Key Features in the York River Basin: ArcGIS Online Map

My most recent pathway to learning more about the York River was through mapping! I took this opportunity to revisit one of my favorite applications from school: ArcGIS. During my time at VCU, I became very familiar with the software. I created new basemaps in Cartography, mapped iNaturalist sightings in Intro to Environmental Studies, and use the software's analytical features in Intro to GIS. Through these experiences, I used ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and ArcGIS Pro. I preferred Pro, but I enjoyed exploring them all.


For my map of the York River Basin, I utilized ArcGIS Online. Although I prefer Pro, my subscription has long since run out. It took me a bit to find my bearings (and data I wanted) in Online, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. My biggest issue was trying to apply techniques from Pro or the credit system of Online to the free version. I specifically struggled when trying to isolate my tidal wetland feature to only the area of the river basin. My first instinct was to apply a buffer to the data using the analyze feature, but that would cost credits. I then started thinking of a spatial merge, and ran into a similar situation. What I ended up doing was clipping all my layers to the basin layer by changing the blend and opacity settings. 


All in all, I think ArcGIS online is a great tool for people starting out. If you want to try it out, please note that it does not run on Apple products (but library computers worked just as well for me). For complex problems, I would recommend Pro over Online, but Online is great for what it is and provides a foundational level of understanding for anyone who may want to graduate to using Pro in the future. 


To see my map - click HERE

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