WRDB has been integrated into the MapWindow/BASINS application to facilitate the display and query of spatial data. GIS stands for Geographic Information System; it provides a means to display spatial data on maps and allow the user to interact with it. Note that the GIS menu only appears in WRDB when it is being used as a BASINS plug-in.
MapWindow GIS: MapWindow GIS is an open source application and programming framework MapWindow was initially developed in 1998 by Dr. Dan Ames of Utah State University (now of Idaho State University). MapWindow was designed from the ground-up to avoid the use of proprietary components (other than those distributed with the Windows operating system). The program, which utilizes a unique plug-in framework for adding custom functionality, has recently been under intense development as a platform for EPA's BASINS application. See www.mapwindow.org.
BASINS: The Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) software system was originally introduced in 1996 with subsequent releases in 1998, 2001, and 2004. BASINS is a multipurpose environmental analysis system designed for use by regional, state, and local agencies in performing watershed and water quality-based studies. This system makes it possible to quickly assess large amounts of point source and non-point source data in a format that is easy to use and understand. Earlier versions of BASINS utilized the proprietary ArcView software product as a base for displaying and performing calculations on GIS information. Since version 4.0, BASINS has used the MapWindow environment. See www.epa.gov/waterscience/basins/.
WRDB was primarily designed as a data warehouse application with a variety of tools to help the water resources professional analysis his data. As such, earlier versions had limited ability to display spatial relationships. By incorporating WRDB into BASINS, you can now visualize data like never before.
Although BASINS has a long list of modeling and visualization capabilities in its own right, this discussion will focus on some basic features that are synergistic with WRDB. BASINS is designed to help you easily set up projects by HUC: many map layers are automatically downloaded across the Internet that can be used as base maps (e.g., HUC boundaries, stream reaches, NWS, USGS, and EPA data collection stations, NPDES/PCS locations, roads, and soils). You can easily superimpose WRDB data on these layers.
Although the WRDB plug-in was designed to work with BASINS (and is installed in the proper directory so it can automatically be discovered), it is actually possible to use the WRDB plug-in without BASINS (i.e., using only MapWindow). All you have to do is manually copy the plug-in files from the BASINS to MapWindow plug-in directory.
Note: WRDB 5.1 does not provide the BASINS/MapWindow plugin capability.