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GIS AND REMOTE SENSING FOR MONITORING VEGETATION RECOVERY 
FROM PRODUCTION REACTOR EFFLUENT 
Lynne M. Christel-Rose 
James D. Blohm 
Halkard E. Mackey 
EG & G Energy Measurements 
Multispectral Remote Sensing Department 
P.O. Box 1912 M/S RSL-19 
Las Vegas, Nevada 89125, USA 
ISPRS Commission VII/Working Group 7 
ABSTRACT 
The Savannah River Site (SRS), owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and currently operated by 
Westinghouse Savannah River Company, is the location of five nuclear reactors which were operated 
periodically over a span of 40 years as nuclear production facilities. Temporal analysis of multispectral 
scanner data has shown where riparian communities have been impacted by thermal effluent from direct 
discharge of reactor cooling water which has resulted in changes in bottomland hardwood and other 
wetland communities in several of the SRS creeks. Image analysis techniques were used to georegister 
and classify sight consecutive years of imagery for Pen Branch Creek (1997-1994). The temporal 
information derived from the imagery was incorporated into a Geographic Information System that 
included high resolution aerial photography that was acquired prior to site activity (1961). The historical 
data were used as the baseline for estimating changes in the distribution and composition of wetland 
classes both during reactor operation and after reactor discharge ceased. This type of integrated analysis 
has proved to be a reliable tool for determining and mapping where changes occurred in the creek. This 
approach is providing site managers with information such as improved acreage estimates and guidance 
as to the suitability of various tree species from which restoration efforts can be directed in a cost- 
effective manner. 
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