New York State Office of Cyber Security
Geographic Information Systems Clearinghouse
GIS Partnership Summary
Using LiDAR and GIS to Study Flood Plains and Erosion, and to Predict Failure Potential along the Banks of the Mohawk River
Partnership Purpose and Goal
This project was an exemplary success of partnership between a NYS department
(DEC) and an academic institution (Union College). This project was only possible with
this partnership because DEC provided LiDAR files of the Mohawk River watershed that
Union College had no access to. The realized savings from this partnership is
immeasurable as Union College does not have the resources that can be used to acquire
the data that DEC freely provided. We at Union College are certainly thankful and
appreciative.The goal of this project was, and still is, to use the provided LiDAR tiles in conjunction with
GIS analysis to identify areas of severe scour and erosion along the banks of the
Mohawk River and in its flood plains. The failure potential of the identified locations will be
examined and quantified in an attempt to alleviate the hazard of sudden sliding or failure to
ensure public safety and the welfare of infrastructure facilities across the river and those
in its flood plains too.
Participants and Resource Contributions
There are two major partners in this project:
1. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Water.
2. Union College, Schenectady, NY, Department of Engineering, Geology Department,
and the Environmental Studies Program.
Time Frame
Date Partnership Began: April 2009
Completed: On-going
Deliverables
This project aims at producing slope maps of the Mohawk River banks. These maps will
be used in identifying the spots with the greatest failure potential and in quantifying this
potential using a sliding/failure index. This index will be closely attached to soil properties,
precipitation, slope displacement or deformation, and with any historical data that can aid
in elevating the degree of accuracy associated with the prediction of failure potential.
Brief Summary of Partnership
This partnership is working very well. When the NYS DEC contact person was first
approached to provide the data, he was very helpful, responsive,and willing to answer all
questions related to the project. What adds to the success of this project is that when the
students of the Geology Department and the Environmental Studies Program at Union
College learned that data exists and has become available, several students got really
excited and wanted to do projects using the data. A number of these projects are
currently underway and those involved are some of the best students, which promises
great outcomes.
Additional Information Available Online
The entire Mohawk River study, and the information related to the LiDAR project
(presently underway) are available online on a secure website that can only be accessed by
registered users. It is anticipated that this information will be made available to interested parties
upon the completion of the study.
Contact Information
Primary:
Name: Ashraf Ghaly
Title: Professor of Engineering
Organization: Union College
Address: 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12308
Phone: 518-388-6515
Fax: 518-388-6789
E-mail: ghalya@union.eduSecondary:
Name: John Garver
Title: Professor of Geology
Organization:Union College
Address: 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12308
Phone: 518-388-6517
E-mail: garverj@union.eduName: Ricardo Lopez-Torrijos
Title: Chief, Watershed Geographic Information Technologies Support Group
Organization: NYS DCE
Address: 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3500
Phone: 518-402-8259
E-mail: rxlopez@gw.dec.state.ny.us