The New Jersey State Policy Lab announced on May 4 that it has completed the creation of digital features representing historical water bodies across the state and has begun analyzing how these have changed over time using ArcGIS Pro software.
This project aims to understand shifts in land and water cover, which can inform planning and environmental policy. The process, known as change detection in geographic information systems (GIS), helps track how natural resources like rivers, lakes, streams, bays, and wetlands have evolved or disappeared over decades.
According to the announcement, feature classes were created for each type of water body based on historical maps. These were merged into a single dataset after converting stream data from lines to polygons using a five-foot buffer. The combined data was then converted into a raster format with ten-foot resolution. Each type of water body was assigned a unique value for further analysis.
To compare historic conditions with current landscapes, researchers used the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Land Use/Land Cover 2020 dataset. Non-water land covers from this recent dataset were selected and dissolved into one feature before being rasterized at the same resolution as the historic data. By applying raster calculations, areas where historical water bodies are now land could be identified.
Jonathan DeLura, GIS Specialist at the Center for Urban Policy Research at the Bloustein School for Planning and Public Policy, led this technical effort. The Edward J. Bloustein School operates as part of Rutgers University according to its official website. Stuart Shapiro assumed the role of dean in 2023 according to the official website.
The school is recognized nationally for its graduate urban planning program and undergraduate public health program according to its official website. It also focuses on fostering just and sustainable communities locally and globally according to its official website, while advancing social impact through research centers dedicated to community development, transportation, health policy, workforce development and energy policy according to its official website. Distinguished alumni are recognized through an annual Hall of Fame tradition dating back more than a decade according to its official website.