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In 2012, a team of researchers at Portland State University published the online Atlas of Oregon Lakes. The team included limnologists, cartographers, GIS specialists, and web map developers. This article describes the process from the print Atlas of Oregon Lakes, published by Oregon State University Press in 1985, to web mapping and digital publication of the online atlas in 2012. It also discusses the library-like issues of cataloging lakes, keeping on track with standards for scientific water data, and cooperating with other organizations.
Acknowledgments
Won Kim, of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, provided valuable liaison with the sponsoring agency. Andrew Schaedel, one of the print atlas authors, and Roger Edwards, a volunteer from the Oregon Lakes Association, provided valuable comments and historical background. We are indebted to the authors of the 1985 print atlas for their contribution and for laying the groundwork for the online version of the atlas. We thank the many persons in Oregon and U.S. Government offices in Oregon who provided us with valuable advice and access to data without which this atlas would not have been possible.
Notes
1. Trophic status is a measure of the total weight of biomass in a water body and is influenced by nutrient levels, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous. Lakes with the highest level of biological productivity are eutrophic or hypereutrophic and those with the lowest levels are oligotrophic or ultraoligotrophic. The concept was proposed by Robert E. Carlson in 1977 (Carlson 1977).
2. Tektonix Corporation, located in Beaverton, Oregon, was best known as a manufacturer of oscilloscopes, but in the 1970s it expanded into a variety of different markets, including graphic computers, printers, and plotters. Portland State University benefited from donations and discounted pricing for their products. The firm passed through changes of ownership and has largely retreated back into the manufacture of scientific instruments.
3. The Secchi disk is an 8-inch disk with alternating black and white quadrants. It is lowered into the lake until it no longer can be seen by the observer. The depth at which it disappears is called the Secchi depth; see “What is a Secchi Disk,” accessed April 4, 2012, http://www.secchidipin.org/whatis_secchi_disk.htm
4. For further information on the various open source tools employed in developing the atlas, see the following:
| a. | Javascript mapping, accessed April 4, 2012, http://openlayers.org/ | ||||
| b. | PostgreSQL, accessed April 4, 2012, http://www.postgresql.org | ||||
| c. | The R statistical environment, accessed April 4, 2012, http://www.joeconway.com/plr/. | ||||
| d. | Drupal content management, accessed April 4, 2012, http://drupal.org/ | ||||
| e. | For an overview of web mapping, see web GIS: Principles and applications by Pinde Fu (Fu and Sun, 2010) or web mapping illustrated by Tyler Mitchell (Mitchell 2005). | ||||