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	Maps Work PIVOT focuses on displaying information in a spatial context. Why map? Because putting information on a map visually conveys the proximity, distribution, and relationships of mapped components to one another in the watershed. Read on for some basic guidelines for putting maps to work illustrating CCMP actions and outcomes in the watershed. Display Contributing Factors and Plan Actions on a Map The image on the right illustrates how some of Tillamook's contributing factors and CCMP actions can be viewed in a spatial context. In a watershed everything flows downhill. So clearly the location of an activity in the watershed, upstream or downstream, matters greatly. Many activities clustered near each other may have a larger impact than a single, relatively isolated activity. As monitoring information is collected in the watershed (for example, stream temperature or bacteria data associated with a monitoring station or flood damage assessments associated with a neighborhood), more questions can be asked and answered about the long-term effectiveness of community actions. Much of that information can be mapped as well. Maps produced in a geographic information system (GIS) allow communities to tie information and location together. A GIS enables users to produce high-quality maps, to store and maintain a large quantity of geographically related information, to visualize and simplify data, and to create new data from existing data. The most powerful aspect of a GIS is that it allows users to perform complex analyses by linking and overlaying different data layers. This is important for seeing the interrelationships of contributing factors, CCMP actions, and performance-monitoring data. Make It Easy to Look At Communities are more than dots on a map. They are unique places that people value and in which they feel rooted. People viewing maps of their community want to see some of the features that make that location their place. Aerial photos that show streets, rivers, and houses, or satellite images that provide a visual sense of topography and land cover can be used as map backdrops that help convey place. Place your mouse over the words in the image on the right to see examples of each. Aerial photos, as shown on the right, make excellent backdrops in a GIS, but the files can be large. They may be most appropriate for "zoomed-in" map views. All the aerial photos used in PIVOT's Mapping Application have been compressed to make them draw more quickly. Satellite imagery is available from a variety of sources. This image is appropriate for "zoomed-out" map views. If one zooms-in too closely on this type of image, its resolution will cause it to appear blocky. Collect and Communicate Performance Indicator Data How effective will CCMP actions be at restoring healthy conditions to the Tillamook Bay watershed? How will users know? Indicators are pieces of information that can lead to conclusions about the effectiveness of specific actions. The Tillamook County Performance Partnership (TCPP) project tracking Web site asks whether the CCMP actions are being carried out as planned. Performance monitoring asks whether those actions, once implemented, are having the desired positive effect on the health of the watershed and community. In most cases, long-term monitoring data collected by scientists and technicians will provide the ultimate indicators of Tillamook's success. Presenting monitoring data within a geographic information system (GIS) can help bring that data, and the performance it signifies, to life for the broader community.   Put Maps into Action With the Internet available to almost everyone, there has been a great demand for updated and accurate information via the World Wide Web. The PIVOT Performance Mapping application provides examples of how the performance of CCMP actions can be conveyed with an Internet GIS. Check it out from any of PIVOT's issue pages - habitat, water quality, sedimentation, or flooding -under Maps in Action! Image and Data Credits What's Next? Find out where you can learn more about Tillamook Bay and its issues, mapping, and performance tracking.