Allen H. Miller
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
and
Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility, University of Wisconsin-Madison
This research was conducted as part of an agreement between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District under the supervision of David Barilovich.
Counties along the Lake Michigan coast in Wisconsin (see Figure 1) are investing significant resources in digital planimetric and topographic mapping. According to surveys of GIS/LIS expenditures from 1993 to 1995, Lake Michigan coastal counties in Wisconsin spent just under $1.7 million on the base map foundational element of the WLIP.
In order to better understand the status of digital geospatial data development at the local government level along the Lake Michigan coast of Wisconsin, detailed surveys were conducted in the 11 counties that border Lake Michigan. These surveys were conducted in person in county offices from January 29 to March 17, 1998. The survey included a total of 70 questions about the completeness, compilation method, format, and documentation of digital mapping of parcels, planimetric and topographic features, zoning, soils, wetlands, land use, natural resources, infrastructure, and digital orthophotos. The survey questions are included as Appendix A. This report analyzes the results of the survey related to digital planimetric and topographic mapping.
The first category includes counties where large-scale, digital planimetric mapping only is complete.
Door County (based on 1994 aerials - hydrography and road centerlines)
Kewaunee County (based on 1993 aerials - buildings, hydrography, and roads)
Sheboygan County (based on 1995 aerials - buildings, hydrography, and roads)
The second category includes the counties in the Southeastern Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) where detailed digital planimetric and topographic mapping
is either complete or underway. The representative planimetric and topographic features captured
are identified in Appendix B of this report. Mapping scales are either 1"=100' or 1"=200'
and contours are at 2 foot intervals.
Ozaukee County (75% complete)
Milwaukee County (100% complete)
Racine County (20% complete)
Kenosha County (100% complete)
The third category includes coastal cities with detailed planimetric and topographic
mapping, typically 1"=100' or 1"=200' scale with two foot contours.
City of Manitowoc
City of Sheboygan
City of Racine
The final category includes counties where some planimetric features (typically
hydrography and road centerines) are represented on digital parcel mapping.
Marinette County (digital parcel mapping 12% complete)
Oconto County (digital parcel mapping 10% complete)
Brown County (digital parcel mapping 55% complete)
Manitowoc County (digital parcel mapping 100% complete)
Marinette County does not have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic mapping. The Bay Lake Regional Planning Commission has digitized digital line graphs (DLGs) for the portion of the county south of Hwy. 64 (approximately 5 to 10% of the county). The digital parcel map includes hydrography and road centerlines and rights-of-way. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Marinette County Coordinates. The data format for digital parcel mapping is AutoCAD.
Oconto County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Oconto County does not have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic mapping. The digital parcel map includes hydrography and road centerlines and rights-of-way. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Oconto County Coordinates. The data format for digital parcel mapping is Arc/Info coverages.
Brown County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Brown County does not have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic mapping. Hydrography has been heads-up digitized from NAPP photography. A distinction is made between navigable and non-navigable waterways. Eventually, hydrography will be tied to the DNR stream database. The digital parcel map includes road centerlines and rights-of-way. The county maintains a street network file based on TIGER that has ownership and maintenance information. The county has DEMs obtained from the USGS. Some are at a 30 meter spacing and some are at other resoultions. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Brown County Coordinates.
Door County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Door County does have large-scale, digital planimetric mapping for the entire county in AutoCAD format. It is based on aerial photography from Spring 1994. Hydrography includes large lakes, islands, and streams on different layers and hydrographic features have been pulled into a separate Arc/info coverage for viewing. The planimetric map includes road centerlines and rights-of-way. For the planimetric map, right-of-ways are an offset of the centerline if no usable highway plan was available. Tom Haight, Door County LIO, estimates that usable highway plans were available for about 40 to 50 percent of the State and County Highways, and maybe 1 or 2 percent of Town roads. The planimetric map differentiates method of right-of-way placement by AutoCAD layer name. Door County does not have large-scale digital topographic mapping.
Kewaunee County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Kewaunee County does have large-scale, digital planimetric mapping for the entire county in Intergraph Microstation format. It is based on aerial photography from Spring 1993. Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road centerlines and pavement edge. The files are available from the county's consultants, Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Wisconsin State Plane Coordinates, Central Zone, NAD83. The county does not have large-scale, digital topographic mapping.
Manitowoc County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Manitowoc County does not have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic mapping. The digital parcel map includes hydrography and road rights-of-way, but these features were compiled using hybrid methods, but not using photogrammetry. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Manitowoc County Coordinates. The data format for digital parcel mapping is Arc/Info coverages.
The City of Manitowoc has large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic ( 2 foot contours) mapping for a 15 square mile area around the city, including the extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Sheboygan County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Sheboygan County does have large-scale, digital planimetric mapping at a scale of 1"=400' for the entire county in Arc/Info coverage and ArcView shapefile formats. It is based on aerial photography from Spring 1995. Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road centerlines and pavement edge. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Sheboygan County Coordinates. The county does not have large-scale, digital topographic mapping.
The City of Sheboygan has large-scale, digital planimetric mapping at a scale of 1"=200' and topographic mapping (2 foot contours) in AutoCAD files.
Ozaukee County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Ozaukee County does have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic (2 foot contour) mapping complete for 75% of the county in AutoCAD and Intergraph formats. All coastal jurisdictions are complete except for the Town of Belgium, which is expected by December 1998. It is based on a variety of dates of aerial photography (Mequon 1993; Grafton and Port Washington 1994; Belgium 1998). Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road pavement edge. A complete list of planimetric and topographic elements are included in Appendix B. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Wisconsin State Plane Coordinates, South Zone, NAD27.
Milwaukee County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic (2 foot contours) mapping in all areas of Milwaukee County is completed by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) through the Milwaukee County Automated Mapping and Land Information System (MCAMLIS) project. MCAMLIS is a consortium of Milwaukee County local governments and utilities for the purpose of implementing cadastral mapping, planimetric and topographic mapping, and addressing.
The mapping is based on a variety of dates of aerial photography (Bayside 1987 and 1990; Fox Point 1985 and 1990; Whitefish Bay 1985 and 1990; Shorewood 1985 and 1990; coastal areas of Milwaukee 1984, 1982, 1992, and 1993; St. Francis 1983 and 1993; Cudahy 1984 and 1993; South Milwaukee 1980; and Oak Creek 1987 and 1993). Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road pavement edge. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Wisconsin State Plane Coordinates, South Zone, NAD27. The data formats for distribution of digital planimetric mapping by SEWRPC are Genamap and AutoCAD DXF. Approximately 85% of the county is also available in Intergraph DGN format.
Digital planimetric and topographic mapping in Milwaukee County would be available through the MCAMLIS project. MCAMLIS copyrights its data, has a fee structure, and a data distribution policy. The policy for obtaining a sample would be: (1) determine whether the request is commercial or non-commercial; (2) recipient signs a license agreement which precludes providing the data to others; and 3) the first quarter-section of data can be purchased for $65 and each subsequent quarter-section is $30.
Racine County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Racine County does have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic (2 foot contour) mapping complete for the county in Genamap format. Coastal areas complete in Racine County include the City of Racine and the following areas in the Town of Caledonia: T4N R23E Sections 8, 17, 20, 28, 29 and 32. The county is under contract now for digital planimetric and topographic mapping in all areas east of I-94 that haven't been previously done. Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road pavement edge. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Wisconsin State Plane Coordinates, South Zone, NAD27.
Kenosha County Digital Planimetric and Topographic Mapping Status
Kenosha County does have large-scale, digital planimetric and topographic (2 foot contour) mapping complete for the county in Genamap format. It is based on a variety of dates of aerial photography (Town of Somers 1996, 1993; City of Kenosha 1979, 1988, 1980, 1987; Village of Pleasant Prairie 1980). Planimetric features mapped include building outlines, hydrography, and road pavement edge. The coordinate system used by the county for digital mapping is Wisconsin State Plane Coordinates, South Zone, NAD27.
Huxhold, William E., D. David Moyer, and Peter G. Thum. 1993. "The Base Map" in Multipurpose Land Information Systems: The Guidebook. Edited by Patricia M. Brown and D. David Moyer. Silver Spring, Maryland: Federal Geodetic Control Committee.
Photogrammetric base map
Digital Orthophotos
Elevations
Zoning
Soils
Wetlands
Land Use
Natural Resources
Infrastructure and Facility Management
Map Sheet Elements (Intergraph Format)
Data Element Group/Elements Type Level Color Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------
Map Border Line 1 1 Border, Trim Lines
Map Title Text 1 2
Map Legend Box Line 1 3 Map Logo
Map Legend Box Text Text 1 4
Graphic Scale Line 1 5
Graphic Scale Text Text 1 6
North Point Point 1 7
North Point Text Text 1 8
Map Legend Symbols Point 1 9
Map Legend Text Text 1 10
Map Index Section Lines Line 1 11
Map Index County & Town Lines Line 1 13
Map Index City Boundary Lines Line 1 15
Map Index Location Box Line 1 17
Geodetic & Geographic Reference Elements
Data Element Group/Elements Type Level Color Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------
NGS Triang. Station Location Point 2 1 See Note 1
NGS Triang. Station Text Text 2 4 See Note 1
GPS Control Station Location Point 2 5 See Note 1
GPS Control Station Text Text 2 8 See Note 1
Traverse Station Location Point 2 9 See Note 1
Traverse Station Text Text 2 12 See Note 1
Photo Center Location Point 2 13 See Note 1
Photo Center Text Text 2 14 See Note 1
Bench Mark Location Point 2 15 See Note 1
Bench Mark Text Text 2 16 See Note 1
Wisconsin State Plane Coordinate
Grid Intervals Point 3 1 See Note 2
Wisconsin State Plane Coordinate
Text 3 2 See Note 2
Wisconsin State Plane Coordinate
Grid Intersections Point 3 3 See Note 1
US Public Land Survey Corner Point 4 1
US Public Land Survey Corner Text 4 4
Coordinates (NAD-83/91)
US Public Land Survey Monuments Point 4 5
US Public Land Survey Monuments
Coordinates (NAD-83/91) Text 4 8
US Public Land Survey
Section Line Line 5 1
US Public Land Survey
Section Bearing/Length Text 5 2
US Public Land Survey
Quarter-Section Line Line 5 3
US Public Land Survey Text 5 4
Quarter-Section Bearing/Length
Hydrographic Elements
Data Element Group/Elements Type Level Color Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------
Open Water Line Line 8 1 See Note 3
Open Water Name Text Text 8 2 See Note 3
Open Water Direction of Flow Point 8 3
Single Width Water Line Line 9 1 See Note 4
Single Width Water Name Text Text 9 2 See Note 4
Marsh Boundary Line Line 10 1
Marsh Name Text Text 10 2
Marsh Symbol Point 10 3
Planimetric Elements
Data Element Group/Elements Type Level Color Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------
Road Pavement/Curb Line Line 11 1
Road Name Text Text 11 2
Road Median/Boulevard Line Line 11 3
Unimproved Road Line Line 13 1
Unimproved Road Name Text Text 13 2
Driveway Line (paved) Line 14 1
Driveway & Parking Text Text 14 2
Driveway (unpaved) Line 14 3
Parking (paved) Line 14 5
Parking (unpaved) Line 14 7
Trail Line Line 15 1
Trail Line Text Text 15 2
Fence Line Line 17 1
Transmission Tower Line 18 3
Communications Tower Line 18 5 Other Large Towers
Utility Pole Location Point 19 5 Light, Power & Telephone Poles
Railway Track Centerline Line 20 1
Railway Name Text Text 20 4
Railway (abandoned) Line 20 7
Building Roof/Foundation
Outline Line 21 1
Building Name Text Text 21 2
Ruins Foundation Outline Line 22 1
Ruins Name Text Text 22 2
Dam Line Line 23 1
Dam Name Text Text 23 2
Pier Line Line 23 3
Pier Name Text Text 23 4
Dock Wall Line Line 23 5
Dock Wall Name Text Text 23 6
Culvert (small) Point 24 1
Culvert Line (large) Line 24 3
Bridge Deck Line Line 25 1
Bridge Wing/Retaining Wall
Line Line 25 3
Aviation Runway/Taxiway Line
(paved) Line 26 1
Aviation Runway/Taxiway Name
Text Text 26 2
Aviation Runway/Taxiway Line
(unpaved) Line 26 3
Cemetery Line 27 5
Cemetery Text Text 27 6
Paved Slab Line 27 7
Paved Slab Text Text 27 8
Open Storage, Pile, U/C Line 27 9
Open Storage, Pile, U/C Text Text 27 10
Pipeline Line 27 11
Pipeline Text Text 27 12
Overhead Structure Line 27 15
Overhead Structure Text Text 27 16
Pool Line 27 19
Pool Text Text 27 20 Letter P
Tank, Silo Line 27 21
Tank, Silo Text Text 27 22
Sign Text Text 27 24 Letter S
Sign Line Line 27 25
Substation Structure Line 27 27
Substation Text Text 27 28
Wall Line 27 29
Wall Text Text 27 30 Letter W
Other Planimetric Features 27 33
Tree Location Point 33 1
Wooded Area Boundary Line Line 33 3
Hypsometric Elements
Data Element Group/Elements Type Level Color Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------
Accentuated Contour Elevation
Line Line 29 1
Accentuated Contour Elevation
Number Text 29 2
Accentuated Contour Depression
Line Line 29 3
Accentuated Contour Depression
Number Text 29 4
Accentuated Approx. Contour
Elevation Line Line 29 5
Accentuated Approx. Contour
Elevation Number Text 29 6
Accentuated Approx. Contour
Depression Line Line 29 7
Accentuated Approx. Contour
Depression Number Text 29 8
Unaccentuated Contour
Elevation Line Line 30 1
Unaccentuated Contour
Depression Line Line 30 3
Unaccentuated Approx. Contour
Elevation Line Line 30 5
Unaccentuated Approx. Contour
Depression Line Line 30 7
Spot Elevation Location Point 31 1
Spot Elevation Value Text Text 31 2
Water Surface Elevation
Location Point 31 3
Water Surface Spot Elevation
Value Text Text 31 4
US Public Land Survey Corner
Elevation Text 31 6
Last modified by David Hart on July 1, 1998