July 11, 2006 -- GeoDecisions, an award-winning leader in the information technology industry specializing in geographic information systems (GIS), recently implemented the Instream Comprehensive Evaluation (ICE) system for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). ICE is an integrated streams and lakes management system designed to help PADEP employees more easily share and evaluate stream and lake assessment information in Pennsylvania.

With ICE, PADEP users can efficiently input the information needed to assess and classify streams and lakes, as well as monitor water quality standards, for improved data analysis. GeoDecisions worked closely with the PADEP’s Bureau of Information Technology, Geospatial Data Center, to deliver a system tailored to the unique data needs of the agency.

Utilizing state-of-the-art tools for stream selection and data population, ICE allows PADEP users to designate stream segments from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), insert them into an ArcSDE® table, and display data as dynamic segments on a map. This functionality helps users to trace and select stream segments based on geometric network and linear referencing for improved analysis.

The Statewide Surface Water Assessment Program (SSWAP), an older version of ICE, required users to manually merge data from different sources. ICE, a .NET desktop application based on ArcObjects™, allows users to input assessment data into a single enterprise geodatabase to save time and resources.