Abstract
Water level fluctuations in the Lake Granger Corps of Engineers (COE) reservoir project are the result of flood control management of the lower Brazos River basin. These fluctuations periodically submerge wildlife habitat surrounding the lake project area, much of which is licensed to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPW) for wildlife habitat management. TPW must implement its wildlife management techniques under the constraints of a widely fluctuating lake shoreline, fluctuations of which are the result of the lake's principle role of floodwater storage and water resource management. Decisions on the location of these projects, however, are complicated by the relatively small elevation gradients which occur throughout the management units. A means of relating water level fluctuations to changes in habitat, shoreline location, and water depths within these wildlife management units would greatly assist proper management of habitat. This thesis has designed a methodology to determine the accuracy of 3-D surface models derived from United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1:24,000 7 1/2' quadrangle topographic map elevation data, for the relatively flat terrain making up most of the wildlife management units. This surface model can then accurately predict the effects of the major habitat types caused by changes in lake levels. The methodology presented in this study can serve as a cost-effective, long-term management tool for wildlife managers at Lake Granger and other regional COE reservoir projects when considering the effects of lake levels on the quantity of wildlife habitat within designated management areas.
Sabella, Raymond Jacob (1995). Determining the effects of fluctuating lake levels on wildlife habitat using GIS and remote sensing. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1995 -THESIS -S222.