The Klamath Hydroelectric Project is the seventh in a continuing series of PacifiCorp hydroelectric projects for which VESTRA is the primary GIS data developer. Working with PacifiCorp's Environmental Services Department, VESTRA developed GIS data on more than one million acres that encompass hydroelectric projects in four western states.

Some of these hydroelectric-project relicensing databases are among the largest and most complex in the industry. VESTRA's responsibilities for these databases extend beyond capture and mapping to managing, integrating, and coordinating the transfer of GIS data between our facilities and those of PacifiCorp. Because of the size of this task, VESTRA has developed data-management software in ARC Macro Language and ArcView GIS that ensures a smooth transfer of data between sites and provides PacifiCorp an opportunity to browse, query, and extract data for specific uses.

As a part of this ongoing effort to develop GIS databases for hydroelectric projects undergoing relicensing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, VESTRA has provided direction, development, and support for the implementation of the Klamath Hydroelectric Development GIS. This work entailed classifying vegetation types, using TM Landsat imagery, assessing accuracy classification, and modeling rangeland productivity. Data used came from a variety of sources, including state and federal agencies and private firms. Other data was digitized by VESTRA. Some data required extensive sophisticated projection and data transfer formatting.