Satisfying the Need: Finding Potential Campsite Locations in Farewell Canyon, B.C. Alexis Moore 230075923 Geog 413 Final Project Write- Up Roger Wheate April. 13, 2012
Introduction & Purpose of Study The purpose of this project was just as the title states to find potential campsite locations within Farewell canyon to satisfy the need that currently exists by users of this gorgeous region. Farewell canyon is beautiful place, carved out over thousands of years by the Chilcotin River and home to world famous mountain biking trails, bighorn sheep, and stunning views (Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4). Personally, I have spent a lot of time enjoying this area along with many other people. The one problem with this area though is that when you want to spend a night or two camping out, there is no provincial or forestry campsite area to stay at. In fact, the closest forestry campsite is in Riske Creek - 16.6 km away as the crow flies or 20.6 km driving distance. This has resulted in people having to do a rogue style of camping, always unsure of whether they were on private or crown land. This is of course stressful for the camper and potentially the private landowner as well, where it isn t uncommon for them to protect their land with reasonable force. Due to this need, in this project I have performed data assembling and spatial, surface and raster analysis to locate suitable campsite areas. There is also a large provincial park nearby - Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park - with the edge of it seen shaded in green (Fig. 5, 6). Its park boundary could potentially be extended to include this new campsite area, or the area could become a new forestry campsite.
Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 1, 2, 3 & 4 Source: https://www.google.ca/search?q=farewell+canyon&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=6lilt_igkb LXiAK05YXICw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBEQ_AUoAQ&biw=1272&bih=702&sei=71iLT53ZC 8ifiQLbvfCxCw
Fig. 5. Source: http://www.webmaps.gov.bc.ca Fig. 6. Source: http://www.webmaps.gov.bc.ca
Study Area & Data Source Farewell Canyon is located at +51 49' 34.85", - 122 32' 55.27", 68.3 km SW of Williams Lake, B.C., and can be seen in Fig. 7. A close- up satellite view from Google Maps can be seen in Fig. 8 and a Terrain Bender image from a previous project of mine in Fig. 9. I downloaded all the data, two 1:20K TRIM I mapsheets 92O 78 & 88, from the UNBC GIS Data Download site at http://gis.unbc.ca/resources/data_download/login.php. Fig. 7. Source: http://maps.google.ca Fig. 9 Fig. 8. Source: http://maps.google.ca
Methods & Analysis After downloading the mapsheets I used FME Universal Translator to merge the saif files and convert them to one shapefile. I then opened ArcMap to do my analysis. First I created a boundary around my new study area to which I could clip any water bodies. Next I converted the river lines into polygons using the Feature to Polygon tool. I chose not to include streams in this area as the Chilcotin River is the only water source flowing through this arid and desert canyon. Next I created a DEM from the contour lines using the Topo to Raster tool from 3D Analyst. From this I created a hillshade. I also used its Spatial Analyst feature to get slope and aspect. I then queried and extracted polygon areas with slopes less than 5 degrees and aspect facing south (135-225 degrees). I chose these parameters as a campsite area should be relatively flat for those who have RV s and trailers, and since the campsite area would be within the canyon it would be important for it to get as much sunlight as possible and have good exposure in general. Next I made 1000 m buffer polygons around the gravel roads and made 100-300 m, 100-500 m, and 100-800 m river buffer polygons from the Chilcotin River. I choose a minimum distance of at least 100 m from the river to reduce flood risk and for a general safety buffer for children and pets. Finally, I intersected the slope, aspect, road and river polygons; I did this in 3 separate intersections one for each river buffer. This resulted in 3 zones. I wanted to have these zones so that there would be options for the builders of the campsite area to select the best areas once they were on the ground. Also, if all zones were implemented campsite users could have the choice of where to camp based on personal preferences such as safety and noise in terms of distance to water and their affinity for water.
Results & Conclusion The resulting map from my analysis can be seen in Fig. 9. Since the canyon is a relatively small area in terms of road access, the map is a large scale. The three different suitable camping areas can be seen in Zones 1, 2, & 3, with the optimal areas of the three seen circled in red (Fig. 10). Zone 1 would be best for those looking to be right close to the river, enjoy the beach and maybe do some fishing. It could also potentially be the walk- in area of the campsite, allowing for a more rugged feel for those that prefer to use tents. Zone 2 would work for people who want to be relatively close to the river, but also have a better view of the canyon. It is also the largest level zone of the three, which would mean easy access and set up for those with RV s and a closer feel for those who like to have neighbors and be social. Lastly, Zone 3 would be enjoyed best by those who want to take in the grand views of this canyon, have more space and privacy, and be able to ride their bikes down trails that leave right from their campsite. All zones also have camp- side access to many other walking and biking trails as well as cultural features such as hieroglyphics and the Pioneer Homestead (Fig. 9).
Fig. 10
Fig. 11