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THIS-GIS

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THIS-GIS project

Tyne Habitat Inventory Strategy - Geographical Information System is a survey and monitoring tool based on high resolution aerial photography and electrofishing to give a strategic understanding of where habitat enhancement should be targeted. A combination of aerial photography, ecological and geomorphological surveying and Geographical Information System (G.I.S.) software gives an overall picture of the catchment and can pin point areas that need restoration and conservation work.

Hexham Bridge

Summer 2010 saw good weather conditions for the aerial photography stage of the project. Indeed the plane could be spotted flying low over the catchment and below it in the river channel our Rivers Officer, Paul Atkinson has been criss-crossing the Tyne and its main tributaries carrying a pole with a saucer on top!

paul_gps_webThis highly technical equipment enables detailed river depth measurements to be taken and compared to the colour of the water in the aerial photographs. Depths elsewhere can then be calculated using only the colour of the water in the ultra fine resolution aerial photographs.

Thank you to all those land owners, agents, farmers, fishing clubs and businesses who have allowed us access to the river and helped us to gather this cutting edge data.

(Update - Feb 2012) We have now photographed the entire catchment and have integrated the complete set of interpreted images and survey data onto our IT system. We now routinely use THIS-GIS to help maximise the effectiveness of our field visits and to provide 'virtual walkover' support for all of our projects.