movements, visit the following web sites:

• ""Real-Time" Monitoring of an Active Landslide Above Highway 50, California" - USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory 

Site contains data related to the monitoring of an active landslide between Placerville and South Lake Tahoe, California.
(http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/CalifLandslide/framework.html)
• "Landslide monitoring, Woodway, Washington" - USGS  

Site devoted to the study and monitoring of a landslide in western Washington.  Includes a summary of the data collected, including rainfall, pore pressure, and movement data.
(http://landslides.usgs.gov/woodway/)
• "Selected landslides from the December 27-29, 19998 Storm, Western Washington and Oregon" - USGS 

Table includes the location of landslide, landslide type (Earth slide, debris flow, etc.), slope of the land surface, and the type of geologic materials involved.  Click on the slide name to view images of damages caused.
(http://landslides.usgs.gov/Wash-Or/table.html)

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Activity 5  --  Soil and Land Use in Your Community

To learn more about this topic: 1.  Classifying Soils:
 

• "Soils Photo Gallery - Soil Order" - USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Center 

This site includes a written description of different soil types and a photograph and United States distribution map for each soil type.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/photogal/orders/soiord.htm)
• "Soil Classification" - Bechtel CAD Laboratory, University of Colorado, Boulder 

Site lists and briefly describes several examples of soil classification systems, including by grain size, the triangular soil classification system, the AHSHTO classification system, and the Unified Soil Classification system.
(http://bechtel.colorado.edu/courseware/mos-cven/ce/3.2/texts/soilclass.html)
• "Keys to Soil Taxonomy" - USDA-NRCS  

Online textbook covers a wide range of topics, including which soils scientists classify and how they classify them.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/keytax/content.html)

2.  Soil Formation:
 

• "Structure and Formation of Soils" - NOAA Coastal Services Center 

Brief summary of soil horizons and the mechanisms that produce them.  Click on significant terms to view a definition.
(http://www.csc.noaa.gov/otter/htmls/ecosys/physical/soil_def.htm)
• "The Story of Rocks and Soil" - NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Biospheric Sciences Division 

This article reviews how soil is formed from the erosion of rocks exposed at the Earth's surface.  Click on the terms in red to be linked to a new page which relates to the term.
(http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/soilform/parmat.htm)

3.  Soil Horizons:
 

• "Soils Photo Gallery - Profiles" - USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Center 

This site includes photographs of different types of soil profiles.  Click on the soil series name to view the "technical" description of the series.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/photogal/profiles.html)
• "Designations for Horizons and Layers" - USDA-NRCS 

Excerpt from the text "Keys to Soil Taxonomy".  This very detailed review defines the different soil horizons and transitional zones.  Site also explains soil horizon nomenclature.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/keytax/apdix_a.html)

4.  Soil as a Natural Resource:
 

• "Soil Quality Information Sheets" - USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Center 

PDF documents (you must have Adobe Acrobat to view these files), each addressing a different soil resource issue, including erosion, salinization, soil biodiversity, and much more.  Each sheet includes text and good color images.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/survey/SQI/sqiinfo.html)
• "Soil: A Critical Environmental Resource" - Soil and Water Conservation Society 

This site reviews the importance of soil, including its use as a means for producing food, filtering water, regulating cliimate, and purifying water.  At the bottom of page, access is provided to a list of web links to provide further information.
(http://www.swcs.org/t_resources_critical_fact.htm)
• "Urban Soil Quality Information" - NRCS 

Three fact sheetts (PDF, need Adobe Acrobat to view) which cover soil erosion and sedimentaion on construction sites, urban soil compaction, and heavy metal soil compaction.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/survey/SQI/urban.shtml)

To complete the Inquiring Further section of this activity: To learn more about soils in your community, visit the following web sites:

• "Soils Photo Gallery - Soil Order" - USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Center 

This site includes a written description of different soil types and a photograph and United States distribution map for each soil type.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/photogal/orders/soiord.htm)
• "What is a State Soil?" - USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Center 
Explains that each state has a representative soil series and how this is defined.  Click on your state to view a written description, photograph, and distribution map for the soils in your state.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/photogal/statesoils/list1.htm)
• "State/Area Soil Offices" - USDA-NCS National Soil Survery Center 

Click on your state to be linked to your state's soil office.
(http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv/personnel/states.htm)

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Activity 6  --  Surveying the Community on Land Use

To learn more about this topic: 1.  Reaching a Consensus on Land Use in the Community:
 

• Smart communities
• Department of Energy USA
  


• "Land Use Planning: It All Comes Down to Soil" - USDA-NRCS 

This site reviews the importance of considering soil types in land use planning.  It also takes a look at some of the technology and facts involved with good land use planning.
(http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/engineer/LUPBro.html)
• "Case Studies" - Community Based Environmental Programs, EPA 

This site describes land use management strategies from real communities.  A brief paragraph describes each study.  Click on the case study title to link to a web site which gives more detail about each project.
(http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/case1/index.htm)
• "Land-Based Classification Standards" - American Planning Association 

This site provides a description of criteria to consider when developing a land use plan, including the actual use of the land, the function of the land, types of buildings or structures which are needed, and who owns the land. 
(http://www.planning.org/lbcs/)

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Resources: Web Sites:

• United States Geological Survey (USGS) homepage (http://www.usgs.gov/) 
• USGS - Water Resources homepage (http://water.usgs.gov/) 
• Bureau of Land Management homepage (http://www.blm.gov/nhp/index.htm) 
• Clean Water Action Plan homepage (http://cleanwater.gov/) 
• American Water Resources Association homepage (http://www.awra.org/) 
• EPA's Office of Water homepage (http://www.epa.gov/ow/) 
• Global Hydrology and Climate Center homepage - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/) 
• http://science.nasa.gov/ homepage - NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (http://science.nasa.gov) 
• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) homepage (http://www.noaa.gov/) 
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) homepage (http://www.fema.gov/) 
• National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) homepage - FEMA (http://www.fema.gov/nfip/) 
• Mitigation - Reducing Risk Through Mitigation - FEMA (http://www.fema.gov/mit/) 
• USGS Flood Theme Page (http://www.usgs.gov/themes/flood.html) 
• Office of Hydrology - National Weather Service (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/) 
• Geologic Hazards Team homepage - USGS (http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov) 
• Geologic Hazards - Landslides - USGS (http://landslides.usgs.gov/) 
• "Internet Glossary of Soil Science Terms" - Soil Science Society of America (http://www.soils.org/sssagloss/index.html) 
• National Soil Survey Center homepage - USDA-NRCS (http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/) 
• Soil and Water Conservation Society homepage (http://www.swcs.org/) 
• Center of Excellence for Suistainable Development - Land Use Planning - US Department of Energy (http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/landuse/luintro.shtml) 
• National Park Service Water Resources Division (http://www1.nature.nps.gov/wrd/) 
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) homepage (http://www.epa.gov/) 
• Community Based Environmental Programs - EPA (http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/) 
• American Farmland Trust homepage (http://www.farmland.org/) 
• American Planning Association homepage (http://www.planning.org/) 

Maps:

• Geologic maps: State and local: 
• The United States Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database contains information on how and where to obtain geologic maps. (http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/) 
• Your state Geological Survey - find your state survey on-line at Association of American State Geologists (http://www.kgs.ukans.edu/AASG/AASG.html). 
• Download state geologic maps at About.com's site.  (http://geology.about.com/science/geology/cs/geomapsusstates/) 
• Reading Geologic Maps - informative review on how to read and interpret geologic maps.  (http://geology.about.com/science/geology/library/weekly/aa100800a.htm) 

 
• Geologic maps: Regional (two or more states): 
• The on-line bookstore of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (http://bookstore.AAPG.org; 918-584-2555) 
• Topographic maps: Local 
• The United States Geological Survey MapFinder allows you to order 7.5 minute maps online for $4 per map plus $5 s/h per order. (http://edc.usgs.gov/Webglis/glisbin/finder_main.pl?dataset_name=MAPS_LARGE) 
• The United States Geological Survey maintains a list of Map Dealers.  Click on your state to obtain a list of retailers who sell maps. (http://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/map_dealers/) 
• The United States Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database site on How to find topographic maps (http://ngmsvr.wr.usgs.gov/Other_Resources/rdb_topo.html) 
• TopoZone site allows you to download topographic maps (including USGS maps) for free, at various scales (from 1:100,000 to 1:24,000).  (http://www.topozone.com/) 
• MapServer offers free online viewing of topo, nautical and aeronautical charts plus high altitude digital ortho quads (nav photos). (www.maptech.com and www.mapserver.maptech.com) 
• General Map Resources: 
• An excellent list of map resources available online can be found on the Central Michigan University Resources for Earth Science and Geography Instruction web site.  Included are links to sites to make maps, as well as links to free downloadable outline maps, satellite imagery, GPS, and GIS databases. (http://personal.cmich.edu/~franc1m/locamap.htm) 
• "Maps" - USGS Earth Science Information Center, includes general map information, from how to read maps to how to obtain them.  Also includes links to further information regarding topographic, thematic, planetary maps, and more. (http://ask.usgs.gov/maps.html) 
• National Geographic (maps and videos): 1-800-962-1643 (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/index.html) 
• "Maps of the United States" - USGS fact sheet, contains a series of depictions of the United States, along with information on how to obtain additional US maps. (http://www.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/maps-us/index.html) 
• "Maps of the World" - USGS fact sheet, contains a series of world maps, including outline maps, seismicity maps, and political maps.  Also contains information for ordering more specific world maps. (http://www.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/maps-world/maps-world.html) 
• "National Atlas Maps" - USGS site of a variety of US maps that are available online, including shaded relief maps, aquifer maps, and further information on how to order maps not available online.  (http://www-atlas.usgs.gov/atlasmap.html?) 

Videos:

• Bullfrog Films: Urban and Regional Planning videos (contains a long list of videos dealing with land use issues) 

Books: Magazines:

• Geotimes.  Published by the American Geological Institute, this magazine reviews current issues in the Earth Sciences and can serve as a valuable supplemental resource for teachers and students alike.  Visit the web site for online articles and information about obtaining a one-year subscription (40% discount for AGI Member Society members; 65% discount for students). 

(http://www.geotimes.org/current/)
• Excellent sources of high-school level articles are in both National Geographic (which often has maps), and Science News 

(describing the most recent and interesting events in scientific research.) 

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