Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
EXERCISE 1 7
Geology and Regional Planning
INTRODUCTION
"The social value of geology increasingly derives
from the environmental tensions created by the
resource and land-use needs of an expanding popu-
lation. Quality of life for the eight or ten billion peo-
ple who will inhabit the planet by the end of the
coming century will depend on how well these
unavoidable tensions are managed. Thus, our scien-
tific agenda is inextricably bound not just to geologi-
cal phenomena, but also the relation between those
phenomena and the behavioral patterns of human
beings."
resources (gravel, rock, water, and agricultural soils) all
impact land-use decisions.
An acre or hectare of land may have the potential
to provide multiple resources for humans—both
simultaneously and sequentially. Potential land uses
include mineral extraction, forestry, groundwater sup-
ply, water reservoirs, waste disposal, and cemeteries in
addition to those resource uses listed in Table 17.1. In
some cases there is a definite best use of the land
because the resource is not found elsewhere in the
region.
COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL PLANNING
-S AREWITZ , 1996
"Obedience to nature could well be the motto of
every planning agency."
In regional assessments for resource use, planning
agencies must consider more than geologic hazards
and resources; they must include biological, social,
political, and historical data, too. By inventorying, ana-
lyzing, and displaying these data, knowledgeable land-
use options can be made.
There are many approaches to regional planning.
These are the basic steps in one common approach:
-L EGGET , 1973
"Sooner or later we all pay, directly or indirectly, for
unintelligent use of land."
— M CGILL , 1964
In this exercise the objective is to understand the
geologic controls on land use, and the steps in and
geologic information for regional planning. In Part A
we look at the environmental factors in disposal of
municipal solid waste; in Part B, we select suitable
sites for several land uses in Waco, Texas, using
properties of geologic formations or units, basic data
maps, and resource capability maps. We begin with
an overview of regional planning.
1. Analysis of goals and objectives of the region (public
input)
2. Collection of basic data
a. inventory of geologic and biologic factors in the
environment
b. inventory of economic, social, cultural, and political
factors
3. Analysis of resource capability (using 2a)
4. Analysis of resource suitability (using 3 and 2b)
5. Synthesis of data to develop goals and objectives, in
the form of alternate plans for the region
6. Selection of the best regional plan (public input)
7. Determination of techniques for implementing
the plan.
GEOLOGY AND LAND USE
Human use of the physical environment must consider
our need to avoid hazards and maximize resource
availability. Hazards, as explored in Section II of this
topic, topography, soil strength, depth to bedrock, and
Capability usually is defined as the ability of the
land to provide a resource; maps depicting capability
are called resource capability maps. An area that is
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