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Data Series 736

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the Nature Conservancy

Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) and Geodatabase for the Lower Missouri River Valley

By Kimberly A. Chojnacki, Matthew A. Struckhoff, and Robert B. Jacobson

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (21.4 MB)Abstract

The Land Capacity Potential Index (LCPI) is a coarse-scale index intended to delineate broad land-capability classes in the Lower Missouri River valley bottom from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota to the mouth of the Missouri River near St. Louis, Missouri (river miles 811–0). The LCPI provides a systematic index of wetness potential and soil moisture-retention potential of the valley-bottom lands by combining the interactions among water-surface elevations, land-surface elevations, and the inherent moisture-retention capability of soils.

A nine-class wetness index was generated by intersecting a digital elevation model for the valley bottom with sloping water-surface elevation planes derived from eight modeled discharges. The flow-recurrence index was then intersected with eight soil-drainage classes assigned to soils units in the digital Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database (Soil Survey Staff, 2010) to create a 72-class index of potential flow-recurrence and moisture-retention capability of Missouri River valley-bottom lands. The LCPI integrates the fundamental abiotic factors that determine long-term suitability of land for various uses, particularly those relating to vegetative communities and their associated values. Therefore, the LCPI provides a mechanism allowing planners, land managers, landowners, and other stakeholders to assess land-use capability based on the physical properties of the land, in order to guide future land-management decisions. This report documents data compilation for the LCPI in a revised and expanded, 72-class version for the Lower Missouri River valley bottom, and inclusion of additional soil attributes to allow users flexibility in exploring land capabilities.

First posted January 4, 2013

For additional information contact:
Director, Columbia Environmental Research Center
U.S. Geological Survey
4200 New Haven Road
Columbia, MO 65201
http://www.cerc.usgs.gov

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Suggested citation:

Chojnacki, K.A., Struckhoff, M.A., and Jacobson, R.B., 2012, Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) and geodatabase for the Lower Missouri River Valley: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 736, 18 p.



Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Physical Setting and Study Segments

Approach and Methods

Abundance of Wetness Classes

Potential Planning and Management Applications

Conclusions

References Cited


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