IDENTIFYING BUILDING SITES IN SUMMIT COUNTY, COLORADO: GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, AND GIS A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment for The Degree Masters of Science in The Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kelly Ann Barrett ******* The Ohio State University 2009 Master’s Examination Committee: Dr. Douglas E. Pride, Adviser Approved by Dr. Franklin Schwartz ___________________________ Adviser Dr. E. Scott Bair Geological Science Graduate Program i ii ABSTRACT A Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed to identify future home and business sites in Summit County, Colorado, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The permanent population is projected to be 31,500 by 2010, an increase of 25 percent from 2000 (Colorado Department of Local Affairs Demography Section). Also, in the winter the population of the county may increase to 150,000 or more during peak ski weekends (Summit County Planning Department, 2003). The county will continue development to accommodate the growing population and tourists that flock to ski resorts and other vacation facilities in this very popular and accessible region. The GIS developed here includes data for: land ownership, topography (slope and aspect), bedrock and surficial geology, soil types, presence and orientation of bedrock lineaments, locations of water wells, culture (cities, roads, emergency facilities, etc.), and city and county zoning regulations. By incorporating and correlating features of all of these, it was possible to identify areas within Summit County that can accommodate increases in permanent population and the surges that characterize the tourist industry in Colorado. Because of its location in the high country of Colorado, about 80 percent of the county (496 sq mi of a total 620 sq mi) is administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. However, the GIS developed here identified almost ii 13 percent of the county that is suitable for development – a number that could change subject to the ruling of the county or town planning commission. Twelve areas that range in size from 1.6 to 3.5 sq mi (4 to 9 sq km) were highlighted initially, and three of these were selected for follow-up evaluation: two near the town of Breckenridge (3.3 and 3.5 sq mi), and one near the town of Frisco (3.1 sq mi). The techniques developed in the GIS are directly applicable to the remaining nine of the twelve areas, and anywhere in the world where data and requirements are similar. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It would not have been possible to complete this study without the support of my family, friends, and professors. I thank Dr. Pride for the support, guidance, and ideas that he contributed this study. His enthusiasm aided in making this thesis possible. I wish to thank my committee members, Dr. Frank Schwartz and Dr. E. Scott Bair, for their help throughout this process. I also want to thank Dr. Berry Lyons for his initial guidance in this process. I thank the colleagues that gave me advice at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Water concerning GIS. Wayne Jones, Paul Spahr, and Mike Angle provided suggestions and fixes throughout the study. The State of Ohio Union Education Trust has provided my tuition for the final year of my master’s reach, which has allowed me to finish this study while working fulltime. The Friends of Orton provided the ability to purchase the U.S. Geological Survey digital orthographic quarter quadrangles and Colorado Water Resources water well data used in this study. Finally, I thank my parents, my brothers, and my friends for their encouragement to finish this study. iv VITA December, 1981……………………………. Born – Salem, OH 2000 – 2004…………………………………B.S. Geology Denison University, Granville, OH 2004 – 2007…………………………………Student Intern Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water 2007 – Present……………………………….Geologist Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management v PUBLICATIONS 1. Spahr, P.N., Jones, W., Barrett, K.A., Angle, M.P., and Raab, J.M., 2007. Using GIS to Create and Analyze Potentiometric-Surface Maps. Soller, D.R., ed., Digital Mapping Techniques ’06 – Workshop Proceedings, Columbus, Ohio, June 11-14, 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1285, 217p. (Also available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1285/.) 2. Wayne, J. and Barrett, K., 2007. Building a Water Well Database for GIS analysis. Soller, D.R., ed., Digital Mapping Techniques ’06 – Workshop Proceedings, Columbus, Ohio, June 11-14, 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007- 1285, 217p. (Also available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1285/.) 3. Wayne, J., Barrett, K., M. Angle, and J. Raab, 2007. The Relationship between Land Use, Ground Water Flow and Non-Point Source Contamination in the Upper Mad River Watershed. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Water Resources Section. 117p. FIELDS OF STUDY Major fields: Geological science vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose and Importance of Study ......................................................................... 1 1.2 Location ................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Demographics ....................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Climate .................................................................................................................. 9 1.5 Physical Geography .............................................................................................. 9 1.6 Geologic Setting .................................................................................................. 10 1.7 Hydrology ........................................................................................................... 11 1.8 Water Supply and Water Quality Concerns and Previous Work ........................ 15 Part 1 of Analysis .............................................................................................................. 18 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Description of Jason Miller’s Work .................................................................... 18 2.3 Methods Used in This Study ............................................................................... 26 2.4 Slope and Aspect ................................................................................................. 27 vii 2.5 Land Ownership and Zoning .............................................................................. 40 2.6 Proximity............................................................................................................. 52 2.7 Map Algebra: Adding Data ................................................................................ 63 2.8 Results: Final Addition Product ......................................................................... 67 2.9 Possible Variations to the Final Addition Product .............................................. 69 2.10 Selecting Areas for Detailed Study ................................................................... 70 2.11 Results ............................................................................................................... 91 2.12 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 93 Part 2 of Analysis .............................................................................................................. 95 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 95 3.2 Data Collection ................................................................................................... 95 3.3 Data Preparation for Analysis ........................................................................... 101 3.4 Results and Analysis ......................................................................................... 107 3.4.1 Geology ...................................................................................................... 107 3.4.2 Lineaments ................................................................................................. 115 3.4.3 Soil ............................................................................................................. 127 3.4.4 Water Well Data ........................................................................................ 135 3.5 Data Comparisons: Part Two Data .................................................................. 141 3.5.1 Lineaments and Geology ..........................................................................