In an effort to improve wetland mapping capabilities in Tennessee, Skytec LLC, a company specializing in GIS technology, has developed a new predictive wetland model, utilizing LiDAR elevation data and machine learning, and a robust training dataset consisting of 2,558 confirmed wetland features across six distinct ecoregions of Tennessee. This presentation evaluates the differences in the quantity and distribution of wetlands between the historic National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) and the new Skytec Model based on both county and HUC 10 watershed boundaries. The Skytec Model predicts the likely presence of “geographically isolated” wetlands in two significant and vulnerable areas of Tennessee: above the Memphis Aquifer recharge zone, and in the Upper Duck River Watershed. This research highlights the great diversity of Tennessee’s hydrologic landscape by both county and watershed and identifies the areas which are most vulnerable to proposed legislation to de-regulate geographically isolated wetlands.
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