Developing Design Structure - Site Selection & Design File

Following the guide for the development of a survey design for Aquatic Resource Monitoring.

This step completes the Design Process by running the site selection algorithms and creating the Design File.

An overview of how it fits together.

Continuing with the illustrative example of the design processes based on the EMAP Western Pilot Program.

See Indiana Streams for another example.

Completion of the design process establishes the sites to be surveyed and creates documentation for the design and analysis



Combining the Sample Frame, Survey Design, discrete grid, and GIS algorithms a spatially balanced randomize list of sites is selected.
A standardized Design File is created to document the design process, establish a data record with information for each site

Site Selection Process

Driven by survey design specifications
Create GIS coverage for boundary of study area
Create hierarchical grid covering study area
- Ensure <1 point per grid cell
- Ensure grid cell small enough to be included in small regions of study area
Create Sample Frame, GIS coverage(s), from frame materials
Intersect Sample Frame with grid coverage
Determine multi-density multiplicative factors for unequal probability
Select sites
Create Design File

Design File: Has all sites selected by survey design, for each site:

Back to Design Info