Central
Wisconsin waterways will be easier to navigate and enjoy thanks to a new mobile
application produced at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The
Wisconsin Waterways app shows depth contours and map information for 13 central
Wisconsin water bodies, including the Stevens Point flowage of the Wisconsin
River. In addition to water depth contour information under normal water-level
conditions, the app also includes the locations of old log pilings, points of
interest such as nearby parks and boat launch locations, and municipal
boundaries.
Available
for Android devices (search “Wisconsin Waterways” at Google Play), the app was
originally generated with information from a bathymetric survey and mapping
project conducted by the UW-Stevens Point Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Center. A team of faculty and students led by education specialist Christine
Koeller collected more than 120,000 data points over 2,800 acres of the Stevens
Point Flowage.
Lake
Wausau is another key body of water included in the app. Information from the
lake was collected and mapped in 2012 as part of a Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources lake planning grant.
Koeller’s
group and the Lake Wausau Association printed 11,000 copies of that map. “We
really wanted to take it mobile and give people the opportunity to use the
depth information that we collected in a mobile environment: ‘Here I am out on
my boat, this is where I’m located, this is where I want to go. What’s the
safest route? What are the potential locations I might want to visit for
kayaking, boating, fishing or duck hunting?’”
UW-Stevens
Point students in a senior-level Computing and New Media Technologies course
were tasked with bringing these maps to life in a mobile environment. Dirk
Kahl, Sam Franz and Justin Knight worked on the Wisconsin Waterways project,
building desired features into a previous student group’s prototype of the app.
In
addition to the technical side of the project, students also learned valuable
lessons on project management. “Our professors do a very good job of teaching
us how to think like programmers, think logically and make apps maintainable
going forward,” said Kahl, who graduated in May and is working for Herrschners
as a developer.
While
the app team was excited to launch the Android version this summer, development
will continue on an iOS version. Added functionality such as the ability to
store information about specific locations is another goal. The app has been
built to add new water body maps created by the GIS team.
Professor
Tim Krause, chair of CNMT Department, sees projects like Wisconsin Waterways as
part of a larger community service provided by UW-Stevens Point students and
faculty. “We’re able to provide the tools, resources and data to folks who
really need it.”
Supervised
by Krause and Professor David Gibbs, students have worked with clients locally
and nationally on technology-based projects. Their estimated 250 projects have
contributed about $1.4 million to the local economy, Krause said.
Bodies
of Water Available in the Wisconsin Waterways App
Portage
County
Marathon
County
- Bass Lake
- Big Bass Lake
- Lake Wausau
- Lilly Lake
- Lost Lake
- Mayflower Lake
- Mission Lake
- Mud Lake
- Norrie Lake
- Pike Lake
- Rice Lake
- Wadley Lake