The Freshwater Atlas is an interactive mapping project that highlights the diverse and essential freshwater resources of Orange County, Florida. Designed to be both educational and visually engaging, this tool allows users to explore key freshwater sites, understand their ecological significance, and appreciate the challenges involved in preserving these natural resources. By integrating detailed data and intuitive design, the project aims to raise awareness and foster action toward conservation.
The website is accessible here: https://mracs.dev/freshwater-atlas/ || mracs.dev/fa
Our slides are accessible here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGZBVBKdA8/_1iyzmx4w4oGm8HU3p9dKA/view?utm_content=DAGZBVBKdA8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h3a19c8ac0b
The Freshwater Atlas is an interactive website designed to raise awareness about the freshwater resources of Orange County, Florida. Our target audience includes college students, environmental enthusiasts, and local residents. This diverse audience could range from children exploring the map’s interactive features to adults seeking detailed information about the region’s freshwater treasures.
- Primary Goal: Create a user-friendly platform that provides essential information about freshwater resources in Orange County.
- Promote In-Person Exploration: Encourage users to explore and appreciate freshwater sites in person.
- Ensure Simplicity and Reliability: Design a platform that is engaging, easy to use, and effective in fostering curiosity and environmental stewardship.
Freshwater resources—such as lakes, rivers, and springs—are the lifeblood of ecosystems and human activities. However, these resources face numerous threats, including pollution, overuse, and habitat degradation. The Freshwater Atlas seeks to address these issues by providing a platform where users can:
- Explore: Navigate an interactive map featuring key freshwater bodies in Orange County.
- Learn: Gain insights into water quality, conservation efforts, wildlife habitats, and the role of freshwater in sustaining life.
- Act: Understand the impact of human activities and the importance of restoration initiatives.
Freshwater resources are vital not only for drinking water but also for agriculture, recreation, and supporting biodiversity. However, these resources are finite and vulnerable to overexploitation. By presenting data in an accessible format, the Freshwater Atlas empowers users—from students and researchers to local residents—to:
- Recognize the interconnectedness of freshwater ecosystems.
- Understand the critical importance of sustainable water management.
- Take informed steps toward conservation and advocacy.
Our original design included:
- A homepage introducing the website and the team.
- A map page with a dynamic, interactive map and a sidebar for filtering lakes, rivers, and springs.
- About Map Page: Added a dedicated page to provide insights into the map’s purpose, interactive layers, and real-world implications like water quality data and conservation efforts.
- Interactive Map Filter Redesign: Replaced the fixed sidebar with a simplified design, allowing users to click directly on map pins to learn about specific resources. This improved usability and engagement.
- Learning the API to create a dynamic map.
- Adding custom markers for lakes, rivers, and springs.
- Dynamically loading data from a JSON file.
- Creating a custom JSON file due to the large Orange County dataset though their data was used.
- Ensuring accurate data representation by linking the database to JavaScript for dynamic rendering.
- Freshwater Sites: Includes lakes, rivers, and springs.
- Wildlife Habitats: Detailed information on ecosystems and species.
- Pollution Sources: Highlights problem areas and ongoing restoration projects.
- Water Quality: Its impact on ecosystems and human activities.
- Conservation Challenges: Threats and restoration efforts.
- Biodiversity: Importance of freshwater for sustaining life.
- Layered visualizations make complex data accessible to all users, regardless of technical expertise.
The Freshwater Atlas integrates trusted and accurate data sources:
- Orange County Water Atlas: Comprehensive database on local water bodies and ecological health.
- USGS National Water Information System: Nationwide data on surface water, groundwater, and water quality.
- Florida DEP Waterbody IDs (WBIDs): Geospatial data identifying Florida’s water bodies and their environmental status.
The Freshwater Atlas is built using modern web development technologies:
- Google Maps API: Enables interactive mapping and data visualization.
- HTML5/CSS3: Provides responsive design and clean user interfaces.
- JavaScript: Facilitates dynamic functionality and interactivity.
- Learned how to implement advanced map features like filters and pop-up windows.
- Gained experience in integrating APIs and managing data with JSON.
- Worked as a team to debug API integration and manage large datasets effectively.
- Successfully delivered an interactive map with clickable markers and detailed freshwater information.
- Inspired to continue exploring ways to bridge technology and environmental stewardship.
- Lina Baly
- Jiya Manchanda
- Angie Lam
- Matthew Ray
Course: CMS 352: Web Application Development - Fall 2024
Team Name: CTRL+ALT+ELITE
Instructor: Dr. Valerie Summet
Date: December 11, 2024