Prairie Pothole Management Support Tool: A web application for evaluating prairie pothole flood risk

Abstract

Abstract The Prairie Pothole Management Support Tool (PPMST) is an open‐source, accessible web application that provides educational and informational evaluations of the flood risk of individual farmed prairie potholes within the Des Moines Lobe (DML) of Iowa. The PPMST provides a comparative numeric assessment of pothole flood risk, predicted from a random forest machine learning model, based on simple field characteristics. The PPMST allows landowners or extension specialists and consultants to assess a range of tillage and artificial drainage options and can compare traditional corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations with perennial planting. The PPMST will be useful for conservation planning and precision agriculture by helping identify and prioritize these marginal land areas for continued farming or conservation.