System, method, and computer program product for weather and terrestrial vegetation-based water renovation and management forecasting7031927Abstract A system, method, and computer program product for weather and/or terrestrial vegetation-based water renovation and management forecasting are described herein. The system includes a water renovation and management forecast system that acts as an analysis engine, where the analysis engine executes a request for the evaluation of water. The system may also include a front end system that preferably provides a graphical user interface to the users of the present invention to access the water renovation and management forecast system. In addition, a database stores both past (i.e., history) and future (i.e., forecast) weather and/or terrestrial vegetation data that are used by the water renovation and management forecast system in the analysis of the water. Data in the database are passed in via the front end system, collected by the water renovation and management forecast system, or derived by the water renovation and management forecast system. Claims What is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Overview of The Present Invention The present invention is directed to a system, method, and computer program product for water renovation and management forecasting. For convenience, the present invention is described herein in the context of a reservoir and its watershed. However, it should be understood that the invention is adapted and envisioned for use with any basin of water, such as lakes, ponds, etc., in addition to reservoirs. The present invention is "weather and/or terrestrial vegetation adapted." In other words, the present invention, when forecasting water renovation and management, takes the affect of weather and/or terrestrial vegetation into consideration. For example, suppose the invention is used to forecast water level adjustment of a reservoir for flood control next spring. In performing this forecasting function, the present invention will take into consideration the weather predictions for next spring (whether precipitation in general will be below seasonal, seasonal, or above seasonal, for example). The anticipated terrestrial vegetation of the land surrounding the reservoir also provides an indication of the quantity and quality of water that will flow into the reservoir (i.e., not be absorbed by the surrounding vegetation). Thus, the present invention may also take into consideration the terrestrial vegetation predictions for next spring. Because it takes weather and/or terrestrial vegetation into consideration, the present invention is generally more accurate than systems and methods that do not take the affect of weather and/or terrestrial vegetation into consideration. If a user desires, based on the weather and/or terrestrial vegetation, to automatically diagnosis any basin of water to determine both past and present problems, receive both short term and long term remedies of the problems based on the diagnosis, and receive both short term and long term management advice of the water basin based on the diagnosis and remedies, the present offers a way to provide such information. More specifically, the present invention greatly facilitates and enhances the ability of users to remedy and manage water basins based on past and future weather and/or terrestrial vegetation and how each affects water conditions. The present invention typically incorporates some or all of the following categories of functionality: (1) retrieving and analyzing past and current water basin data to produce a diagnosis of the ecosystem, (2) determining solutions (i.e., remedies) for the water basin based on the diagnosis and predicted future weather and terrestrial vegetation, and (3) determining management advice for the user based on the diagnosis and determined solutions. Further development of the use of weather and terrestrial vegetation analyses in reservoir management and renovation will be discussed below as they relate to both the databases and the functionality of the present invention. The present invention thus contemplates a water renovation and management forecast system 205, a front end system 210, and databases 215 as shown in FIG. 2 and described in detail below. To facilitate the reader in the understanding of the present invention an ecosystem in terms of a reservoir and its watershed is described next. As mentioned above, for convenience only, the present invention is described herein in the context of a reservoir and its watershed. However, it should be understood that the invention is adapted and envisioned for use with any basin of water. II. Overview of an Ecosystem A reservoir, though human construction, is an ecosystem and functions much like a natural lake being a system with many interacting and interdependent parts. These interacting and interdependent parts can be both coarsely and finely viewed. The coarser viewed parts include: (1) the reservoir and all of the other systems connected to the reservoir within its drainage basin including the terrestrial and other aquatic systems like ponds, wetlands, and streams. These terrestrial and/or aquatic systems make up the reservoir's watershed. The finer viewed parts include particular species of plants and animals. Finer viewed parts also include the physical and chemical conditions/components like temperature and the dissolved nutrients in the watershed or in the reservoir water. An example of the coarser viewed parts of an ecosystem, and how they interconnect, are further explained with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the coarser viewed parts of an ecosystem 100 includes: (1) a reservoir 105 made up of an upper basin 110 and a main basin 115; and (2) a watershed 120 made up of one or more ponds 125, one or more wetlands 130, one or more streams 135, and the adjoining land. Main basin 115 comprises a water supply system 140. Water supply system 140 is the water that is supplied to consumers. Streams 135 enter upper basin 110. Thus, the process of siltation fills upper basin 110 with materials (e.g., deposits of soil, clay, smaller rock particles, etc.) three to five times more rapidly than main basin 115. Thus, water supply system 140 typically reduces in quality and quantity as reservoir 105 gets older and fills with silt. III. System Architecture Overview FIG. 2 is a block diagram representing an example operating environment of the present invention. It should be understood that the example operating environment in FIG. 2 is shown for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the invention. Other implementations of the operating environment described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein, and the invention is directed to such other implementations. Referring to FIG. 2, a water renovation and management forecast system 205 (also called "renovation system" herein), a front end system 210, databases 215, the global Internet 220, government agencies 225, and industry suppliers 230 according to an embodiment of the present invention, are shown. An embodiment of the functional modules of the present invention includes water system 205, front end system 210, and databases 215. Renovation system 205 acts as an analysis engine for the present invention in the evaluation of water system renovation and management. Renovation system 205 is connected to front end system 210. Front end system 210 may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to users of renovation system 205. Although the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 illustrates renovation system 205, front end system 210, and databases 215 as separate functional modules, several (or all) modules may be combined as long as the functionality of each module still exists within the present invention as will be described below. Data needed to perform all features of the present invention are either passed in via front end system 210, collected by renovation system 205, or derived by renovation system 205. Requests can be made by front end system 210 to renovation system 205 at any time as long as renovation system 205 has the data to process the request. Thus, the various functions provided by the present invention are not dependent on the source of the data. Front end system 210 may also operate as a Web server. A Web server provides the GUI to users of renovation system 205 in the form of Web pages when access is made via Internet 220. As is well-known in the relevant art(s), a Web server is a server process running at a Web site which sends out Web pages in response to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests from remote browsers. An optional firewall (not shown) serves as the connection and separation between front end system 210 and Internet 220. Generally speaking, a firewall—which is well-known in the relevant art(s)—is a dedicated gateway machine with special security precaution software. It is typically used, for example, to service Internet 220 connections and dial-in lines, and protects a cluster of more loosely administered machines hidden behind it from an external invasion. Renovation system 205 is also connected to databases 215. Databases 215 stores collections of data required by renovation system 205. Both the functions of the engine of renovation system 205 and the data stored in databases 215 will be discussed in further detail below. The global Internet 220 includes a plurality of external workstations that, not only allow users of Internet 220 to remotely access and use renovation system 205, but also allows renovation system 205 to access the external workstations. In essence, the present invention may use an external workstation to request data from both government agencies 225 and industry suppliers 230. Renovation system 205 and front end system 210 may request data relating to compliance regulations for water renovation activities, historical data relating to one or more reservoirs, etc., from government agencies 225. Renovation system 205 and front end system 210 may also request data relating to availability, pricing and description information regarding supplies and/or services required for water renovation and management from industry suppliers 230. It is important to note that the present invention is not limited to requesting data from government agencies 225 and industry suppliers 230. The present invention may also request data from any other entity that will facilitate the present invention in water renovation and management. Also note that the present invention may communicate with government agencies 225, industry suppliers 230, and so forth, via communication methods other than Internet 220 (via TCP/IP), including asynchronous dial up and asynchronous lease line. What is meant by asynchronous dial up, asynchronous lease line, and TCP/IP communication is explained next. The term asynchronous is usually used to describe communications in which data can be transmitted intermittently rather than in a steady stream. For example, a telephone conversation is asynchronous because both parties can talk whenever they like. If the communication were synchronous, each party would be required to wait a specified interval before speaking. Asynchronous dial up refers to connecting a device to a network via a modem and a public telephone network. Asynchronous dial up access is really just like a phone connection, except that the parties at the two ends are computer devices rather than people. Because asynchronous dial up access uses normal telephone lines, the quality of the connection is not always good and data rates are limited. An alternative way to connect two computers is through an asynchronous leased line, which is a permanent connection between two devices. Leased lines provide faster throughput and better quality connections, but they are also more expensive. TCP/IP is an acronym for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the suite of communications protocols used to connect hosts on Internet 220. TCP/IP uses several protocols, the two main ones being TCP and IP. TCP/IP is built into the UNIX operating system and is used by Internet 220, making it the de facto standard for transmitting data over networks. Even network operating systems that have their own protocols, such as Netware, also support TCP/IP. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the functional modules of renovation system 205 preferably connected by a network according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the particular renovation system 205 in FIG. 3 is shown for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the invention. Other implementations for performing the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein, and the invention is directed to such other implementations. As will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s), all of the modules "inside" of renovation system 205 are preferably connected and communicate via a communication medium such as a network 320. The topology of network 320 as shown in FIG. 3 is called a bus topology. In general, the topology of a network is the geometric arrangement of functions (i.e., computers) within the system. Other common types of network topologies include star and ring topologies, etc. Although the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 as incorporating a bus topology, the present invention can equally be applied to other topologies. Referring to FIG. 3, renovation system 205 includes processing modules 305, administration modules 310, and background modules 315. Each module of processing modules 305 can be operated independently of the other modules. Data needed by the present invention are either passed in via front end system 210, collected by renovation system 205, or derived by renovation system 205. Requests can be made by front end system 210 to renovation system 205 at any time as long as renovation system 205 has the data to process the request. Thus, the various functions provided by the present invention are not dependent on the source of the data. Connected to databases 215 are background modules 315 and administration modules 310. Administration modules 310 are also connected to front end system 210. These modules are described for illustrative purposes. The invention is not limited to these modules. In an embodiment of the present invention, processing modules 305 contain five (5) modules. Each module performs a unique set of processing features. Such processing features include, among other features, obtaining and evaluating data for a reservoir and its watershed, determining observable and fundamental problems experienced by the reservoir based on the obtained/evaluated data, querying historical weather to determine weather-related causes of the determined problems, and querying future weather to determine short and long term solutions and/or management schemes to the determined problems. Additional processing features provided by processing modules 305 include querying historical terrestrial vegetation of the reservoir's surrounding vegetation to determine vegetation-related causes of the determined problems, and querying future terrestrial vegetation to determine short and long term solutions and/or management schemes to the determined problems. Each processing module operates in conjunction with front end system 210 to form a complete automated water renovation and management solution. The individual modules of processing modules 305 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 22. In an embodiment of the present invention, administration modules 310 contain three (3) modules. Each module performs a unique set of administrative features. Such administrative features include, among other features, an interface to front end system 210, an interface to databases 215, and direct access to the various modules of renovation system 205. The individual modules of administration modules 310 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 34. In an embodiment of the present invention, background modules 315 contain three (3) modules. Each module performs a unique set of background features including, among other features, the evaluation of unique circumstances (including the cost and government compliance regulations for particular solutions), the calculation of mathematical formulas, the requests for data from databases 215, and the ability to accept data in various formats, parse the data, and save the data in appropriate tables in databases 215. The individual modules of background modules 315 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 20. IV. Weather-Related Functionality of the Present Invention The present invention utilizes certain weather conditions (i.e., parameters) that either directly or indirectly affect the functioning of reservoirs both over the long term and more immediately on a day to day basis (i.e., short term). Weather, particularly the solar radiation as it affects water temperature, water circulation, and plant growth and the precipitation as it affects movement of materials from land to water, is strongly correlated in some way with all of the reservoir problems that the present invention identifies. Weather will be explained throughout this application as it relates to reservoirs. The present invention monitors many weather parameters, with a particular emphasis on seven (7) parameters. These parameters include temperature, precipitation, wind speed, solar radiation, cloud covering, cooling rate, and growing degree days. The present invention is not limited to these weather parameters. For example, the present invention also may measure the rate of evaporation, where evaporation is the process of converting a substance (such as water) from its liquid phase to its gaseous phase. How each parameter affects the conditions and/or problems of reservoirs will be described throughout the application. Following is a brief explanation of each weather parameter and its unit of measure as it relates to the present invention. The present invention contemplates using other units of measure and it not limited to the units of measure described below. A. Temperature Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of the environment. The unit of measure used in the present invention for temperature is degrees Fahrenheit (° F.). B. Precipitation When cloud particles become too heavy to remain suspended in the air, they fall to the earth as precipitation. Precipitation occurs in a variety of forms including hail, rain, freezing rain, sleet, or snow. The unit of measure used in the present invention for precipitation is inches. C. WindSpeed Wind speed is the rate, in knots, at which the wind passes a given point. Generally, the wind speed is determined by averaging the speed over a 2-minute period. Table 1 below gives a general description of the type of wind speed one would experience at a given knot. The unit of measure used in the present invention for wind speed is knots.
D. Cloud Cover Cloud cover is the percentage of the sky dome covered by clouds. Local geographical features, such as mountains, oceans, and large lakes, influence the formation of clouds. The unit of measure used in the present invention for cloud cover is percentage. E. Solar Radiation Solar radiation data provide information on how much of the sun's energy strikes a surface at a location on earth during a particular time period. The data give values of energy per unit of area. By showing naturally occurring changes in the amount of solar radiation over the course of days, months, and years, the data determine the amount of solar radiation of a location. Clouds are the predominant atmospheric condition that determines the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth. The unit of measure used in the present invention for solar radiation is kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (kWh/sq m/day). F. Cooling Rate The rate of cooling of a heated object at any instant is proportional to the difference between the object's temperature and the environment. Thus, the object cools faster at first, while it is hot, and the rate of cooling slows down as the temperature of the object approaches the environment's temperature. G. Growing Degree Days Growing degree days (GDD) are a daily accumulation of heat for crop growth. GDD are related to the number of days it takes for a particular type of crop to mature. Variations between locations, between seasons at a particular location, between planting times at a particular location and season, and between the requirements of different crops result in differences in GDD. For example, corn does not grow when temperatures are below 50° F., and temperatures above 86° F. do not increase plant growth rate. The "days to maturity" for different types of vegetation (and for different hybrids of a particular type of vegetation) are closely related to their growing day degree requirements. For example, a type of vegetation requiring 2,450 GDD planted April 25 near David City, Nebraska, would be expected to mature in 121 days compared to 134 days for one requiring 2,700 GDD. The seasonal temperature of a region must be able to meet the growing degree days requirement of a vegetation or it will not be adapted. The unit of measure used in the present invention for growing degree days is GDD. The formula for GDD is to add the daily high temperature (e.g., 86° F. maximum) and daily low temperature (e.g., 50° F. minimum); divide this figure by 2 and subtract 50. The remainder represents the heat units for one day: Thus, GDD=(86+50) 2-50=18 GDD. Example Relationships Between Weather Parameters Different types of weather parameters influence others. The amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface varies greatly because of changing atmospheric conditions and the changing position of the sun, both during the day and throughout the year. Clouds are the predominant atmospheric condition that determines the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth. Consequently, regions of the nation with cloudy climates receive less solar radiation than the cloud-free desert climates of the southwestern United States for any given location, the solar radiation reaching the earth's surface decreases with increasing cloud cover. Local geographical features, such as mountains, oceans, and large lakes, influence the formation of clouds, the amount of solar radiation received for these areas may be different from that received by adjacent land areas. For example, mountains may receive less solar radiation than adjacent foothills and plains located a short distance away. Winds blowing against mountains force some of the air to rise, and clouds form from the moisture in the air as it cools. Coastlines may also receive a different amount of solar radiation than areas further inland. Where the changes in geography are less pronounced, such as in the Great Plains, the amount of solar radiation varies less. V. Terrestrial Vegetation-Related Functionality of the Present Invention The terrestrial vegetation covering the land surrounding a reservoir is a particularly important characteristic controlling the influence that this land has on the reservoir receiving its drainage. The present invention utilizes certain metrics gathered by remote sensing techniques to determine both past and future terrestrial vegetation of the land surrounding reservoirs. These metrics include terrestrial greenness and vegetation phenologic metrics. Terrestrial greenness and vegetation phenologic metrics, as they relate to weather conditions (i.e., parameters), are indicators of reservoir conditions. Terrestrial greenness is a generic term used to describe the condition of vegetation as observed from earth observation satellites that look at earth objects in discrete portions of the light spectrum known as spectral bands (via remote sensing technologies.) Terrestrial vegetation will be explained throughout this application as it relates to reservoirs. Certain information for the reservoir and its watershed is best gathered with the many new remote sensing technologies continually being developed. Some have now been providing information for more than a decade. Particularly the technologies employing the use of high elevation sensors from airplanes and satellites serve the important need for information gathered across large expanses of water and land. Quantifying the extent of aquatic weed growth following certain nutrient changes in the reservoir water or quantifying the extent of shallow zones developing due to siltation or more rapidly following water level manipulations can only be done with analyses of data gathered in such a broad scale manner. The watershed is generally ten (10) to one hundred (100) times or more larger than the area of the reservoir. Therefore, characterizing features of this land and other water bodies draining into the reservoir must be accomplished in part from an elevated vantage point. Key features of this land and upper water bodies can be first examined historically for characteristics most affected by human activities and changing weather conditions as the most likely candidates causing changes leading to problems. Plant phenology refers to the climate-related growth and development stages of plants. Because the phenologies or growth calendars of various plants and assemblages of plants differ from each other, there are corresponding differences in temporal patterns of terrestrial greenness in the landscape. For example, winter wheat, which is planted in the fall, greens up briefly in late fall and the aboveground biomass then dies back over the winter months. In the spring it greens up early, ripens in May and June, and is harvested in late June or early July. Corn, on the other hand, is planted in April, greens up in May, reaches its peak in July, senescences in August, and is harvested in September. Because of these differences in temporal patterns, it is possible to use a time series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (explained below) images over an entire year to separate wheat and corn, as well as other crops. Likewise, cool season grasses can be separated from warm season grasses, forested areas from grassland, and so on. The present invention monitors many terrestrial greenness and vegetation phenologic metrics, as they relate to weather conditions, as indicators of reservoir conditions. There are many measures of satellite-derived terrestrial greenness, some consisting of a single band (e.g., the green band or the near-infrared band) and others consisting of ratios of bands. The most commonly used and accepted vegetation ratio is the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) which is an adjusted ratio of the near-infrared band and the red band. The following formula may be used to calculate NDVI: ##EQU1## High values of NDVI indicate vigorously growing vegetation, while low values indicate areas of sparse vegetation or no vegetation at all. These values have been found to be strongly correlated to vegetation measurements such as biomass and leaf area index. Time-series NDVI images can be harnessed to measure and evaluate the phenological progress of vegetation through a series of vegetation phenologic metrics (VPM). As the term implies, vegetation phenologic metrics are specific measurements of the development and condition over time based on satellite-derived vegetation values (i.e., NDVI). In addition to the standard set of VPMs, it is possible to derive numerous additional measurements. For example, the mean onset of vegetation or the variation in the onset of vegetation (i.e., the standard deviation) for an area such as a watershed, county, or crop reporting district, can be calculated. Such derived measurements provide summary information over a defined spatial extent that may help in analyzing underlying ecosystem (or agro-ecosystem) processes. The set of key VPMs includes the following measurements shown below in Table 2.
Although the set of key VPMs will be described in more detail below, following is a general introduction to these measurements. Onset of greenness represents the beginning of photosynthetic activity. Time of end of greenness represents the end of photosynthetic activity. Duration of greenness represents the length of photo synthetic activity. Time of maximum greenness represents the time when photosynthesis is at its maximum. Value of onset of greenness represents the level of photosynthesis at start. Value of maximum NDVI represents the level of photosynthesis at maximum. Range of NDVI represents the range of measurable photosynthesis. Accumulated NDVI represents the net primary production. Rate of green-up represents the acceleration of increasing photosynthetic activity. Rate of senescence represents the acceleration of decreasing photosynthetic activity. Mean daily NDVI represents the mean daily photosynthetic activity. Although the present invention focuses of the above metrics, the present invention is not limited to these metrics. Temporal metrics, NDVI-value metrics, and derived metrics are stored in databases 215 of the present invention in temporal metric data 1405 (FIG. 15), NDVI-value metrics data 1410 (FIG. 16), and derived metrics data 1415 (FIG. 17), respectively. Terrestrial vegetation will be explained throughout this application as it relates to reservoirs. VI. Examples of the Interaction Between Problems, Solutions, Weather, and Terrestrial Vegetation Prior to explaining the specifics of databases 215, a high level overview of some of the reservoir problems and solutions addressed by the present invention will aid in the understanding of databases 215. The high level overview will also aid in the understanding of the functionality of renovation system 215. Also, some examples of interaction between reservoir problems, solutions, and weather and terrestrial vegetation conditions will further aid in the understanding of the present invention. The current invention contemplates two types of problems within a reservoir and its watershed that could involve either management or renovation actions. These two types of problems are observable and fundamental problems. Fundamental problems typically exist prior to, and are the essence of, observable problems. Generally, observable problems are detectable by one or more of the human senses. Examples of observable problems include, but are not limited to, declining sport fish availability, excessive plant growth, and taste and odor in drinking water. Observable problems are usually trigger by one or more fundamental problems. Fundamental problems are typically not detectable by the human senses. Examples of fundamental problems include, but are not limited to, excess nutrients or soil entering the reservoir due to some disturbance in the watershed, and thermal stratification. All of the fundamental problems are caused to some degree by certain weather conditions and/or terrestrial vegetation of the vegetation surrounding the reservoir. Thermal stratification is defined in the present invention as a functional problem. Thermal stratification naturally occurs with warmer weather as surface water is heated more rapidly than deeper water during the spring and early summer. This can rapidly form a warm and thus less dense surface layer a few meters deep in the reservoir that physically does not mix with the colder and thus more dense deeper water. Thermal stratification also creates other management problems as the deeper water declines in oxygen and increases in ammonia and hydrogen sulfide as the summer progresses producing very inhospitable conditions for sport fish and even leads to objectionable taste and odor problems. Objectionable taste and odor is defined as the present invention as an observable problem. With thermal stratification, nutrients tend to build up in the deeper water due to settling of organic matter from above and the resulting increased decomposition that releases these nutrients. The deep nutrient-rich water often does not receive enough light for summer algae growth but is later mixed to the surface in the early fall when the entire reservoir water column becomes mixed again as it cools. This often causes another "burst" of microorganism growth in the fall at about the time when taste and odor problems are about to begin. Thermal stratification is weather related and in affect also produces shallow water zones intensifying certain plant problems. Elevated nutrient levels are also required for this growth in the reservoir and such nutrient levels are most often produced by watershed runoff, thus by precipitation as another predictable weather condition. Sparse vegetation on the land in the watershed also increases nutrient levels and siltation (described below) in the reservoir. Dense vegetation helps to hold nutrients and silt instead of allowing them to enter the watershed runoff. With precipitation and sparse vegetation (indicated by terrestrial vegetation) comes runoff and the movement of silt and nutrients to the reservoir. Elevated nutrient levels are defined as a fundamental problem, and shallow water is defined as an observable problem by the present invention. Although the relationships between VPMs and development of taste and odor problems are still being developed at this point, there are three general groups of hypotheses that can be formed. These hypotheses include early season vegetation, terrestrial vegetation condition as a surrogate for reservoir vegetation condition, and terrestrial biomass as a nutrient source. Early season vegetation is first discussed. Inasmuch as chemical agricultural fertilizers are applied heavily in the spring, one contributor to aquatic vegetation growth and, consequently, taste and odor problems, might be heavy runoff of fertilizers into rivers and streams that feed reservoirs. Earlier than normal onset of crop vegetation in agricultural areas might mean that crops have begun to develop earlier than normal compared to grasses, trees, and shrubs that ordinarily serve as buffers to absorb fertilizer runoff. In such a scenario, more chemical fertilizers than normal might feed into aquatic systems. On the other hand, later than normal onset might indicate a situation where fields have been planted late but where fertilizers were applied prior to planting. This situation might also permit heavier than normal fertilizer runoff into streams, since there are no crop roots to take them up or hold them. In both these situations, the indicator vegetation measures might simply be the date of onset of vegetation or the rate of greenup. Or, it may be a derived measure such as the standard deviation of date of onset or rate of greenup within a watershed. In the scenario of terrestrial vegetation condition as a surrogate for reservoir vegetation condition, terrestrial and aquatic vegetation can be viewed as being independent from each other but responding to the same environmental inputs, primarily climatic in nature. Relevant climate conditions would be temperature patterns and related measures such as growing degree days. It is not necessary to establish causal links between terrestrial and aquatic vegetation, but to use measures of terrestrial vegetation as surrogates for aquatic vegetation development. Measures of terrestrial vegetation that might be expected to relate to high growth of aquatic vegetation might include high peak vegetation values, a prolonged duration of greenness, and high accumulated vegetation over a growing season. The relationship of terrestrial biomass as a nutrient source is based on the fact that decomposing vegetation from the current year's growth becomes dissolved organic matter that enters the aquatic system and becomes a nutrient source for the following year's aquatic vegetation. Indicator vegetation values would be those that indicate a large crop of above-ground biomass, including total accumulated vegetation over the growing season, duration of greenness, and high peak vegetation. The movement of silt causes siltation. Siltation is defined by the present invention as a fundamental problem. Shallower water levels created over time by siltation, or immediately by water level manipulation, can be related to weather and terrestrial vegetation. Shallower water produces warmer water because more of the entire water column or volume is exposed to high light conditions. Excessive plant growth is defined by the present invention as an observable problem. Plant growth in reservoirs is driven by plant nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved in the reservoir water. Eutrophication is the process of increases in nutrients and accompanying plant growth that occur in reservoirs either by natural processes or processes greatly influenced by human activities. Plant growth is also highly dependent upon available light that beneath the surface of the reservoir is controlled by the clarity of the water. The types of plant growth in reservoirs, thus the particular accompanying problems, are related to the clarity of the water along with the total amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus and the relative amounts of nitrogen verses phosphorus or the N:P ratio. The present invention defines decreased water clarity as an observable problem. Water clarity is a function of the amount of suspended matter in the water, mostly silt and microscopic algae. Floating flowering plants and suspended algae prevail with reduced water clarity and elevated nutrient levels. With low amounts of nitrogen present relative to phosphorus (N:P ratios less than about 5:1) only a certain type of algae dominates, particular species of bluegreen algae which are able to fix or use atmospheric nitrogen. These algae in this way are like terrestrial legumes in being able to use a type of nitrogen that is naturally in high supply in water and air but other plants are unable to use it. The bluegreen algae are the plants most often associated with the production of geosmin in a reservoir. Geosmin is a chemical released by certain microorganisms that imparts a "musty" taste and odor to the water which is difficult and costly to remove at the water treatment plant. The bluegreen algae plants either produce geosmin in their cells that is then released upon death and decomposition or the bacteria and fungi decomposing them produce the geosmin. These algae are also greatly favored by reduced water transparency because of their unique ability to be very buoyant from trapped gas produced by their own growth. They are a larger type of suspended microscopic algae not readily eaten by the animal food chain in the reservoir. Not being eaten leads to even greater accumulations of their biomass in late summer and fall in temperate climates. Such masses at the surface also cause recreation problems as this material accumulates along the shoreline. With greater water clarity certain algae growing attached to bottom surfaces and certain rooted flowering plants dominate with elevated nutrient concentration in the water. In some reservoirs, particularly observed in the California, the water can be very transparent due to greatly reduced erosion but still have high nutrient levels due to fertilizer runoff and/or sewage contamination (human or livestock). Here the bottom algae, including some bluegreen algae, have also been associated with geosmin production. In the fall these surface or bottom algae naturally die and decompose rapidly leading to the common geosmin incidents in the late fall and early winter in many reservoirs. Large growths of flowering plants, rooted or floating, are less often associated with geosmin incidents either because they produce less in their bodies or less is produced with decomposition since their structure is much more coarse compared to algae and they decompose slowly. The problems caused by flowering plants are mostly physical ones including the disruption of habitat for fish growth and the disruption of the physical acts of fishing, swimming, and boating, even commercial navigation. Flowering plants are particularly a problem in low erosion areas and in the more southern temperate and tropical regions where these flowering plants do not naturally die back during the winter thus their biomass accumulates year after year. Seeking solutions to the above problems begin with identifying the sources of these conditions within the reservoir itself. For example, in recent years it has been discovered that undesirable taste and odor conditions in reservoirs are most often due to the presence of the chemical geosmin present in the reservoir water before it reaches the water treatment plant. This problem as it exists today everywhere in the United States and abroad generally appears in the late summer and fall causing the greatest occurrence of public complaints to plant operators and to the local political establishment. Extreme treatment measures are often pursued at the water treatment plant and are usually inaffective at removing the geosmin. Alternative water sources become the only solution but are often not available. Currently there is no evidence that geosmin in the concentrations found in reservoir water or in the distributed water is toxic either to wildlife or to humans. It does create a "musty" taste and odor at very low concentrations that is objectionable to the user who then typically assumes that there must really be any number of "dangerous" chemicals or organisms present thus the high incidents of ensuing complaints. Beginning with the production of geosmin in the reservoir and weather, warm and sunny spring, and early summer weather conditions stimulate the growth of aquatic plants, particularly the algae. The thermal stratification of a reservoir may have to be managed due to the adverse affects noted above. Here, there is an attempt to physically break down the thermal layers. This is attempted either by pumping compressed air deep into the water column to cause mixing or by selectively drawing water out of a particular thermal layer for the normal outflow from the reservoir (called aeration). Certain volumes of continuous outflow from a reservoir are required by law to maintain flow in the stream below. Compressed air or other mechanical mixing systems are very expensive and must be set up well in advance to be quickly affective when conditions require such treatment. Selective discharge must also be initiated well in advance of the onset of the problems caused by stratification. Thus, the accurate prediction of spring and summer temperature conditions and terrestrial vegetation would allow far more cost affective and successful management actions to be taken. Controlling excessive plant growth in reservoirs is a necessary action for addressing most of the reservoir problems addressed by the present invention. Renovation and management actions to control these various types of plant-related problems involve particular actions specifically directed at controlling the type of associated plant. There are many situations where conventional methods are not working and there are opportunities for new more affective actions to be developed and implemented. The present invention takes certain weather and terrestrial vegetation conditions experienced by a reservoir into account that excessively stimulate the growth of these plants. Also, there are new actions to physically remove these plants or to restructure through dredging certain habitats in the reservoir that have changed due to siltation. With continuing efforts to reduce soil erosion to preserve agricultural productivity and to reduce siltation rates in reservoirs, water clarity will increase in many reservoirs, yet excess nutrients still enter from other sources. Thus, controlling the inflow of nutrients has become even more important. New methods to remove nitrogen and phosphorus at their domestic and agricultural sources are considered by the present invention, such as using only certain types of fertilizer for crops and/or applying fertilizer that is time-sensitive to anticipated terrestrial greenness for the region. In fact, certain methods may be implemented to capture these nutrients along the way within the watershed drainage system before they reach the reservoir. Certain management practices in the smaller farm ponds and streams that nearly all agricultural runoff passes through can deposit these nutrients in contained sediments and vegetation for indefinite periods of time. Also, as part of the adjacent land configuration accompanying dredging as discussed above, settling basins and wetlands, through which the runoff is directed to pass, can be constructed in new more affective ways. There are new ways to construct the former such that they are particularly affective at removing nutrients attached to the silt particles. The latter, being the most productive type of natural plant habitat, can be strategically located as part of the use of dredging spoils to intercept within the natural wetland plant growth much of the nutrient load heading towards the reservoir. The process of mechanically shredding and promoting the natural decay of floating and rooted flowering plants are alternatives to using herbicide controls. Herbicide use in reservoirs, particularly in those used as water supplies, has declined in recent years with greater regulation over the use of such chemicals, with their increasing cost, and with little advance in improving their effectiveness. Mechanical means of control are now more often preferred. The recent design, construction, and use of the "Aquaplant Terminator" device is revolutionizing this action. This device, associated with the present invention, is a boat with special attachments that are mechanically able to shred floating or near surface flowering plants at a rate considerably faster than any other mechanical device on the market. Patents are pending for particular features of the construction of this device. Another mechanical device being developed can be used while navigating the reservoir. This device passes large volumes of water with high concentrations of floating bluegreen algae through specially designed chambers. These chambers are designed to critically alter cell structure and clumping followed by passing these plants back into the reservoir in a more harmless condition. Being microscopic, even though sometimes in floating masses, these plants cannot be killed by mechanical shredding and they cannot be harvested. However, it is possible to alter their structure and functioning so that less geosmin is ultimately released either directly upon their death or by the microorganisms decomposing them. The present invention also addresses a way of effectively dealing with the problem of taste and odor before it reaches the water treatment plant. This begins with identifying the source of the production of geosmin in the reservoir or perhaps in the watershed. Conditions in the reservoir most closely related to the appearance of geosmin are conditions affecting certain types of plant growth described above. In terms of the physical structure of the reservoir basin, conditions include the expansion of shallow water zones overlying silt deposits, silt deposits periodically exposed to the atmosphere, high nutrient levels in shallow water, and a greater fraction of the total volume of reservoir water occupying increasingly shallower areas. These reservoir structural conditions are clearly related to siltation and basin filling invoking the management and renovations actions involving dredging. These structural basin conditions and the plant conditions are not often considered all together when developing management and renovation actions as we are doing in our work with taste and odor problems. Now such considerations will open the way to developing actions from several directions to reduce the concentrations of geosmin reaching the treatment plant by reducing the production in the basin. The geosmin that does reach the treatment plant is also being targeted in new ways by the present invention as described next. Although the present invention focuses on the correction of water problems prior to reaching the treatment stage, it may be necessary to treat water to solve a problem. The reservoir condition that most often produces a problem that must be treated in the water received by a water treatment plant for domestic water supply is once again the high levels of the chemical geosmin and the accompanying objectionable taste and odor for the consumer. Currently, attempts to control this condition within the water treatment plant focus on its removal by chemical or biological means. The financial costs for addressing geosmin problems either within the reservoir or within the treatment plant can be quite substantial as shown recently for reservoir water supply systems in Kansas. The City of Wichita has allocated five hundred thousand (500,000) dollars to control nutrient levels in their reservoir to reduce the production of geosmin by aquatic plant growth. The City of Emporia has installed an ozonation component for their treatment facility for removing geosmin at a cost of eight hundred and thirty thousand (830,000) dollars. The City of Lawrence, after having to shut down their treatment plant and use an alternative water source for nearly two months in the fall and winter of 1995-96, is now assessing the capital improvements needed after another high geosmin episode occurred in the fall and early winter of 1997-98. As discussed above this problem worldwide grows worse as reservoirs age and fill with silt. Objectionable taste and odor is registered by the consumer when geosmin concentrations rise above 5 nannograms (ng) per liter (nannogram=one billionth of a gram) in the water from the tap. Concentrations of geosmin above twenty (20) to fifty (50) ng/liter require complicated and costly treatment efforts that are ineffective at concentrations above 100 ng/liter. It is not uncommon to record concentrations of geosmin in reservoirs at above 200 ng/liter. The longer-term declines in water levels due to siltation will ultimately have to be addressed by dredging as discussed in detail earlier. Whereas, short-term changes in water levels are used by reservoir managers to prepare for later spring and early summer flood control requirements, but this may exacerbate other problems already noted. There is great value in predicting well in advance the extent of the rainy period and thus an amount of water to be released. The specifics of databases 215 are described next. VII. Databases of the Present Invention In general, a database is a collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. A database is similar to an electronic filing system. To access information from a database, you need a database management system (DBMS). This is a collection of programs that enables you to enter, modify, organize, and select data in a database. Traditional databases are organized by tables, fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is one complete set of fields; a table is a collection of records; and a file is a collection of tables. For example, a telephone book is analogous to a file. It contains a list of records, each of which consists of three fields: name, address, and telephone number. An alternative concept in database design is known as Hypertext. In a Hypertext database, any object, whether it be a piece of text, a picture, or a film, can be linked to any other object. Hypertext databases are particularly useful for organizing large amounts of disparate information, but they are not designed for numerical analysis. The present invention may also be implemented using a standard database access method called Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC). The goal of ODBC is to make it possible to access any data from any application, regardless of which DBMS is handling the data. ODBC manages this by inserting a middle layer, called a database driver, between an application and the DBMS. The purpose of this layer is to translate the application's data queries into commands that the DBMS understands. For this to work, both the application and the DBMS must be ODBC-compliant—that is, the application must be capable of issuing ODBC commands and the DBMS must be capable of responding to them. With reference to FIG. 4, the various databases that comprise databases 215 are shown. Databases 215 comprise a weather database 405, a reservoir/watershed history database 410, a problems database 415, a solutions database 420, a terrestrial vegetation database 425, and a government compliance database 430. Each of these databases are described in detail below with reference to one or more exemplary tables. Each table contains multiple fields. Like names of fields represent the same type of data in different tables. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the databases are not limited to the described tables and their fields, but may include more or less tables and/or fields as required. A. Weather Database The present invention makes use of weather data. The weather data include seasonal weather data (for example, the average temperature in June), historical weather data (for example, the temperature last June), and forecast weather data (for example, a prediction as to what the temperature will be next June). The seasonal weather data, for example, seasonal temperature, represent a narrow range of temperatures, which is implementation dependent, for a specific location and period. It is based upon the 40% of occurrences centered around the mean temperature during a 30 year period. The historical weather data preferably represent a library of historical weather data covering two to five years, although other time spans are alternatively possible and envisioned by the present invention. The forecast weather data represent weather predictions for preferably fifteen months, although other time spans are alternatively possible and envisioned by the present invention. Databases of seasonal weather data and historical weather data are available from many publicly and/or commercially available publications and services. The forecast weather data are commercially available from Strategic Weather Services of Wayne, Pa. Other forms of forecast weather data are available from other commercial sources, but these other forms cannot be used directly with the present invention. Instead, they must be modified so as to be consistent with the form and substance discussed herein. Weather database 405 comprises three types of data, as shown in FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 5, weather database 405 comprises weather history data 505, weather patterns data 510, and weather forecast data 515. Weather database 405, along with weather history data 505, weather patterns data 510, and weather forecast data 515, is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,456, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For completeness, however weather history data 505, weather patterns data 510, and weather forecast data 515 are briefly described herein. 1. Weather History Data Exemplary weather history data 505 are shown with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. History data 505 comprise a year field 605, a MA field 610, a data type field 615, and multiple period fields 620 including Period 1 through Period 6. Weather history data 505 include, for each year 605 in the view, one or more records for each MA 610 (metropolitan area). The term MA closely resembles the well known name Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). However MA preferably encompasses a larger surrounding geographical area/region than the strict MSA definition to include a particular reservoir and its watershed. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. Weather history data 505 contain, but is not limited to, data on metropolitan areas. The records in weather history data 505 contain information specifying the weather that occurred in the subject MA 610 in the time span represented in the view. Specifically, for each MA 610, there is a record for each of several weather data types 615 for each of several periods 620. The historical weather information shown in weather history data 505 is provided on a per period basis. Periods 620 may be any increment of time, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, etc. Preferably, the increment of time represented by a period is the same in both weather history data 505 and weather forecast data 515 within weather database 405. In an embodiment of the present invention, there are three classes of weather data types 615 in weather history data 505—seasonal, actual, and category (also called weather pattern). A seasonal data type is the seasonal (or average) value of a weather parameter. Accordingly, the data type "temp.sea" is the average temperature; the data type "prec.sea" is the average precipitation; the data type "wind speed.sea" is the average wind speed; the data type "solar_radiation.sea" is the average rate of solar radiation; the data type "cloud_cover.sea" is the average percentage of cloud cover; the data type "cooling rate.sea" is the average rate of cooling; and the data type "growing degree days.sea" is the average number of growing days for a particular type of vegetation. Seasonal data types are shown in FIG. 6A. Referring to FIG. 6A, a record 622 shows that in 1997, the metropolitan area indicated by MA100 had a seasonal temperature of 46° F. in Period 1. An actual data type is the actual value of a weather parameter. Accordingly, the data type "temp" is the actual temperature; the data type "prec" is the actual precipitation; the data type "wind_speed." is the actual wind speed; the data type "solar_radiation" is the actual rate of solar radiation; the data type "cloud_cover" is the actual percentage of cloud cover; the data type "cooling rate" is the actual rate of cooling; and the data type "growing degree days" is the actual number of growing days for a particular type of vegetation. Actual data types are shown in FIG. 6B. Referring to FIG. 6B, a record 623 shows that in 1997, the metropolitan area indicated by MA100 had an actual temperature of 49° F. in Period 1. A category data type reflects a weather parameter's actual versus seasonal values. Accordingly, the data type "temp.cat" reflects actual temperature versus seasonal temperature; the data type "prec.cat" reflects actual precipitation versus seasonal precipitation; the data type "wind_speed.cat"reflects actual wind speed versus seasonal wind speed; the data type "solar_radiation.cat" reflects actual rate of solar radiation versus seasonal rate of solar radiation; the data type "cloud_cover.cat" reflects actual percentage of cloud cover versus seasonal percentage of cloud coverage; the data type "cooling_rate.cat" reflects actual rate of cooling versus seasonal rate of cooling; and the data type "growing degree days.cat" reflects the actual number of growing days versus seasonal number of growing days for a particular type of vegetation. The following Table 3 shows what the values of a category data type reflect.
Referring to Table 3, if a category data type is equal to 1, then the actual value was greater than the seasonal value. If a category data type is equal to 0, then the actual value was equal to (or substantially corresponded to) the seasonal value. If a category data type is equal to -1, then the actual value was less than the seasonal value. Of course, values other than 1, 0, and -1 could be alternatively used to indicate these relationships. Also, other weather data types may be used. Category data types are shown in FIG. 6C. Referring to FIG. 6C, a record 625 shows that in 1997, the metropolitan area indicated by MA100 had an actual temperature that was greater than the seasonal temperature for Period 1. 2. Weather Patterns Data Exemplary weather patterns data 510 are shown with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. Each weather pattern includes one or more weather parameters. The present invention makes use of a number of different weather patterns to characterize the weather that occurred during any given past period, or that is predicted to occur during any given future period. Preferred weather patterns are presented in FIGS. 7A and 7B. As indicated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, exemplary weather patterns employed by the present invention include temperature/precipitation, temperature/solar radiation, cloud cover/solar radiation, etc., sustained weather, temperature/precipitation lag 1 period, and temperature/snow lag 1 period. The present invention is not limited to these weather patterns. For example patterns also include temperature/precipitation/wind speed combinations. Referring to FIG. 7A, the temperature/precipitation, temperature/solar radiation, etc., weather patterns are now explained. Each weather pattern includes one or more weather parameters. For example, the temperature/precipitation weather pattern includes the temperature parameter and the precipitation parameter. For any given period, each parameter can be either seasonal, below seasonal, or above seasonal (except the sustained weather pattern, described below). For any given period, the values of these weather patterns are represented by the entries in weather history data 505 (FIG. 6C) having the category data type. For example, in 1997, the weather pattern in MA100 during Period 1 was temperature above seasonal/precipitation above seasonal (see records 625 and 630 in FIG. 6C). This weather pattern is abbreviated by T1P1. This file is used as the "look up" to allow renovation system 205 to determine which patterns it will use. Consider, for example, records 625-633 in weather history data 505 shown in FIG. 6C. In Period 1, the weather pattern T1P1 occurred in both 1997 and 1998. As explained above, one type of weather parameter may influence others. For example, clouds are the predominant atmospheric condition that determines the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth. Therefore, it is likely that if cloud coverage is below seasonal then solar radiation is likely to be above seasonal for a particular year 605, MA 610, and period 620. Referring to FIG. 7B, the sustained weather pattern represents contiguous weeks (or other periods) of similar weather, for example having "temperature sustained two weeks" as a pattern. The "temperature seasonal/precipitation seasonal lag 1 period" pattern represents the occurrence of "temperature seasonal/precipitation seasonal" in the previous week. 3. Weather Forecast Data Exemplary weather forecast data 515 are shown with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. Forecast data 515 comprise year field 605, MA field 610, data type field 615, and multiple period fields 620 including Period 1 through Period 6. As indicated by like numbering, these fields contain the same type of data as the fields described with reference to history data 505 (FIGS. 6A-6C). Weather forecast data 515 include, for each future year 605 in the view, one or more records for each MA 610. These records contain information specifying the weather that is predicted to occur in the subject MA 610 in the future time span represented in the view. Specifically, for each MA 610, there is a record for each of several weather data types 615. There are also three classes of weather data types 615, as in weather history data 505, including seasonal, actual, and category. These classes are the same as those described above with respect to weather history data 505. Accordingly, the description above of weather history data 505 also applies to the weather forecast data 515. Referring to FIG. 8A, a record 805 shows that in the 1999 (where N=1998), the metropolitan area indicated by MA100 is predicted to have a temperature of 47° F. for Period 1. Relationship Between Past and Future Data As evident by the description above, weather history data 505 represent past data because they contain historical information. In contrast, weather forecast data 515 present future data because they contain information pertaining to predicted weather in the future. Both databases contain information on a per period basis (see periods 620). Preferably, the increment of time represented by the period is the same for both data. Also, the periods in both data are synchronized. Suppose that the increment of time is set equal to one month. In this example, if it is assumed that Period 1 represents January, then in weather history data 505, Period 1 represents January of a past year. Similarly, in weather forecast data 106, Period 1 will represent January of a future year. Time Periods As discussed above, data may be stored in weather history data 505 using any time increment or period, including but not limited to daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. Similarly, weather forecast information for each location may be stored in weather forecast data 515 on a daily basis, a weekly basis, a monthly basis, or a quarterly basis. Preferably, the time increment/period is the same for both data 505 and 515. B. Reservoir/Watershed History Database The history of any ecosystem continually affects its current functioning. More specifically, the history provides important clues to help to identify renovation and/or management strategies of particular problems in the present and future of a reservoir and its watershed. The present invention determines the history of reservoir construction and subsequent development as well as the natural history and the history of human activities within the watershed. This determination requires being able to identify the different external sources of information for the various components of such a history. These external sources include a number of state and federal agencies or offices (government agencies 225) responsible for gathering and storing such information. There is also important information concerning the early natural terrain (e.g., vegetation) of the land before settlement in various types of public records. These public records may include old survey records going back to the original settling of the land by Europeans during the past three centuries. For example, it is important to know the extent to which the current vegetation covering a watershed is not native to the region and thus not as well adapted to the climate and other conditions of the region. This provides important information about the natural stability of a reservoir and its watershed in terms of how easily it can become disturbed. How easily it can become disturbed may cause particular problems to be considered for renovation and management. The way in which the present invention collects and parses the data that are stored in reservoir/watershed history database 410, and in databases 215 in general, will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. Exemplary reservoir/watershed history database 410 is shown with reference to FIG. 9. History database 410 comprises year field 605, a reservoir field 905, MA field 610, a description of watershed field 910, a recorded problems field 915, an attempted solutions field 920, a number of people served field 925, a size in acres of water supply versus total size field 930, an ownership type field 935, and a uses field 940. Description of watershed field 910 further comprises a terrain field 945 and an aquatic systems field 950. Terrain field 945 further comprises fields that indicate the percentage of each type of terrain that make up the watershed of reservoir 905. The fields of different terrain types include a grassland field 955, a cropland field 960, a forest field 965, a residential field 970, an industry field 975, and an other field 980. Aquatic systems field 950 further comprises fields that indicate the percentage of each type of aquatic system that makes up the watershed of reservoir 905. The fields of different types of aquatic systems include a ponds field 985, a wetlands field 987, a streams/rivers field 989, and an other field 990. Recorded problems field 915 and attempted solutions field 920 each further comprise periods field 620 (FIG. 6). Uses field 940 further comprises fields that indicate the percentage of the type of uses for the subject reservoir. The fields include a drinking water field 994, a flood control field 995, an irrigation field 996, a recreation field 997, a power plant cooling field 998, and an other field 999. An explanation of data contained in each field in history database 410 will be described next. Data in reservoir field 905 represent a unique reservoir code for each reservoir in history database 410. For example, reservoir 105 (FIG. 1) is represented by a unique reservoir 905 code in history database 410 if data have been collected for reservoir 105. Data in description of watershed field 910 represent data, for a particular reservoir 905, describing the history and human activities of its watershed for year 605. The present invention determines the history of reservoir construction and subsequent development as well as the natural history and the history of human activities within the watershed by comparing data in fields terrain 945 and aquatic systems 950 for multiple years 605. Data in terrain field 945 describe the particular makeup of the surrounding land of reservoir 905's watershed for year 605. A higher percentage of cropland and industry in a watershed may indicate more human activities affecting the water in the reservoir. The present invention determines the history, or change, in the watershed terrain 945 of reservoir 905 by comparing different years 605. For example, referring to records 991 and 993 in FIG. 9, reservoir "R1" had a change in its terrain from 1997 to 1998. Specifically, the percentage of grassland decreased from 58% in 1997 to 40% in 1998. In addition, the percentage of cropland increased from 30% in 1997 to 48% in 1998. Data in aquatic systems field 950 describe the particular makeup of the aquatic systems of reservoir 905's watershed for year 605. The present invention determines the history, or change, in the watershed aquatic systems 950 of reservoir 905 by comparing different years 605. For example, referring again to records 991 and 993, reservoir "R1" had a change in its aquatic systems from 1997 to 1998. Specifically, the percentage of wetlands increased from 35% in 1997 to 45% in 1998. In addition, the percentage of streams/rivers decreased from 35% in 1997 to 25% in 1998. Data in recorded problems field 915 indicate which problems existed for reservoir 905 in year 605 during periods 620. These problems typically result in poor water quality and/or quantity in a reservoir. The present invention determines the history, or change, in recorded problems 915 for reservoir 905 by comparing different years 605. The types of problems will be discussed in detail below with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, and 12. Data in attempted solutions field 920 indicate which solutions were attempted to solve recorded problems 915 for reservoir 905 in year 605 during periods 620. These solutions typically involve implementing steps to improve poor water quality and/or quantity in a reservoir. The present invention determines the history, or change, in attempted solutions 920 for reservoir 905 by comparing different years 605. The types of solutions will be discussed in detail below with reference to FIG. 13. In addition, the types of solutions that may solve a particular problem will be discussed below in reference to FIG. 12. Data in number of people served field 925 indicate the number of consumers (i.e., customers) served by reservoir 905 in year 605. Number of people served 925 is used by the present invention for multiple reasons. Some of these reasons include providing an indication of how many people will be affected by poor water quality and/or quantity, providing an indication of how spread out the cost of a potential solution will be, and so forth. Referring to record 991 in FIG. 9, reservoir R1 serves 5,000 people. Data in size in acres of water supply versus total size field 930 represent the water supply of reservoir 905 during year 605 that was available to supply water to consumers versus the original size of reservoir 905. The current water supply size is always less than or equal to the original size of reservoir 905. The available water supply typically reduces as reservoir 905 gets older due to various problems. These problems include siltation, drought conditions, thermal stratification, incorrect water adjustment levels for flood control, and so forth. Referring to record 991 in FIG. 9, reservoir R1's total size was 9,400 acres in year 1997 versus a water supply size of 8,800 acres. Data in ownership type field 935 indicate who owns reservoir 905. Different types of ownership include federal, state, district, municipal/city, and private. Federal reservoirs are typically operated by either the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, Tennessee Valley Authority, Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, or Bureau of Land Management. Ownership type 935 of reservoir 905 is important because it determines who has direct and/or indirect jurisdiction over certain aspects of reservoir 905. Data in ownership type field 935 can be either "F" for federal, "S" for state, "D" for district, "M" for municipal/city, or "P" for private. Referring to record 991 in FIG. 9, reservoir R1 was federally owned in 1997. Data in uses field 940 describe the particular uses of reservoir 905 for year 605. In general, federal reservoirs that are operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers are typically used for flood control and drinking water. Federal reservoirs that are operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamations are typically used for irrigation and drinking water. State reservoirs are primarily used for recreation and drinking water. District reservoirs are used for flood control and drinking water. Municipal and city reservoirs mostly serve drinking water needs. Finally, private reservoirs are generally used for recreation, irrigation, and power plant cooling. Referring to record 991 in FIG. 9, reservoir R1 was used in 1997 for 50% drinking water, 25% flood control, and 25% irrigation. The present invention determines the history, or change, in the uses of reservoir 905 by comparing two or more years 605. For example, referring to records 991 and 993, reservoir "R1" had a change in uses from 1997 to 1998. Specifically, drinking water use for R1 decreased from 50% in 1997 to 40% in 1998. This may be an indication of the decrease in water quality so that less water was available for drinking water. In addition, recreation use for R1 increased from 0% in 1997 to 10% in 1998. While year 605 and reservoir 905 allow the present invention to historically compare recorded problems 915, attempted solutions 920, and so forth, MA 610 allows the present invention to historically compare weather experienced by reservoir in year 605 by using MA 610 as a key to weather history data 505 (FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C). This allows the present invention to compare specific weather conditions (i.e., parameters) with recorded problems 915 over periods 620 (FIG. 6) to understand the affects of weather on the resulting problems. It also allows the present invention to review how attempted solutions 920 to particular recorded problems 915 may have been hindered or helped by particular weather conditions. MA 610 also allows the present invention to historically compare terrestrial vegetation experienced by reservoir in year 605 by using MA 610 as a key to terrestrial vegetation database 425 (see FIGS. 15, 16, and 17). This allows the present invention to compare specific terrestrial vegetation metrics with recorded problems 915 over periods 620 (FIG. 6) to understand the affects of terrestrial vegetation on the resulting problems. It also allows the present invention to review how attempted solutions 920 to particular recorded problems 915 may have been hindered or helped by particular terrestrial vegetation metrics. One can expect to see more dramatic changes in terrain 945, aquatic systems 950, recorded problems 915, attempted solutions 920, and uses 940 as compared years 605 move further apart in time. C. Problems Database The current invention contemplates two types of interrelated problems within a reservoir and its watershed that could involve either management or renovation actions. These two types of problems are observable and fundamental problems. Accordingly, problems database 415 comprises two types of data, as shown in FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 10, problems database 415 comprises observable problems data 1005 and fundamental problems data 1010. Although the present invention defines each of these problems separately, it is important to note that there is a great deal of overlap between them. Generally, observable problems are detected by one or more of the human senses before any fundamental problems are detected in the reservoir. Yet, fundamental problems typically exist prior to, and are the essence of, observable problems. Examples of observable problems include, but are not limited to, declining sport fish availability, excessive plant growth, and taste and odor in drinking water. These observable problems and their relationship to fundamental problems are described below with reference to FIG. 11. Fundamental problems are typically not detectable by the human senses. Examples of fundamental problems include, but are not limited to, excess nutrients or soil entering the reservoir due to some disturbance in the watershed, and thermal stratification. All of the fundamental problems are caused to some degree by certain weather conditions and compounded by certain terrestrial vegetation conditions. These fundamental problems and their relationship to certain weather and/or terrestrial vegetation conditions are described below with reference to FIG. 12. 1. Observable Problems Data Exemplary observable problems data 1005 are shown with reference to FIG. 11. Observable problems data 1005 comprise an observable problem field 1105, a description field 1110, and a related fundamental/observable problems field 1115. An explanation of data contained in each field in observable problems data 1005 will be described next. Data in observable problem field 1105 represent a unique observable problem code for each problem in problems data 1005. Data in description field 1110 are a description of observable problem 1105. For example, referring to record 1120, observable problem OP1 is described as "objectionable taste and odor conditions." Other observable problems shown in FIG. 11 include declining wildlife (OP2), shallow water (OP3), decreased water clarity (OP4), decreased water flow (OP5), and excessive plant growth (OP6). It is important to note that the present invention is not limited to the observable problems listed in FIG. 11. Data in related fundamental/observable problems field 1115 represent a list of both observable and fundamental problems that potentially may be related to observable problem 1105. Referring again to record 1120, objectionable taste and odor conditions (OP1) may be related to at least two observable problems and three fundamental problems. The observable problems include shallow water (OP3) and excessive plant growth (OP6). The fundamental problems include elevated chemical levels (FP2), siltation (FP3), and thermal stratification (FP4), as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. It is important to note that for a particular reservoir 905 experiencing a particular observable problem 1105, one or more of related fundamental/observable problems 1115 may not apply to reservoir 905. In essence, related fundamental/observable problems 1115 are a generic list of potentially related problems that the present invention should consider when analyzing a particular reservoir 905. Based on the specifics of reservoir 905, the present invention determines which particular problems listed in related fundamental/observable problems 1115 actually applies to reservoir 905. 2. Fundamental Problems Data Exemplary fundamental problems data 1010 are shown with reference to FIG. 12. Fundamental problems data 1010 comprise a fundamental problem field 1205, a description field 1210, a related weather causes field 1215, a related terrestrial vegetation causes field 1217, and a possible solutions field 1220. Possible solutions field 1220 is organized in such a way that a check mark is placed under every solution that potentially may, if implemented, correct fundamental problem 1205. Each of these solutions (S1-S11) are described below with reference to solutions database 420 (FIG. 13). Data in fundamental problem field 1205 represent a unique fundamental problem code for each problem in problems data 1010. Data in description field 1210 are a description of fundamental problem 1205. For example, referring to record 1225, fundamental problem FP1 is described as "elevated plant nutrient levels." Other fundamental problems shown in FIG. 12 include elevated chemical levels (e.g., geosmin) (FP2), siltation (FP3), and thermal stratification (FP4). It is important to note that the present invention is not limited to the fundamental problems listed in FIG. 12. Data in related weather causes field 1215 represent a list of weather conditions that may contribute to the cause of fundamental problem 1205. Referring again to record 1225, the weather conditions that may elevate plant nutrient levels (FP1) include high precipitation such that it causes excessive watershed runoff; high temperatures; and high solar radiation and/or reduced cloud coverage such that water temperature is increased, water circulation is decreased, and plant growth is increased in reservoir 905. Data in related terrestrial vegetation causes field 1217 represent a list of vegetation conditions that may contribute to the cause of fundamental problem 1205. Referring to record 1225, the terrestrial vegetation conditions that may elevate plant nutrient levels (FP1) include early and late season greenness. Early season greenness, where chemical agricultural fertilizers are applied heavily in the spring, may mean earlier than normal onset of vegetation in agricultural. The result is that crops have begun to develop earlier than normal compared to grasses, trees, and shrubs that ordinarily serve as buffers to absorb fertilizer runoff. Alternatively, later than normal onset (late season greenness) might indicate a situation where fields have been planted late but where fertilizers were applied prior to planting. This situation might also permit heavier than normal fertilizer runoff into streams, since there are no crop roots to take them up or hold them. Data in possible solutions field 1220 represent a list of solutions that the present invention considers in making recommendations for particular fundamental problems 1205 of reservoir 905. It is important to note that for a particular reservoir 905 one or more of possible solutions 1220 may not be affective, or even possible, to solve a particular fundamental problem. In FIG. 12, possible solutions 1220 is a list of generic solutions that the present invention should consider to solve fundamental problem 1205. Whether or not a particular solution is possible for reservoir 905 depends on factors that are unique to reservoir 905. Some of these factors include the makeup of terrain 945, makeup of aquatic systems 950, attempted solutions 920, number of people served 925, ownership type 935, uses 940, and so forth (FIG. 9). The present invention considers the unique factors of reservoir 905 when determining the renovation and management strategies for reservoir 905. Referring again to record 1225, the present invention may suggest to adjust the water level of the reservoir (S1) and/or to perform aeration on the reservoir water (S3). D. Solutions Database Exemplary solutions database 420 is shown with reference to FIG. 13. Solutions database 420 comprises a type of solution field 1305, a solution field 1310, a description field 1315, a term field 1320, an economic impact field 1325, a political impact field 1330, and an environmental impact field 1335. An explanation of data contained in each field in solutions database 420 will be described next. Data in type of solution field 1305 represent whether solution 1310 is physical, chemical, or biological in nature. Data in solution field 1310 represent a unique solution code for each solution in solutions database 420. Data in description field 1315 are a description of solution 1310. For example, referring to record 1340, solution S1 is described as "adjust water level." Other physical solutions shown in FIG. 13 include cut weeds (S2), dredge (S3), aeration (S4), alter adjacent land use (S5), disinfect water (S6), filter water (S7), apply different types of fertilizer to crops(S8), and apply fertilizer to crops at time sensitive times relating to anticipated terrestrial greenness (S9). An exemplary chemical solution is to introduce herbicides into the water (S10). An exemplary biological solution is to introduce fish into the water (S11). Altering adjacent land use includes, but is not limited to, changing the types of crops grown around the reservoir, creating wetlands and/or ponds that previously did not exist, and so forth. It is important to note that the present invention is not limited to the solutions listed in FIG. 13. Data in term field 1320 represent whether solution 1310 is a short term or long term solution. Generally, a short term solution is more easily implemented and costs less, yet may have to be repeated more often to control a particular problem. Alternatively, long term solutions take more time to implement and generally cost more. Yet, they often do not have to be repeated as often as short term solutions to control a particular problem. Data in economic impact field 1325 represent whether the amount of resources required to implement solution 1310 is typically of a "high," "medium," or "low" nature. It is important to note that economic impact 1325 only represents the typical nature of solution 1310. The present invention considers factors unique to reservoir 905 in determining the cost of each solution 1310 for that reservoir. An example of such a factor is whether a permit is required from one or more government entities to implement a solution. The more permits that are required for solution 1310, the more costly the solution generally becomes. Thus, the same solution may be more costly for one reservoir than another, depending on the permits each is required to obtain to implement the solution. Permits required for the above solutions are described below in reference to government compliance database 430 (FIG. 19). Other variables that affect economic impact 1325 include cost of materials, how labor intensive the solution is, size of the reservoir, and so forth. Data in political impact field 1330 represent whether the implementation of solution 1310 typically creates a "high," "medium," or "low" negative political impact. As with economic impact 1325, political impact 1330 only represents the typical nature of solution 1310. Again, the present invention considers factors unique to reservoir 905 in determining the political impact of each solution 1310 for that reservoir. The amount of political impact may be affected by both economic and environmental considerations. For example, if a water company that supplies water to consumers decide to invest in an expensive solution and thus raise water bills considerably, the consumers may develop ill feelings toward the water company. Consumers may be resistant in paying higher bills or cut back in the amount of water consumed. Another example is a solution that has high negative environmental consequences. Here, this solution is likely to generate both community and governmental resistance. Thus, a reservoir that is privately owned may not have the connections or resources to implement a solution. Data in environmental impact field 1335 represent whether the implementation of solution 1310 typically creates a "high," "medium," or "low" negative environmental impact to the surrounding area. As with economic impact 1325 and political impact 1330, environmental impact field 1335 only represents the typical nature of solution 1310. 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