Eco-Geographical Study

The Albion Basin Eco-Geographical Study Program began in 2002, and was conceived from the need to create an integrated resource inventory of the Albion Basin. Some documentation of Albion Basin characteristics exist. However, prior to Friends of Alta's Eco-Geographical Study, data from these studies were not compiled and integrated, so that data from one study would be easily referenced to data from another study.

The objectives of the Albion Basin Eco-Geographical Study Program include: (1) inventory existing spatial data and create an integrated geographic information system (GIS) that can be used to document the current status of physical, ecological, and cultural resources within the Albion Basin; (2) conduct field surveys of vegetation and ecological conditions, as well as research/ compile previously prepared documentation of these characteristics; and (3) create a resource that can be used by students, teachers, Alta visitors, and resource managers for data and information retrieval.

The first project in the Albion Basin Eco-Geographical Study Program included compilation of existing information, land cover mapping, and field investigations, primarily to document flora in the Albion Basin since the presence of certain plant communities represent types of habitat. This project was conducted by Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

In the first phase of the second project in the Eco-Geographical Study Program, we will be working with the Geology Department of the University of Wisconsin at Parkside with the goal of obtaining a better understanding of hydrogeology in the Albion Basin, particularly the role that hydrogeology might play in supporting ecosystems in the Albion Basin.