Module 1: Introduction to Nimpact

What is Nimpact?

Nimpact is a comprehensive environmental screening tool that combines satellite imagery, machine learning algorithms, and community observations to assess water quality and shoreline stability for lakes, rivers, and tidal/coastal environments. Unlike traditional assessment methods that require expensive on-site visits and laboratory testing, Nimpact harnesses freely available satellite data from NASA, ESA, and USGS to provide scientifically rigorous environmental reports.

The Core Problem Nimpact Solves

Property developers, conservation authorities, and environmental consultants face a critical challenge: determining whether a waterfront site requires expensive professional assessment before making decisions. Traditional approaches involve:

Geotechnical Engineers (P.Eng): $10,000-50,000 for shoreline stability assessment
Environmental Consultants: $5,000-20,000 for water quality testing
Hydrological Studies: $15,000-75,000 for flood risk analysis

Nimpact serves as a pre-screening tool that identifies which sites actually need these expensive assessments, potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars by focusing professional resources only where they're truly needed.

                Key Principle: Nimpact doesn't replace professional engineers—it tells you when and where you need them. Think of it as a "check engine light" for waterfront properties.
            

Three Water Body Types, One Platform

Nimpact provides specialized analysis for each water body type, recognizing their unique characteristics:

Feature	Lakes	Rivers	Tidal/Coastal
Water Movement	Standing water with wind-driven mixing	Continuous downstream flow	Twice-daily tidal cycles
Algae Concerns	Cyanobacteria blooms in warm, stratified water	Benthic mats + planktonic algae in slow reaches	Marine HABs (red tides), different species
Shoreline Dynamics	Water level fluctuation, wave erosion	Channel migration, flood erosion	Tidal range, storm surge, wave energy
Key Metrics	Thermal stratification, Secchi depth	Flow proxy, sediment transport	Wave exposure, fetch, intertidal zones

Satellite Data Sources

Landsat 8/9 (NASA/USGS): Thermal infrared for water temperature, 30m resolution, 16-day revisit
Sentinel-2 (ESA): Multispectral imagery for water clarity, chlorophyll detection, 10-20m resolution, 5-day revisit
SRTM (NASA): Elevation data for terrain analysis, 30m resolution, global coverage
JRC Global Surface Water (EU): 40-year historical record of water presence/absence for shoreline stability analysis
VIIRS (NASA): Night lights for development pressure assessment

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The Scientific Foundation

Why Seasonal Snapshots?

Nimpact uses a seasonal snapshot methodology rather than continuous monitoring. Here's why this approach is both scientifically sound and practically superior:

The Four Critical Timepoints

Winter Solstice (December 21): Minimum temperatures, ice formation potential, baseline clarity
Spring Equinox (March 20): Snowmelt runoff, nutrient loading, spring turnover in lakes
Summer Solstice (June 21): Peak temperatures, maximum algae growth, lowest water clarity
Fall Equinox (September 22): Temperature decline, fall turnover in stratified lakes, secondary blooms

Why Water Types Matter

The same metric can mean different things depending on water body type:

Example: Water Clarity

Lakes: High clarity (Secchi >4m) is typical and expected—lakes are standing water where sediment settles
Rivers: Lower clarity is normal—flowing water constantly resuspends sediment. Secchi of 1-2m may be healthy!
Tidal: Clarity varies dramatically with tide stage, storms, and proximity to river mouths

Percentile Ranking System

Rather than using absolute thresholds (which vary by climate, latitude, and water body type), Nimpact employs percentile ranking against comparable sites:

85th Percentile Water Clarity: This water body is clearer than 85% of regional sites of the same type
45th Percentile Temperature: Cooler than average for this region, which reduces algae risk
92nd Percentile Shoreline Risk: More variable than 92% of similar sites—likely needs engineering review

                Why Percentiles? A 20°C lake in northern Canada is warm, while the same temperature in Florida is cold. A river with Secchi depth of 1m might be excellent for a turbid prairie river but poor for a mountain stream. Percentiles automatically adjust for regional and water-type context.
            

Regional Benchmarking

Nimpact compares your site to others within:

Same climate zone: Tropical, temperate, or sub-arctic
Same water body type: Lake vs. river vs. tidal
Same region: ±250km radius for local context

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Report Architecture & Outputs

Report Sections

Each Nimpact report is structured to flow from broad environmental context to specific risk assessments:

Executive Summary: Overall Beach Quality Score (0-100) combining all factors
Satellite Environmental Metrics: Water temperature, clarity, and seasonal patterns
Satellite Imagery Analysis: 40+ years of historical satellite images showing change
Environmental Analysis Maps: Terrain, land cover, night lights, population density
Water-Type Specific Analysis: Lake/River/Tidal-specific metrics
Advanced Analytics: Erosion rates, biodiversity index, wave exposure
Algae Risk Assessment: AI-powered predictions (freshwater only)
Community Observations: Ground truth data from field surveys

Overall Score Calculation

Beach Quality Score Formula:

Overall Score = (Natural Features × 0.30) +
                (Environmental Stability × 0.25) +
                (Water Quality × 0.20) +
                (Vegetation Health × 0.15) +
                (Low Development Impact × 0.10)

Score Interpretation

Score Range	Rating	Meaning
85-100	Excellent	Pristine or near-pristine conditions
70-84	Good	Healthy with minor impacts
55-69	Fair	Moderate environmental stress
40-54	Poor	Significant degradation
<40	Very Poor	Severe environmental concerns

Export Capabilities

Every Nimpact report includes machine-readable data exports for use in professional Geographic Information Systems (GIS):

GeoJSON: Web-compatible format for interactive maps
KML: Google Earth/Google Maps compatibility for 3D visualization
CSV: Spreadsheet format for statistical analysis
PDF Report: Print-ready document for regulatory submissions

                Professional Handoff: When Nimpact identifies high-risk conditions, these exports provide engineers with precise coordinates, historical data, and preliminary assessments—saving them field investigation time and reducing overall project costs.
            

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