Logan County receives GIS funding

[July 31, 2013]  Through the efforts of the Logan County GIS Committee and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Logan County will be receiving LiDAR data. The total cost of the project is $250,000, which is funded primarily through NRCS at both the state and federal level. Logan County was selected due to its topography and the project's support from local government.

LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that is similar to radar, using a laser instead of radio waves. The LiDAR data will be acquired with low-level aircraft and will be used to obtain elevations of all land area in Logan County.

The data will be used to determine drainage patterns, which can be difficult to determine in flat terrain. NRCS will use this data to identify farmland for improved drainage water management practices, which can help to improve water quality by reducing nutrient runoff.

Real estate developers will find the data useful since engineers can quickly estimate site development costs. The data will also be helpful for local landowners in determining drainage. Homeowners and lenders will be able to easily compare building site elevations with designated flood plains.

The LiDAR data will be acquired in the fall of 2013 and the spring of 2014. It will be available for download from the NRCS website and for viewing on Logan County's GIS website.

The county's GIS Committee is continuing to acquire more data layers through partnerships and data-sharing agreements. To view the various mapping layers that have been created so far, visit the Logan County GIS website, www.co.logan.il.us/gis/.

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A geographic information system, or GIS, is a digital map comprised of a limitless number of layers that can be overlaid on top of one another to create a customized map of an area. These layers are typically comprised of a database with a spatial reference. In short, this attaches the "what" of a database to the "where" of a map.

[Text from file received from Bret Aukamp, Logan County engineer]