Matthew Betlej
G.I.S. Sound
NEW MEXICO
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.
Tools: ArcGIS Pro, Blender, raster mosaicking, DEM processing, GIS overlay preparation, custom Blender shader-node workflow
Focus: 3D cartography, terrain visualization, water-planning geography, statewide elevation modeling, public-facing environmental communication
Las Huertas Creek Neighborhood Flood Assessment
LiDAR-Based 2D HEC-RAS and G.I.S. Analysis of Road Access, Driveway Inundation, and Structural Exposure
This project examines localized flood exposure along a 15-acre reach of Las Huertas Creek in Placitas, New Mexico, with a focus on road access, driveway inundation, and nearby residential structures.
I used UAS LiDAR to create a high-resolution bare-earth terrain model, then developed a 2D HEC-RAS model to evaluate four discharge scenarios. GIS analysis mapped modeled flood extent, water depth, velocity, roadway and driveway exposure, and potential impacts to nearby structures.
The results were compared with FEMA flood-hazard data to examine how high-resolution terrain and hydraulic modeling can add local context to generalized flood-zone mapping.
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
Placitas Flood Hazard Parcel Exposure Map
Parcel-level G.I.S. analysis of FEMA projected flood hazards in Placitas, New Mexico with QGIS.
This project maps Placitas parcels that intersect FEMA’s 1% annual-chance flood hazard area and regulatory floodway. Using FEMA flood layers, Sandoval County parcel data, and elevation context, I identified potentially affected properties and mapped where flood exposure is concentrated across the community.
The analysis was completed in QGIS using parcel overlays, spatial selection, and terrain-based visualization to place flood-hazard boundaries within the surrounding landscape.
This is an early-stage project intended to expand into a broader flood-risk workflow, including affected parcel acreage, homes, road and driveway access, alternate routes, and integration with my Las Huertas Creek UAS LiDAR and 2D HEC-RAS flood assessment.
Data: FEMA projected flood-hazard layers, regulatory floodway data, Sandoval County parcel boundaries, elevation and basemap data
Tools: QGIS, spatial overlay and selection analysis, parcel data management, cartographic design, 3D terrain visualization
Focus: Floodplain mapping, regulatory floodway exposure, parcel-level GIS analysis, community risk communication, terrain visualization
RiverEyes: Middle Rio Grande Channel-Drying Monitoring
Field monitoring, mobie G.I.S. support and UAS documentation for GeoSystems Analysis on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation
Through GeoSystems Analysis, I support the RiverEyes program monitoring upstream and downstream drying extents, interrupted flow, and remnant pools along the Middle Rio Grande during low-flow conditions.
My role combines field observation, mobile GIS, photography, and UAS imagery. I use Fulcrum and ArcGIS Field Maps to collect standardized, location-based records, while drone imagery helps document river extent, exposed channel, isolated water, and changing flow connectivity across monitored reaches.
Together, these records contribute to the RiverEyes dataset used to support water-resource management and ecological-response planning.
Tools: Fulcrum, ArcGIS Field Maps, UAS/drone imagery, field photography
Focus: River extent, channel drying, flow intermittency, remnant pools, mobile GIS, environmental monitoring