Post on 20-Aug-2015
Miami Valley Land Suitability Assessment – Natural Environment Factors
2007
MVRPC Board of Directors
December 6, 2007
Study Overview
To assess Region’s landscape from a natural environment perspective as part of “Going Places: An Integrated Land Use Vision for the Miami Valley Region” Provide a comprehensive overview of sensitive natural areas in the
Region - Examine the presence and conditions of sensitive natural areas
Identify locations within the Region that are better suited for physical development than others
Study Boundary - 8 County Region
Land Suitability Assessment
Land Suitability Assessment (LSA) is a process for evaluating the suitability of land for development Identify locations within the planning area that are best suited to
particular types of land use based on land characteristics
MVRPC LSA Natural Environment Factors study Focused on natural environmental factors Compiled various natural resource data into one regional dataset
and conducted technical analyses Developed a land suitability scoring system Developed a systematic approach of aggregating each suitability
score into a total suitability score Developed a Natural Environment Factors Composite Map
Natural Environment Factors The study identified 15 natural environment factors covering 3
dimensions of:
Resources Forested Areas Ground Water
Pollution Potential
Ground Water Yield
Mineral Resources Prime Farmland Sole Source Aquifer Well Field
Protection Areas Wetlands
Hazards Floodplain Inundation Areas
Physical Impediments Depth to Bedrock Load Bearing Strength Slope Soil Drainage Surface Water
Definition Importance
Data Development Process Data Sources Data Findings
DaytonDayton
XeniaXenia
SpringfieldSpringfield
TroyTroy
LebanonLebanon
HamiltonHamilton
EatonEaton
GreenvilleGreenville
ButlerButler
PreblePreble
DarkeDarke
MiamiMiami
MontgomeryMontgomery
GreeneGreene
ClarkClark
WarrenWarren
Naturally Prime
Prime with Conditions
Not Prime
0 4 8 12 16Miles
Prime Farmland
38.3%
41.6% 20.1%
Naturally Prime Prime with Conditions Not Prime
Regional Land by Prime Farmland Classification
Sole Source Aquifer
Regional Land by SSA Classification
DaytonDayton
XeniaXenia
SpringfieldSpringfield
TroyTroy
LebanonLebanon
HamiltonHamilton
EatonEaton
GreenvilleGreenville
ButlerButler
PreblePreble
DarkeDarke
MiamiMiami
MontgomeryMontgomery
GreeneGreene
ClarkClark
WarrenWarren
0 4 8 12 16Miles
Class 1 SSA
Class 2 SSA
Non-SSA
10.1%12.0%
77.9%
Class 1 Class 2 Non-SSA
Natural Environment Suitability Measure Development
2 1 1 3 1 1 5 2 2
2 2 1 3 3 1 5 5 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
Sum of VariablesVariable 1
+ =
Variable 2
Conceptually, the Natural Environment Suitability Measure was generated by overlaying spatial data representing the Suitability Scores of all 15 factors.
Natural Environment Suitability Measure
Land with high development potential is characterized as: Having soils that are well drained, adequate depth to bedrock,
adequate load bearing strength, and no mineral resources Having high ground water yields Having flat or gently rolling slopes Outside floodplains, inundation areas, surface waters, sole
source aquifers, wetlands, and well field protection areas Outside forested areas and prime farmland
ButlerButler
PreblePreble
DarkeDarke
MiamiMiami
MontgomeryMontgomery
GreeneGreene
ClarkClark
WarrenWarren
DaytonDayton
TroyTroy
XeniaXenia
EatonEaton
LebanonLebanonHamiltonHamilton
GreenvilleGreenville
SpringfieldSpringfield
0 4 8 12 16Miles
High Development Potential
Low Development Potential
Natural Environment Suitability Measure
13.1%
70.6%
15.4%1.0%
High Dev PotentialModerate Dev PotentialLow Dev PotentialNo Dev Potential
Regional Land by Development Potential Classification
Comparative Analysis
Summary
The land in the Region is Mostly flat, dry land with adequate dept to bedrock and load
bearing strength Non-forested land with mineral resources not likely to present With medium ground water pollution potential Not within floodplain or inundation areas Significant amount of prime farmland with relatively good soil
drainage and ground water yield capacity Containing quality sole source aquifer with portion of the Region
designated as well-filed protection areas
Over 80% of regional land us highly or moderately suited to accommodate future land development
Conclusion
An assessment of the built environment must be completed in order to have a complete understanding of the Region’s physical landscape
The entire Region will benefit if development is planned and executed in a manner that takes advantage of our natural resources without threatening their quality
Land use planning at the local level should take into consideration the potential effects of development on natural environment resources so that the balance between the need to grow and the need to preserve environmental quality is achieved
GIS Data SharingMap Tools
Map Layers
Map
Study Report
Report available at www.mvrpc.org/rlu
For More Information
Contact Bethany Heim, GIS Specialist/Planner, at bheim@mvrpc.org