diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-docker-image.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-docker-image.yaml
index accac4ea..a0dff9ca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-docker-image.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-docker-image.yaml
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ on:
     branches:
       - 'main'
     paths:
-      - 'Dockerfile'
+      - 'docker/runner/Dockerfile'
     tags:
       - 'v*'
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - 'main'
     paths:
-      - 'Dockerfile'
+      - 'docker/runner/Dockerfile'
 
 env:
   REGISTRY: ghcr.io
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build and push Docker image
         uses: docker/build-push-action@f2a1d5e99d037542a71f64918e516c093c6f3fc4
         with:
-          context: .
+          context: docker/runner
           push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
           tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
           labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cf0d8e5c..97cb5b17 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,69 +16,71 @@ See the [Documentation](https://smnorris.github.io/bcfishpass/) for details.
 ## General requirements
 
 - bash
-- GDAL (tested with v3.6)
-- a PostgreSQL / PostGIS database (tested with v14/v3.3)
-- Python (tested with v3.11.0)
+- GDAL
+- PostgreSQL / PostGIS
+- Python
 - [bcdata](https://github.com/smnorris/bcdata)
 - [fwapg](https://github.com/smnorris/fwapg)
 - [bcfishobs](https://github.com/smnorris/bcfishobs)
 
-## Setup / Usage
+## Development setup
 
 `bcfishpass` is a collection of shell/sql/Python scripts. To download and use the latest:
 
     git clone https://github.com/smnorris/bcfishpass.git
     cd bcfishpass
 
-Install required tools using your preferred method. For local development, `conda` can be simplest:
+All scripts presume the path to an existing PostGIS enabled database is defined by the environment variable `$DATABASE_URL`:
 
-    conda env create -f environment.yml
-    conda activate bcfishpass
+    export DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/bcfishpass
 
-A Docker image is also provided:
+Install all other required tools/dependencies using your preferred package manager or via Docker.
+A `conda` environment and a `Dockerfile` are provided:
 
-    docker pull ghcr.io/smnorris/bcfishpass:main
+#### Conda
 
-If the database you are working with does not already exist, create it:
+    conda env create -f environment.yml
+    conda activate bcfishpass
+    jobs/<script>
 
-    createdb bcfishpass
+#### Docker
 
-All scripts presume that the `DATABASE_URL` environment variable points to your database. For example:
+    docker compose build
+    docker compose up -d
+    docker compose run --rm runner jobs/<script>
 
-    export DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/bcfishpass
+Docker is configured to write the database to `postgres-data` - even if containers are deleted, the database will be retained here.
+If you have shut down Docker or the container, start it up again with this command:
 
-Load FWA:
+    docker-compose up -d
 
-    git clone https://github.com/smnorris/fwapg
-    cd fwapg
-    make --debug=basic
+Connect to the db from your host OS via the port specified in `docker-compose.yml`:
 
-Load/run `bcfishobs`:
+    psql -p 8001 -U postgres bcfishpass
 
-    git clone git@github.com:smnorris/bcfishobs.git
-    cd bcfishobs
-    make --debug=basic
+Stop the containers (without deleting):
 
-Create db schema:
+    docker compose stop
 
-    jobs/db_setup
+Delete the containers:
 
-Load source data:
+    docker compose down
 
-    jobs/load_static                     
-    jobs/load_monthly
-    jobs/load_weekly
-    jobs/load_modelled_stream_crossings
+To build/load/dump a small database for development/testing:
 
-Run the model:
+    docker compose build
+    docker compose up -d
+    cd test
+    docker compose run --rm runner build_db.sh
 
-    jobs/model_stream_crossings    # (optionally - this is only needs to be run on the primary provincial bcfishpass database)
-    jobs/model_prep
-    jobs/model_run
+Note that `build_db.sh` dumps all required inputs to a postgresql dump file - once it has been run once, a testing database can be quickly restored from the dump rather than loading from scratch:
 
-# Backups
+    cd ..
+    docker compose down           # shut down the vm
+    rm -rf postgres-data          # remove the testing db data folder
+    docker compose up -d          # restart docker, create_db is automatically run
+    pg_restore -d $DATABASE_URL test/bcfishpass_test.dump  # call restore from local OS
 
-Backup strategies will vary but it can be useful to dump the entire database to file.  
-This appends the date and commit tag date to the file name:
+Run the models on the testing watershed groups:
 
-        pg_dump -Fc $DATABASE_URL > bcfishpass.$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0).$(date +%F).dump    
\ No newline at end of file
+    docker compose run --rm runner test.sh
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db12e878
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+services:
+  db:
+    build:
+      context: docker/db
+    container_name: bcfishpass-db
+    command: postgres -c default_statistics_target=100 -c max_connections=20 -c max_locks_per_transaction=64 -c checkpoint_timeout=30min -c maintenance_work_mem=1GB -c effective_cache_size=16GB -c work_mem=500MB -c max_wal_size=10GB -c wal_buffers=16MB -c shared_buffers=8GB
+    ports:
+      - ${DB_PORT}:5432
+    shm_size: 16gb
+    volumes:
+      - ./postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U postgres"]
+      interval: 5s
+      timeout: 1s
+      retries: 5
+    environment:
+      - POSTGRES_USER=postgres
+      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
+      - POSTGRES_DB=bcfishpass_test
+  runner:
+    build: docker/runner
+    container_name: bcfishpass-runner
+    volumes:
+      - "./:/home/bcfishpass"
+    environment:
+      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@db:5432/bcfishpass_test
+    depends_on:
+      db:
+        condition: service_healthy
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker/db/Dockerfile b/docker/db/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e9bb1a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/db/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#
+# NOTE: THIS DOCKERFILE IS GENERATED VIA "make update"! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT IT DIRECTLY.
+#
+
+FROM postgres:16-bullseye
+
+LABEL maintainer="PostGIS Project - https://postgis.net" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.description="PostGIS 3.5.0+dfsg-1.pgdg110+1 spatial database extension with PostgreSQL 16 bullseye" \
+      org.opencontainers.image.source="https://github.com/postgis/docker-postgis"
+
+ENV POSTGIS_MAJOR 3
+ENV POSTGIS_VERSION 3.5.0+dfsg-1.pgdg110+1
+
+RUN apt-get update \
+      && apt-cache showpkg postgresql-$PG_MAJOR-postgis-$POSTGIS_MAJOR \
+      && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+           # ca-certificates: for accessing remote raster files;
+           #   fix: https://github.com/postgis/docker-postgis/issues/307
+           ca-certificates \
+           \
+           postgresql-$PG_MAJOR-postgis-$POSTGIS_MAJOR=$POSTGIS_VERSION \
+           postgresql-$PG_MAJOR-postgis-$POSTGIS_MAJOR-scripts \
+      && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+RUN mkdir -p /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
+COPY ./initdb-postgis.sh /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/10_postgis.sh
+COPY ./update-postgis.sh /usr/local/bin
+
diff --git a/docker/db/initdb-postgis.sh b/docker/db/initdb-postgis.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10d0b496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/db/initdb-postgis.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+# Perform all actions as $POSTGRES_USER
+export PGUSER="$POSTGRES_USER"
+
+# Create the 'template_postgis' template db
+"${psql[@]}" <<- 'EOSQL'
+CREATE DATABASE template_postgis IS_TEMPLATE true;
+EOSQL
+
+# Load PostGIS into both template_database and $POSTGRES_DB
+for DB in template_postgis "$POSTGRES_DB"; do
+	echo "Loading PostGIS extensions into $DB"
+	"${psql[@]}" --dbname="$DB" <<-'EOSQL'
+		CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis;
+		--CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis_topology;
+		-- Reconnect to update pg_setting.resetval
+		-- See https://github.com/postgis/docker-postgis/issues/288
+		--\c
+		--CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS fuzzystrmatch;
+		--CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis_tiger_geocoder;
+EOSQL
+done
diff --git a/docker/db/update-postgis.sh b/docker/db/update-postgis.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..f98abd26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/db/update-postgis.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+# Perform all actions as $POSTGRES_USER
+export PGUSER="$POSTGRES_USER"
+
+POSTGIS_VERSION="${POSTGIS_VERSION%%+*}"
+
+# Load PostGIS into both template_database and $POSTGRES_DB
+for DB in template_postgis "$POSTGRES_DB" "${@}"; do
+    echo "Updating PostGIS extensions '$DB' to $POSTGIS_VERSION"
+    psql --dbname="$DB" -c "
+        -- Upgrade PostGIS (includes raster)
+        CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis VERSION '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+        ALTER EXTENSION postgis  UPDATE TO '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+
+        -- Upgrade Topology
+        CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis_topology VERSION '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+        ALTER EXTENSION postgis_topology UPDATE TO '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+
+        -- Install Tiger dependencies in case not already installed
+        CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS fuzzystrmatch;
+        -- Upgrade US Tiger Geocoder
+        CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis_tiger_geocoder VERSION '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+        ALTER EXTENSION postgis_tiger_geocoder UPDATE TO '$POSTGIS_VERSION';
+    "
+done
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/docker/runner/Dockerfile
similarity index 99%
rename from Dockerfile
rename to docker/runner/Dockerfile
index 803989c8..c6be8e0a 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/runner/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 FROM ghcr.io/osgeo/gdal:ubuntu-full-3.10.0
 
+
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get --assume-yes upgrade \
     && apt-get -qq install -y --no-install-recommends postgresql-common \
     && apt-get -qq install -y --no-install-recommends yes \
diff --git a/jobs/load_monthly b/jobs/load_monthly
index b8fe3e12..acd73637 100755
--- a/jobs/load_monthly
+++ b/jobs/load_monthly
@@ -38,6 +38,47 @@ ogr2ogr -f PostgreSQL \
   /vsicurl/https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/bchamp/bcdata/whse_basemapping.transport_line.parquet \
   whse_basemapping.transport_line
 
+#-------
+# refresh code tables - unlikely to change, but simple/quick to load
+#-------
+ogr2ogr \
+  -f PostgreSQL \
+  "PG:$DATABASE_URL" \
+  -append \
+  --config OGR_TRUNCATE YES \
+  -nln whse_basemapping.transport_line_type_code \
+  /vsizip//vsicurl/https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/bchamp/bcdata/transport_line.gpkg.zip \
+  transport_line_type_code
+
+ogr2ogr \
+  -f PostgreSQL \
+  "PG:$DATABASE_URL" \
+  -append \
+  --config OGR_TRUNCATE YES \
+  -nln whse_basemapping.transport_line_surface_code \
+  /vsizip//vsicurl/https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/bchamp/bcdata/transport_line.gpkg.zip \
+  transport_line_surface_code
+
+ogr2ogr \
+  -f PostgreSQL \
+  "PG:$DATABASE_URL" \
+  -append \
+  --config OGR_TRUNCATE YES \
+  -nln whse_basemapping.transport_line_divided_code \
+  /vsizip//vsicurl/https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/bchamp/bcdata/transport_line.gpkg.zip \
+  transport_line_divided_code
+
+ogr2ogr \
+  -f PostgreSQL \
+  "PG:$DATABASE_URL" \
+  -append \
+  --config OGR_TRUNCATE YES \
+  -nln whse_basemapping.transport_line_structure_code \
+  /vsizip//vsicurl/https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/bchamp/bcdata/transport_line.gpkg.zip \
+  transport_line_structure_code
+
+
+
 # parcel fabric, renaming download so it can be read without unzipping
 # ----
 curl \
diff --git a/jobs/replicate_dra b/jobs/replicate_dra
index f8451b8b..b278fd3a 100755
--- a/jobs/replicate_dra
+++ b/jobs/replicate_dra
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ unzip \
   -o \
   /tmp/transport_line.gdb.zip
 
-# post public portion of dataset to bchamp object storage
+# write required layer and lookups
 ogr2ogr \
   -f Parquet \
   /tmp/transport_line.parquet \
diff --git a/model/03_habitat_lateral/valley_confinement.py b/model/03_habitat_lateral/valley_confinement.py
index a116a07b..a6749fdf 100644
--- a/model/03_habitat_lateral/valley_confinement.py
+++ b/model/03_habitat_lateral/valley_confinement.py
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def get_precip(db, bounds, DEM, dem_meta, data_path):
     A = features.rasterize(
         (
             (geom, value)
-            for geom, value in zip(precip_features.geometry, precip_features.map)
+            for geom, value in zip(precip_features.geometry, precip_features["map"])
         ),
         out_shape=DEM.shape,
         transform=dem_meta["transform"],
diff --git a/test/README.md b/test/README.md
index 049eb9fa..c789b917 100644
--- a/test/README.md
+++ b/test/README.md
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 # A minimal db for development and testing
 
-## Create dump file
+## Create database dump file
 
-Bootstrap database `bcfishpass_test` with fwapg/bcfishobs, load selected data, dump to file, drop db:
+Bootstrap database `bcfishpass_test` with latest schema, fwapg/bcfishobs, load selected data, dump to file:
 
-    ./build.sh
+    ./build_db.sh
 
-## Testing usage
+## Test bcfishpass scripts
 
-Restore fwapg/bcfishobs db from dump, load data, run model:
+Run model:
 
     ./test.sh
 
diff --git a/test/build.sh b/test/build_db.sh
similarity index 89%
rename from test/build.sh
rename to test/build_db.sh
index e7f73fc1..a9d83264 100755
--- a/test/build.sh
+++ b/test/build_db.sh
@@ -5,11 +5,9 @@ set -euxo pipefail
 # Build a minimal fwapg/bcfishobs database for testing
 # ------
 
-DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/bcfishpass_test
 PSQL="psql $DATABASE_URL -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1"
 WSGS="BELA\nBULK\nCOWN\nELKR\nHORS\nLNIC\nPARS\nSANJ\nVICT"       # edit here to adjust testing watersheds (could pull from parameters/example_testing/parameters_habitat_method)
 
-createdb bcfishpass_test
 
 # ------
 # load_fwa
@@ -21,9 +19,13 @@ git clone https://github.com/smnorris/fwapg
 cd fwapg
 echo -e $WSGS > wsg.txt
 make --debug=basic .make/fwa_stream_networks_sp
+make --debug=basic .make/fwa_watersheds_poly
 make --debug=basic .make/fwa_watershed_groups_poly
 make --debug=basic .make/fwa_assessment_watersheds_poly
 make --debug=basic .make/extras
+make --debug=basic .make/fwa_streams_watersheds_lut
+make --debug=basic .make/fwa_stream_networks_order_max
+make --debug=basic .make/fwa_stream_networks_order_parent
 
 # keep the data slim - retain only in testing groups (where wsg defined)
 for table in fwa_watershed_groups_poly \
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ $PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_stream_networks_channel_width where l
 $PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_assessment_watersheds_lut where watershed_feature_id not in (select watershed_feature_id from whse_basemapping.fwa_assessment_watersheds_poly)"
 $PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_assessment_watersheds_streams_lut where assmnt_watershed_id not in (select watershed_feature_id from whse_basemapping.fwa_assessment_watersheds_poly)"
 $PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_waterbodies_upstream_area where linear_feature_id not in (select linear_feature_id from whse_basemapping.fwa_stream_networks_sp)"
-$PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_watersheds_upstream_area" # just delete all of this
+#$PSQL -c "delete from whse_basemapping.fwa_watersheds_upstream_area where linear_feature_id not in (select linear_feature_id from whse_basemapping.fwa_stream_networks_sp)" 
 
 cd .. ; rm -rf fwapg
 
@@ -58,10 +60,11 @@ done
 cd ..
 
 # load source data
-jobs/load_static
-jobs/load_monthly
-jobs/load_weekly
-cd test
+cd jobs
+./load_static
+./load_monthly
+./load_weekly
+cd ../test
 
 # delete data not needed for basic model (rather than editing the job files)
 $PSQL -c "delete from whse_admin_boundaries.adm_indian_reserves_bands_sp;
@@ -104,9 +107,6 @@ $PSQL -c "vacuum full analyze"
 
 # what are the biggest relations?
 #https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21738408/postgresql-list-and-order-tables-by-size
-
+$PSQL -c "ALTER DATABASE bcfishpass_test SET search_path TO public,whse_basemapping,usgs,hydrosheds"
 # dump the database (~200MB)
-pg_dump -Fc bcfishpass_test > bcfishpass_test.dump
-
-# cleanup
-psql postgres -c "drop database bcfishpass_test"
\ No newline at end of file
+pg_dump -Fc $DATABASE_URL > bcfishpass_test.dump
diff --git a/test/test.sh b/test/test.sh
index 7ad194de..bf2e8a56 100755
--- a/test/test.sh
+++ b/test/test.sh
@@ -1,33 +1,30 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -euxo pipefail
 
-DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/bcfishpass_test
-PSQL="psql $DATABASE_URL -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1"
+# restore from dump as required
+# pg_restore -Cd $DATABASE_URL bcfishpass_test.dump
 
-createdb bcfishpass_test
+PSQL="psql $DATABASE_URL -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1"
 $PSQL -c "ALTER DATABASE bcfishpass_test SET search_path TO public,whse_basemapping,usgs,hydrosheds"
-pg_restore -d bcfishpass_test bcfishpass_test.dump
-
-# drop the existing schema and postgisftw.wcrp functions from test db
-$PSQL -c "drop schema bcfishpass cascade"
-$PSQL -c "drop function postgisftw.wcrp_barrier_count"
-$PSQL -c "drop function postgisftw.wcrp_barrier_extent"
-$PSQL -c "drop function postgisftw.wcrp_barrier_severity"
-$PSQL -c "drop function postgisftw.wcrp_habitat_connectivity_status"
 
+# test any migrations
 
-# run all migration scripts present in /db
-cd ../db
-for tag in v* ;do
-    cd "$tag"; ./migrate.sh; cd ..
-done
+# load parameters/data
 cd ..
 
-# load parameters and run jobs
 cp parameters/example_testing/*csv parameters
 jobs/load_csv
 jobs/load_modelled_stream_crossings
-$PSQL -c "delete from bcfishpass.modelled_stream_crossings where watershed_group_code not in (select watershed_group_code from whse_basemapping.fwa_watershed_groups_poly)"
+
+# remove crossings not in watersheds of interest
+$PSQL -c "delete from bcfishpass.modelled_stream_crossings
+          where watershed_group_code not in (
+            select
+              watershed_group_code
+            from whse_basemapping.fwa_watershed_groups_poly
+          )"
+
+# run bcfishpass model scripts
 jobs/model_gradient_barriers
 jobs/model_prep
 jobs/model_run