CHAPTER 5 - GROUNDWATER DATA ISSUES 



Cape Cod Aquifer Management Project Final Report Page 39 



CIS integrates computer graphics and an automated database manager 

 into a single interrelated software system that can serve a variety of 

 functions. It also has the capability for analysis techniques, including 

 overlaying data layers of different scales and has remarkable 

 graphic-display capabilities. 



The CCAMP GIS effort utilized the ARC/INFO GIS software developed by 

 Environmental Systems Research Institute (Redlands , CA) . ARC has the 

 capability to maintain the spatial location of map features such as lines, 

 points, and polygons while INFO stores and processes a virtually unlimited 

 amount of attribute information which describes these features. 



5.4.1 The CCAMP GIS Project 



The CCAMP GIS project was a short-term, nine-month effort jointly 

 funded by DEQE and USGS and was developed under the auspices of CCAMP. 

 The primary objective was to demonstrate the usefulness of GIS technology 

 in assessing the risk of contamination to public-supply wells from a 

 number of contamination sources. An integral component of the 

 demonstration was an evaluation of the data requirements necessary to 

 utilize GIS. Although the demonstration was short term, it was designed 

 to provide insight to others considering a long-term investment in GIS. 

 The rationale for beginning this project was based on the existing CCAMP 

 committee structure, the data gathering that had already begun, local 

 contacts, and the knowledge of groundwater -management issues provided . 



The CCAMP GIS project concentrated on groundwater protection at three 

 different levels of analysis: (1) the zone of contribution to nine 

 public-supply wells in Barnstable, a highly urbanized area; (2) in the 

 rural, seasonally populated town of Eastham; and (3) the Cape Cod 

 peninsula. Each of these provided an example of the types of applications 

 for which GIS may be used. Management senarios were developed to analyze 

 some of the major groundwater issues facing decision makers. The 

 scenarios selected for in-depth analysis included: 



1. Selection of potential sites for future public water-supply 

 development and for a stump dump in Eastham. 



2. Examination of risk to public -supply wells from landfills 

 Capewide in order to set enforcement priorities. 



3. Examination of the compatibility of zoning ordinances and land 

 use within a zone of contribution which includes portions of two 

 towns . 



4. Comparison of contamination risk to public-supply wells from 

 existing land uses and the land-use pattern when full development 

 (build out) has occurred according to zoning within a zone of 

 contribution. 



5. Assessment of contamination risk to public-supply wells from 

 underground storage tanks within a zone of contribution. 



