Information Center for the Environment

The California Rivers Assessment (CARA) is a computer-based geographic data management system designed to give resource managers, policy-makers, landowners, scientists and interested citizens rapid access to essential information and tools with which to make sound decisions about the conservation and use of California's rivers. CARA is intended to provide an evaluation of the environmental conditions of California's rivers by integrating existing data from previously uncoordinated contributors and organizations, and to improve river conservation and management by making this information available and useful. The assessment utilizes a suite of watershed facts, processed in ESRI’s ARC/INFO and ArcView Geographic Information System software, to provide an objective view of the watershed integrity of California's riverine resources. These watershed facts focus on existing riparian and aquatic resources: biodiversity, water quality, and resource management activities. Access to this multi-leveled, interconnected database of California watershed environmental data is provided and enhanced by innovative World-Wide-Web technology.