Instructions_map_building_with_ArcGIS_Online.pdf

1

Instructions on how to build a customized map in the ArcGIS Online Viewer

Go to www.arcgis.com. This is the website for accessing ArcGIS Online.

Click on the Sign In button on the upper menu bar at the right end.

If you dont have an ESRI global account then create one by clicking on the Create an account button on the left side.

Sign in afterwards.

Click on the Map button on the upper menu bar to go to the map viewer. The map viewer allows to view and make maps using the basemaps and layers (map services) found in ArcGIS Online.

When the map opens, we see a portion of the world map. The map is completely interactive, so we can move it around

and zoom to different scales. Now you will create your first map. Click on New Map on the upper menu bar.

2

Select a basemap, for example Topographic.

3

Add data layers to your map with the Add button. Search for layers that are online available.

We will first search for a land use layer. Type landuse as one word in the Find-field. Go with the default ArcGIS

Online as data source option. The drop-down arrow next to it allows to choose other data sources but they are not

needed at the moment. Now click Go.

4

Different layers are now listed under the search fields. Click on the layer called LandCover_4_NVC_division_landuse.

A pop-up window describes the selected layer.

Click on the Add to map button inside the pop-up.

The land use layer gets drawn inside your map window.

Click on the Done Adding Layers button in the lower left.

You will now see the land cover layer and the topographic base layer listed in the table of contents on the left to your

map.

5

Click on the Show Map Legend button located above the Contents table. Now a legend appears for the land cover

layer explaining the different colors.

Task: Zoom to your watershed or an area where you monitor the water quality and analyze the land use adjacent to the

surface waters.

Now add some water monitoring sites to the map. You can use your own sites or download a sample site spreadsheet at

http://www.internationalwaterinstitute.org/ArcGIS_Online_Info.htm.

Go to that web page and click on Sample Sites Turbidity under Data Layers.

The sample sites are saved in a spreadsheet that has 5 columns:

Site-ID, the geographic coordinates for each sample site, turbidity percentage (exeedance) and the assessment for

designated use. The geographic coordinates for each site have to be stored in two separate columns labeled lat and

long respectively.

6

The spreadsheet file has to get added to our map in CSV format (comma-separated values), so we first save the Excel-file

as CSV on our computer. Choose a name that describes the information of the data set, the exact wording will later be

later displayed in the map legend.

We add now the CSV file to our map with the Add Layer from File link.

7

The Add Layer from File window describes what different file formats can be imported into the ArcGIS.com map.

Browse to the folder on your computer where you saved your CSV-file and click on the Import Layer button.

The sample sites are added to our map as a new layer. In order to better see them we uncheck the land cover layer.

Now we change the display symbol of our sample site layer by clicking the little black arrow to the right of the layer and

the Change Symbols link in the pop-up menu.

8

We want to use different colors for our sample points depending on the designated use assessment for turbidity. From

the Use drop-down menu choose Unique Symbols.

From the To show: drop-down menu choose assessment. In this drop-down you will see all the column names that we

saved in the original spreadsheet.

Now we change the colors of the symbols. Double click on fully supporting

9

The Change Label and Symbol pop-up window appears in the middle of the map. Click on Change Symbol button.

Change the symbol size to 10 pixels. Choose green for the color and outline color. Set the transparency slider to 0%. Hit

Apply, then Done and then OK.

10

Repeat the symbol changing process for the other 2 categories, use red color for not supporting and yellow for

partially supporting.

The sample sites are now being displayed in different colors according to the turbidity assessment in our map.

Task: See if you can find any correlations between site location (upstream, downstream in your watershed) and the

turbidity assessment.

It is time to save our map. Click the Save button on the top menu bar.

Type a map title, words for tags to let other people find your map in case you publish it online and a short summary.

11

Now add another layer to the map that identifies the timing of flood flows from your watershed in relation to the peak

flow on the Red River, often called the early middle - late concept.

Download the zipped file called Flood Timing Zones.zip under Data Layers at:

http://www.internationalwaterinstitute.org/ArcGIS_Online_Info.htm

Save the file to our computer and leave it zipped.

Now add the zipped file to the ArcGIS.com map viewer via the Add Layer from File and Import Layer button.

Repeat the process for changing the symbols of the Flood Timing Zones layer by clicking the small arrow right to the

layer in the table of contents and clicking on Change Symbols in the pop-up window.

12

Use Unique Symbols again and the Zone field and adjust the colors of the three zone symbols to your liking and set

the transparency every time to 70% to have the base layer shine through.

Move the flood timing zone layer below the sample sites layer in the table of contents.

In order to display the map legend click on the Show Map Legend button.

13

Task: Determine the flood timing zone for your sample sites.

The map can now be printed using the Print button on the top menu bar or by taking a screen shot of your computer.

The latter method has the advantage of displaying a legend.

14

15

Screenshot of ArcGIS.com map after cropping

16

Exercise Investigating Buffer Strips in Minnesota

According to shoreland management rules and the drainage law in Minnesota agricultural areas adjacent to lakes, rivers, and streams require a buffer strip of permanent vegetation that is 50 feet wide unless the areas are part of a resource management system plan. For any new ditches or ditch improvements, the land adjacent to public ditches must include a buffer strip of permanent vegetation that is usually 1- rod (16.5-foot) wide on each side. More information can be found in Buffer Strip Regulations in MN at http://www.internationalwaterinstitute.org/ArcGIS_Online_Info.htm Zoom to an area in your watershed where your water quality data point out high turbidity values. Change the base map layer form Topographic to Bing Maps Hybrid

Follow a stream or river that you monitor and find a spot where the buffer width to adjacent agricultural land seems

small. Zoom in accordingly.

17

Click the Measure button on the upper menu bar. The Find area, length, or location window appears.

Click on the Distance button (second from left) and change the unit from Miles to Feet by clicking the small black

arrow next to Miles.

Draw a line (in blue) on the map, the distance then gets displayed as measurement result.

Task: Evaluate the result regarding the Minnesota rules for buffer strips.