G.I.S. Sound
Matthew Betlej
New Mexico Water Planning Regions
G.I.S. + Blender 3D Relief Map
3D Relief Map created for the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission through MediaDesk for the Main Stream New Mexico campaign, this statewide relief map visualizes New Mexico’s Water Planning Regions within their physical landscape. I mosaicked collected USGS 3DEP 10-meter Digital Elevation Model data in ArcGIS Pro, integrated Water Planning Region GIS boundaries, and built the final 3D terrain visualization in Blender using DEM-driven displacement, custom GIS overlays, custom-built node chain, and a custom-built elevation color ramp.
Las Huertas Creek Neighborhood Flood Assessment
LiDAR-Based 2D HEC-RAS and GIS Analysis of Road Access, Driveway Inundation, and Structural Exposure
This project evaluates localized flood exposure along approximately 15 acres of Las Huertas Creek in Placitas, New Mexico. The study focuses on how changing flow conditions may affect a rural neighborhood dirt road, individual driveway access, and nearby residential structures.
I collected and processed UAS LiDAR data to create a high-resolution bare-earth terrain model of the creek corridor, road network, driveways, and adjacent properties. The terrain data was prepared and analyzed in ArcGIS Pro, CloudCompare, and DJI processing software, then used as the basis for a 2D HEC-RAS hydraulic model.
The model evaluated four discharge scenarios to identify where water could leave the primary channel, move across the floodplain, and create potential access or structural concerns. I analyzed modeled flood extent, water depth, and velocity, then used GIS to measure exposure across road and driveway buffers and to identify nearby building footprints affected under each scenario.
A key component of the project was comparing the model-derived spillover and inundation patterns with FEMA Flood Hazard data. This comparison helped show where localized, high-resolution terrain and hydraulic modeling could add context beyond generalized flood-zone mapping—particularly for road access, driveway crossings, and smaller-scale neighborhood conditions.
The project demonstrates an integrated workflow that combines drone-based LiDAR acquisition, point-cloud and terrain processing, hydraulic modeling, GIS spatial analysis, and cartographic communication. It was designed to translate complex flood-model outputs into clear, location-specific information that could support community awareness, infrastructure planning, and future mitigation discussions.
Study area: Las Huertas Creek, Placitas, New Mexico
Methods: UAS LiDAR, bare-earth DEM creation, 2D HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling, GIS exposure analysis, FEMA Flood Hazard comparison
Analysis: Four discharge scenarios; flood extent, depth, velocity, road access, driveway inundation, and structural exposure
Tools: ArcGIS Pro, HEC-RAS, CloudCompare, DJI LiDAR processing workflows
