SiteFinder: A geospatial scoping tool to assist the siting of external water harvesting structures

Water harvesting has a long history, but still plays an important role today by increasing crop productivity, combatting erosion, and improving water supplies. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are used extensively to assess the suitability of sites for available tools fail consider synoptic topography sites. Here, we report creation novel, automated tool – “SiteFinder” that evaluates potential locations automatically calculating site-specific information, including structure parameters (height, length, volume) descriptors zone affected (storage capacity area influence) catchment area. Innovatively, compared existing this kind, SiteFinder works within GIS environment. Thus, it allows possibility combining its outputs with larger Multi-Criteria Decision-Making processes other bio-physical, socio-economic, environmental factors. It utilises Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analyses thousands sites, computing site characteristics different barrier heights dependent on surrounding topography. values eight aid planners in assessing as their harvesting. We conducted case studies using 30 × m gridded DEMs evaluate several thousand and, filtering outputs, successfully identified appropriate scenarios at three spatial scales: large dams nationally significant supply reservoirs (383 analysed; 5 filtered barriers up height); gully erosion control regional-scale interventions (4,586 6 3.6 local, community-based earth embankment projects (801 2 height). A higher resolution (1 1 m) terrain elevation model, derived from open-source airborne survey data, was veracity these results. Correlations between impounded storage volume two data sets were all strongly (Spearman’s rank correlation, p < 0.001); normalised root mean square errors 9%, 15% 16% parameters, respectively.