The same model will later be introduced with ArcView version 4. Hydrology and water resources engineering has a long history of model development for describing the flow and quality of water in the landscape, but the integration of these models with GIS data and tools still requires considerable development. Of all the areas of environmental analysis, the modeling of water movement has the greatest number of available computer programs. A substantial investment in GIS data is being made by many governmental agencies concerned with water management. This data needs to be synthesized into forms that can yield improved information for water modeling and decision-making.
Water is a vital natural resource.
GIS users would like to be able to more directly influence the development of GIS technology to address water issues Engineering firms recognize GIS as an attractive technology. They want to better understand the capabilities of current methods and data, and estimate the time and resources needed to achieve practical results. The community of people concerned with GIS and water resources is very dispersed both geographically and by technical background. GIS specialists generally do not have training in hydrology and water resources engineering. Education and training activities are needed to overcome these knowledge gaps, especially for professionals already in the workplace.