Track: Water Resources
The Wisconsin 1:24,000 Hydrographic Database Development Initiative
Michael F. BohnTerry Hiltz , Jeff Shaw, Gale Shea, Sally Willis
As part of a Surface Water Integration System (SWIS), the Division of Water of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) is developing a State-wide hydrographic database (HDB) based on U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000-scale map data. The intended purpose of SWIS and the HDB is to satisfy the basic need for an agencywide information system about surface water features. This system will be composed of data and tools structured to support a wide variety of water-related application needs within WIDNR programs. Since 1994, a surface water spatial database has been designed and prototyped, and vector hydrographic data for much of the State have been converted to ArcInfo format. In 1996, refined user needs analysis, changes in software capabilities, and emerging federal geodata standards revealed opportunities for improvement. The HDB was redesigned during 1997 with the intent to produce a more robust, sustainable, and shareable final product. As part of this effort, a one-week workshop was conducted in December of 1997, with participation of Esri and various groups involved in development and future use of SWIS. The scope of this workshop was to evaluate the database design and develop a phased approach for completion. This first phase (HDB v.1) will provide the core data set needed to support the current data analyses required by different agency programs and provide the base on which complex data structures can be built in the future to support more advanced analyses fully utilizing GIS technology. The second phase (HDB v.2) of the project will include development of additional data structures and applications that will enhance the utility of the database and enable more efficient analyses. The HDB v.2 database design will focus on creating aggregate data structures, including a comprehensive and consistent hydrographic locational referencing system supporting events, a complete and reliable State-wide inventory of surface water features, and a standard data integration methodology for linking water-related work between DNR programs. All of these more advanced structures will be built upon the base data created in HDB v.1. The proposed HDB and SWIS development methodology will result in a systematic, GIS- and DBMS-friendly data set and State-wide reference frame. It also ensures that the 1:24,000-scale data development effort will be completed on schedule. This talk will describe the project deliverables, present methods for developing the HDB, and discuss some of the issues related to integration of operational and legacy data, accommodation of local, higher resolution data, and incorporation of landscape change history.
Michael F. Bohn
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO BOX 7921
Madison, WI 53707
USA
Telephone: 608-264-8557
Fax: 608-266-0870
E-mail: bohnm@dnr.state.wi.us