GeoEFM is a software tool developed to support spatial analyses commonly used during applications of the Ecosystem Functions Model (HEC-EFM).  GeoEFM is programmed as an extension for ArcMap.  Use of GeoEFM 1.0 requires a user license for ArcMap 9.3, 9.3.1, 10.0 or 10.1 (ArcView level license).  Use of GeoEFM 2.0 requires a user license for ArcMap 10.1, 10.8.1, or 10.8.2 (advanced level license).  Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions for ArcMap must also be installed and activated for any combination of GeoEFM and ArcMap.

GeoEFM provides three primary capabilities for users planning ecosystem restoration or water management scenarios: 1) management of spatial data sets, 2) computation and comparisons of habitat areas, and 3) assessment of the habitat functionality via a selection of routines that consider habitat area, connectivity, and distribution.

Additionally, GeoEFM packages several spatial functions that are commonly used in EFM applications:

  • Entry, import, archival, editing, and viewing of habitat suitability indices.
  • Use and display of spatial statistics
  • Splicing of habitat maps for systems of wetlands, streams, and rivers
  • Calculator functions for raster queries
  • Application of habitat suitability indices

This user’s manual provides an overview of GeoEFM and illustrates how the software is applied.  Many figures in this document show a GeoEFM project being built and used to assess ecosystem conditions for the Rolling River, which is the fictional river also used in the demonstration project and user guidance for EFM. 

Use of GeoEFM follows use of EFM.  Therefore, it is important for GeoEFM users to understand EFM and the process that software supports to analyze water and environmental resources.  This is true whether GeoEFM is being used to view statistical results from EFM spatially or working with habitat maps produced by the linked use of EFM and river hydraulics models.

A brief description of EFM is provided in Chapter 2 of this manual.  Please refer to the EFM Quick Start Guide (USACE 2020) for more background about EFM as well as the hydrologic and ecologic scenarios described herein.  The reference for that document follows:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  2020.  HEC-EFM: Ecosystem Functions Model - Quick Start Guide.  CPD-80a.  Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, CA.

Text in this manual has been formatted to help readers keep track of the different types of information presented.  Italics are used to identify software features that are available through the user interfaces of GeoEFM.  Underlines are used to identify model input data, which includes the names of flow regimes and relationships used in the demonstration project.  Bold is used to highlight key information for individual sections of text.