Columbia Center News

City of Nacogdoches

7/18/2008 9:09:46 AM

The The City of Nacogdoches Web Applications is an ESRI ArcGIS Server web applicaiton for Nacogdoches. In includes most of the layers in the City GIS including 6 inch aerial photography captures in 2002.

http://arcgis01.crgsc.org/naccity/

Consuming Ibis Eye

7/10/2008 4:29:13 PM

Under the Web 2.0 paradigm, it seems the phrase “dog eat dog” has taken on a new connotation. Back when the law of the jungle ruled the business world, “dog eat dog” meant kill or be killed. But the concepts of the past are, well, passé. We no longer engage in hostile takeovers, we collaborate. We no longer compete, we consume each other’s services. There is a difference between a dark jungle and a thriving ecosystem.

One example of this new way of thinking can be found on the upper right-hand corner of your screen. The map visible under the “weather” column heading is the result of the Columbia Center consuming a web service provided by the Herald Tribune called IbisEye, which in turn consumes Google Maps in order to display its data. Dog eat dog indeed!

IbisEye’s mission is “to bridge the gap between the technical world of meteorology and the common man.” They accomplish this by providing “mountains of real-time weather and tropical storm data; a system to estimate a storm’s threat to property and population in its path; a system to exchange damage reports; and an encyclopedic storehouse of hurricane history.” At the time of writing this article, IbisEye has been tracking the progress of Hurricane Bertha.

When any major storm or hurricane pops up, IbisEye automatically centers on the storm and follows it throughout the course of its existence. Feel free to click on the IbisEye map to the right and enjoy a full screen version of the tool. Historic storm information can be viewed on the IbisEye site itself. The Columbia Center is excited about making IbisEye accessible via its website, and will continue to research new ways to keep our users informed about the world around them.

Panola County

6/24/2008 3:42:31 PM

The The Panola County Map Viewer is an ESRI ArcGIS Servier Application for Panola County, Texas. This Web Application may be viewed in a web browser or used as a data layer in GIS Desktop Software.

http://arcgis01.crgsc.org/panolacounty/

Nacogdoches County

6/24/2008 3:42:25 PM

The The Nacogdoches County Map Viewer is an ESRI ArcGIS Servier Application for Nacogdoches County, Texas. This Web Application may be viewed in a web browser or used as a data layer in GIS Desktop Software.

http://arcgis01.crgsc.org/naccounty/

Consuming Ibis Eye

6/13/2008 4:25:59 PM

Professor World

6/13/2008 8:47:12 AM

Professor World watches vigilantly over the Columbia Center.

America loves her Superheroes. But unless they’re from Krypton, heroes are made, not born. Here at the Columbia Center we can boast our own Superhero: Professor World. The illustrious Professor World began life as mild-mannered professor Dr. Darrel McDonald. About a decade ago, however, something changed in Dr. McDonald, and he began to wear magical robes imbued with mighty Geospatial powers.

His mission was clear: “To go out and encourage awareness about our world, about the people who live in it, and the way maps can impact our lives.” Dr. McDonald always smiles when he delivers his mantra. “If you know where you are you’ll better understand who you are.”

Professor World has been busy, holding more than 50 events over the years, for crowds ranging from second graders to seniors, in order to help people understand their world. Like all superheroes, however, Professor World must rely on powerful tools. The aforementioned robes, of course, allow him to become one with the globe. Upon his head sits the Scarlet Cap of Culture, which allows him to understand and explain societies across the oceans.

The Rod of Life and the Walking Wuffers.

In his hand rests the sturdy Rod of Life, through which flows the life energy of the planet. Finally, his feet are clad with the never failing Walking Wuffers, which allow him to traverse unimaginable distances at mind-bending speeds.

On June 3rd, Professor World was called upon to perform yet another mighty deed. The Nacogdoches Public Library summoned him to bring enlightenment and escape from summer tedium to a group of Nacogdoches school children.

Against all odds, rare footage was captured of Professor World performing at this event. Until now, few mortal eyes have had the privilege to see the Professor at work. The Columbia Center has decided to broadcast this clip over the internet. What better way to pay homage to this unsung hero than to make his work accessible to the world the Professor fights so hard to celebrate?

Professor World

6/11/2008 11:08:30 AM

Professor World watches vigilantly over the Columbia Center.

The Rod of Life and the Walking Wuffers.

The Pirates of SCAUG

5/25/2008 9:23:48 PM

There are few fields as acronym riddled as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This is most likely due to the polysyllabic nature of the terminology we use on a daily basis: no one wants to spit out ten syllables when three will do just fine. Among these frequently used acronyms is ESRI, which stands for Environmental Systems Research Institute. To say that ESRI is a big player in the GIS industry is a gross understatement: they hold a kind of monopoly on enterprise GIS software solutions.

It comes as no surprise, then, that ESRI related user groups abound. In April, the Columbia Center sent several employees to a conference held by one such user group called the South Central Arc User Group, or SCAUG (yet another acronym).

It’s refreshing, however, that members of SCAUG are aware of how much their acronym, when pronounced correctly, sounds like something a scurvy dog might say on the deck of the Flying Dutchman. This is why April’s SCAUG conference was pirate themed.

In keeping with this sea faring theme, it might be appropriate to say the Columbia Center made a big splash at this year’s conference. Just before the conference, Jason Grogan and Johnny Brown taught a training session which included ArcPad familiarization and GPS usage. Johnny and Charles Ashton entered maps and a map book into a competition, with Charles’ map book coming in second place. Johnny, Charles, and Diana Gunter participated in a panel discussing the operations, capabilities, and services the Columbia Center offers to the public.

All reports indicate that the conference went swimmingly—SCAUG has proven to be a treasure trove for networking with other GIS professionals and gaining knowledge and insight for navigating the field’s exciting waters.

Daisetta Sinkhole

5/18/2008 2:36:52 AM

During the course of their work collecting data for the TCEQ Critical Facilities Infrastructure Project (see TCEQ Partners with Columbia Center), Columbia Center Data Collection Technicians Buddy and Chyrell Reich found themselves in the vicinity of Daisetta, Texas. Their duties took them well within the restricted area around the growing Daisetta Sinkhole, and they were able to capture these images of the phenomenon.

At the time of their visit, the sinkhole was about 900 feet across and some 250 feet deep. It had filled with water, and there was an oil slick on top caused by a ruptured oil tank. These photos tell the story.

Geologists believe the collapse was caused by the removal of oil from a salt dome under the site. Over time, pressure from the overbearing layers caused the dome to collapse. No one knows how much the sinkhole may grow.

Daisetta is located in Southeast Texas between Houston and Beaumont.

To learn more about the Diasetta Sinkhole, visit:

Houston Chronicle, 5/9/08
ABC13, Houston, TX, 5/10/08
Houston Chronicle, 5/12/08
Clastic Detritus

To learn more about sinkholes and what causes them, visit:

USGS Water Science for Schools

Daisetta Sinkhole

5/17/2008 2:11:09 PM

Daisetta is located in Southeast Texas between Houston and Beaumont.

To learn more about the Diasetta Sinkhole, visit:

Houston Chronicle, 5/9/08
ABC13, Houston, TX, 5/10/08
Houston Chronicle, 5/12/08
Clastic Detritus

To learn more about sinkholes and what causes them, visit:

USGS Water Science for Schools

The Pirates of SCAUG

5/13/2008 4:56:48 PM

GIS Jet-Setting: Training Texas' Finest

5/9/2008 2:17:17 PM

While the employees of the Columbia Center aren’t necessarily hobnobbing with the rich and famous, we’ve certainly been keeping great company: the Texas State Guard.

Our work with the Texas State Guard began in the summer of 2007 when, in collaboration with Colonel Charles Miller, plans were laid out for twelve hand-picked guardsmen to participate in a five day introductory GPS course at our facility on the Square in Downtown Nacogdoches.

The purpose of this training is to familiarize the State Guard with the use of geospatial technologies as tools in carrying out a successful first response to an emergency situation.

The initial training, which was held in December of 2007, was so well-received that it has cemented a relationship between the Texas Military Forces and the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center System. In fact, over the months of April and May we will have held around a dozen similar training sessions for the State Guard in five different locations, with several of them happening at the same time!

In order to facilitate all of this training, the Columbia Center has sent emissaries to our System partners at locations over 800 miles apart in order to bring uniformity to our training. This has provided us a chance to “train our trainers” in order to develop a quality, system-wide training curriculum. The goal is for the CRGSC System to have trained over 150 guardsmen by the end of October 2008.

Aside from helping the Texas State Guard develop crucial skills in emergency response, these trainings have resulted in positive publicity for both the Columbia Center and the Guard. According to First Sergeant Steven Donaldson, “The press coverage was surprising in its results for the Texas State Guard. So far we have received over 40 requests for information about joining the Texas State Guard. The story was covered by two television stations who put their stories on the web. Both of those stories made it up my chain of command to the General Staff, and received praises all the way up. So besides all the skills we learned, we may wind up gaining some soldiers also. This will help us fulfill our mission of military assistance to civil authorities, and continue to live up to our motto: ‘Texans Serving Texas.’”

We are proud of our relationship with Texas’ Finest, and look forward to exploring new opportunities for training in the future.

GIS Jet-Setting: Training Texas' Finest

5/8/2008 4:05:23 PM

Columbia Museum Showing

5/8/2008 9:20:24 AM

Begins: Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Ends: Sunday, February 03, 2008 at 5:00 PM

Two large-scale models of the space shuttle will be part of a temporary exhibit of NASA memorabilia opening soon in downtown Nacogdoches to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Columbia tragedy.

The exhibit is being sponsored by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center and the Columbia Memorial Museum. It will be open to the public from Jan. 26 to Feb. 10 in the vacant Wyatt building next door to Nacogdoches City Hall on the downtown square.

In conjunction with the exhibit, organizers also are holding a reunion for those who participated in the long recovery effort and kicking off a new campaign to record the recollections of recovery workers for posterity.

On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, and all seven astronauts on board were lost. The expansive debris field covered much of East Texas, including Nacogdoches and surrounding counties.

“There were literally thousands of people who came here to search for debris and help with the recovery effort, and, except for their individual recollections, we have no way to record their experiences for history,” said Dr. Morris Jackson, director of the Columbia Memorial Museum. “We are hoping to sit down with as many of them as possible over the coming weeks and begin to preserve their living histories for future generations.”

Along with the models of the space shuttle, the exhibit will include large panels with printed information and photographs detailing the history of space exploration in the United States. Scrapped space shuttle components also will be available for viewing; however, no debris from the Columbia disaster will be included in the display.

“This is the first time an exhibit of this magnitude and quality has been brought to East Texas, and it really chronicles the whole history of the shuttle program,” said Dr. James Kroll, director of the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center. “The displays are just incredible, so we are hoping a lot of people will take advantage of the opportunity to come and see the exhibit.”

The exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.

Volunteers are needed to serve as docents for the exhibit. If you would like to help, call the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center at (936) 468-6100. Donations for the Columbia Memorial Museum may be mailed to P.O. Box 635007, Nacogdoches, TX, 75963-5007.

How The Columbia Center Helps You Vote

5/8/2008 9:19:48 AM

At times, when in polite conversation, a staff member of the Columbia Center is asked “So what is it that you do?” This is somewhat of an awkward moment, as the esoteric, technical nature of the collection and processing of geospatial data can be difficult to relate without a crash course in the field of geospatial information systems.

Debra Gaston, Election Coordinator

That is why the Columbia Center jumps at the chance to make practical, every day application of the data we collect and maintain. One such opportunity landed in the lap of Johnny Brown (Geospatial Applications Specialist II) when Nacogdoches Election Coordinator Debra Gaston called. “Several years ago, we purchased some mapping software to help with determining voter precincts, but it was not as accurate as we needed it to be,” said Gaston. “On one county road you can have as many as three different precincts depending on where and on what side of the road you live. We made the best we could with what we had.”

Fortunately, the Columbia Center maintains a constantly updated database which can be used to create the most current maps available for the Nacogdoches area. “They were able to understand my dilemma, and because of Johnny’s assistance, we’ve been able to clean up our data extensively. I personally feel our voter rolls are in the best shape they’ve ever been,” said Gaston. She was so happy, in fact, that she baked the Columbia Center a cake in time for a staff meeting over lunch. “I can’t say enough good things about the assistance I’ve had and the maps they produced.” Gaston said.

The Columbia Center continues to field questions from the Election Office regarding the correct voter district for individual addresses. “Sometimes I send over pages worth of addresses to verify. I get a response immediately.” said Gaston.

While the pride staff members at the Columbia Center take in their work is motivation enough, sometimes there’s nothing better than high praise and baked goods.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Partners with the Columbia Center

5/8/2008 9:19:43 AM

Hurricane Rita

After hurricanes Katrina and Rita left swaths of devastation across Louisiana and Texas, an unforeseen consequence reared its ugly head: many public water supplies had been contaminated by raw sewage. Soon after the hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast, 23 percent of the drinking water facilities in Louisiana were rendered inoperable, forcing the state to require residents to boil their water before use.

Having witnessed the problems Louisiana faced in the aftermath of these disasters, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality identified a crucial gap in data required to assure Texas residents timely restoration of public water services during natural disasters and other emergency situations. With funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Columbia Center is working alongside TCEQ to fill this data gap.

The data being collected by the Columbia Center include GPS locations for water treatment plants, water storage tanks, wells, entry points, and interconnects. For each of these locations, vital information about these systems is being recorded. A database is being compiled for distribution. All data face a rigorous quality control audit involving the use of high-resolution aerial photography for verification. After passing quality control standards, data are submitted to TCEQ. In the end, each requesting water supply receives a map showing the location of their critical facilities, providing emergency responders a powerful tool for assessing the safety of water supplies.

Currently, the project is limited to mapping water supplies servicing less than 3300 customers in counties adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and in East Texas most susceptible to damage by hurricanes. Plans are under way to map every public water system in the entire state of Texas.

Data collection technician Chyrell Reich recording the location of a public water supply feature.

This is a formidable project, requiring several Columbia Center staff members to commit full-time to its implementation. Our current field crew, Buddy and Chyrell Reich, are deployed in the Houston area where they are facing the daunting task of mapping around 600 public water systems, while facing traffic and other big-city challenges. Despite these challenges, they are successfully mapping close to 20 public water supplies per week, while developing positive relationships with water supply managers and other individuals.

Ryan Hudiburgh, a wildlife graduate student studying under Dr. James Kroll, is overseeing scheduling and logistical coordination of the project. Assisted by students Amy Braig and Chelsea West, water supplies are contacted by phone to solicit their participation in the project. On average, numerous calls, emails, letters and/or faxes are necessary to set up each appointment.

Paul R. Blackwell, Assistant Director for Operations, said “This project fills a critical need identified during the Hurricane Katrina and Rita responses. The results will allow emergency resources to be deployed more efficiently, restoring clean, safe drinking water to more people, more quickly than is currently possible. This is one of the most important applications of geospatial technology we have undertaken. We are proud to be a part of it.” The Columbia Center hopes to finish with the current scope of the project by the first of September, 2008.

Columbia Museum Showing

5/8/2008 9:19:10 AM

Begins: Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Ends: Sunday, February 03, 2008 at 5:00 PM

New Site Launched!

5/8/2008 8:40:43 AM

WWW Specialist Bryan Tarpley gives the CRGSC website a makeover.

The Columbia Center’s web presence has been to the salon and had its hair done. It has picked out a new dress and a matching pair of shoes. It has stepped out onto the sidewalk, hoping to see heads turn. It might even appreciate a whistle or two.

But appearances are only pixel deep! The web site also offers a new navigation system in the form of the menu you see above, which stays at the top of every page you visit. The menu is broken down into the following main areas:

Home: This is where you’ll find all the things you would expect to find on a modern website, like a home page with news stories (you’re looking at it), an FAQ page, Calendar, Forum, and Contact page.

About: These are pages intended to help you understand the Columbia Center, including how it came to exist, what it does, who works here, and what the Columbia Center can offer you.

Data: This is where people seeking geospatial data go to find vector GIS data, raster images, remote sensing data, GPS base station data, and a wealth of other resources.

Training and Education: Under this section you’ll find helpful information about what kind of classes the Columbia Center offers, when they meet, and how to contact us so you can sign up for them.

Applications: Here you’ll find the map services we provide over the internet, as well as web applications for helping you use them in your browser.

Projects: This is where you can find out what the Columbia Center currently is working on, as well as completed projects.

The best way to learn what the new site has to offer, of course, is to don that Safari hat and go exploring. If you need to find something specific, feel free to take a shortcut by using the Search box you’ll find at the top-right of every page.

Don’t hesitate to drop us a line and let us know what you think of our shiny new site. If there’s something we’ve missed, or a feature you would like to see implemented, please let us know! There are two ways you can do this. You can send us an email by visiting our contact page, or you can post in our public forum. Either way, we promise to get back to you in a timely manner.

Happy surfing!

New Site Launched!

4/2/2008 10:47:06 AM

WWW Specialist Bryan Tarpley gives the CRGSC website a makeover.

About: These are pages intended to help you understand the Columbia Center, including how it came to exist, what it does, who works here, and what the Columbia Center can offer you.

Data: This is where people seeking geospatial data go to find vector GIS data, raster images, remote sensing data, GPS base station data, and a wealth of other resources.

Applications: Here you’ll find the map services we provide over the internet, as well as web applications for helping you use them in your browser.

Projects: This is where you can find out what the Columbia Center currently is working on, as well as completed projects.

Happy surfing!

Mission

4/2/2008 9:50:40 AM

The Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center (The Columbia Center), established in 2005 by Congress, is the national model for a growing network of regional centers, delivering the most up-to-date geospatial information and tools for regional support with:

Emergency planning and response
Economic development
Natural resource management

The Columbia Center provides backup services, data storage and redundancy to other regional centers, and serves as a conduit between local, state and federal entities.

On-Line Resources

4/1/2008 8:11:45 PM

A Number on On-Line Resources are available and helpful for learning geospatial technology. These link are listed here as a conveniences. The Columbia Center has no connection with these services and offers no warranty as to their suitability for any purpose.

	ESRI Virtual Campus
	USGS Online GIS Training Course
	National Parks Service GIS for Fire Specialists
	FEMA NETC Virtual Campus

Training Modules

4/1/2008 5:44:56 PM

Training modules will be offered to local, regional, and state government employees that will focus on how geospatial activities can be used in daily routines. The modules are designed to ensure that critical infrastructure is maintained accurately so that regular service delivery will continue to operate during an emergency.

Training courses will be made available to public groups, including non-government organizations, youth and educational groups, outdoor sports organizations among others that desire to be more informed about geospatial technology and its broader applications.

Target Audience

4/1/2008 5:42:25 PM

The main target for the Education and Training materials will be regional professionals involved with emergency response, natural resource management, and economic development. Classes and training will be available to students seeking careers in geospatial sciences as well as faculty, namely those of Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), as well as faculty from University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

The programs offered by the Columbia Center will provide relevant geospatial training especially designed for first responders, including:

Emergency managers
Homeland Security directors
National Guard units
Fire and police personnel
Designated logistics individuals
Local government employees assigned duties during emergencies that are not part of their daily job description

Goals

4/1/2008 5:42:15 PM

The Education and Training Program of the Columbia Center will provide training in the geospatial areas of GPS (Global Positioning Systems), GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and RS (Remote Sensing) through:

Workshops
Seminars and conferences
Public and academic presentations
Web-based interactive modules and written materials

Community

4/1/2008 5:40:13 PM

The Columbia Center Education and Training team provide geospatial training and educational opportunities for the community at large. Among the most popular of these activities is a class on GPS training for hunter’s and fishermen. The program is aimed at the outdoorsman wanting to learn more about recreational grade GPS receivers that they own, or may be planning to purchase.

The classroom portion of the course covers theory, operation and usage of typical consumer-grade GPS Units. Garmin 76C GPS receivers are provided, but participants are encouraged to bring and use their own units. Classroom instruction is augmented with field exercises cover all normal modes of GPS operations. In addition, an introduction to GIS data sources and use is given along with tips on where to find free resources to enhance your GPS mapping experience.

Visit the Training and Education Schedule frequently for these and other training opportunities.

Columbia Center Education and Training personnel frequently speak to service clubs and other civic groups. Topics include all aspects of geospatial technology as well as real-world experiences during the Columbia Shuttle recovery effort, Hurricanes responses such as Katrina and Rita and other emergency events that the Center as been involved in.

SURAgrid

3/31/2008 8:18:01 PM

The Columbia Center is an active member of SURAgrid, a consortium of organizations collaborating and combining resources to help bring grid technology to the level of seamless, shared infrastructure. Involvement in SURAgrid provides access to high-performance computing resources that would otherwise be unavailable. In addition, the organization provides a means of collaborating with researchers from all across the southeastern United States.

The Columbia Center is focusing on three objectives within SURGgrid:

REDDnet – SURAgrid collaboration

Providing geospatial resources

Grid-enabling geospatial applications

In addition, the Columbia Center is working towards adding computational resources to SURAgrid.

SURAgrid is another example of the Columbia Center efforts to embrace a wide array of technologies in pursuit of our goals.

Data Replication

3/31/2008 7:56:22 PM

Data replication is one of the bedrock principles upon which the Columbia Center and The Columbia Center System is based. Recent history aptly illustrates the rationale behind this process. On September 11, 2001, the terrorist attack took out the New York City Emergency Operations Center, located in Building 7 of the WTC, along with the Twin Towers.

The Columbia Center is working towards providing live backup and geodata replication services for a number of local and regional governmental agencies. These services are being developed using state-of-the-art software that allows cross-database replication of geospatial data. The intention is to provide fault-tolerance and disaster recovery for critical public datasets.

Closer to home, Tropical Storm Allison dumped as much as 40 inches of rainfall over Southeast Texas, causing wide-spread flooding. Among the buildings flooded was the one containing the Texas GigaPop, a major network connection providing service to much of the Texas academic community, including SFASU. The outage effectively severed all communication to most geospatial assets in eastern Texas.

These examples illustrate why single points of failure cannot be tolerated for critical resources.

The Columbia Center philosophy answers this critical concern by replicating data and services across the state. The System partners, the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas Tech University and Lamar University replicate each other’s data stores as well as critical state-wide data maintained by the Texas Natural Geographic Information system. In this way no part of the state can be cut off from critical geospatial assets.

In addition to replicating state wide and each other’s data, the Centers provide replication services for local and regional governments. Through cooperative agreements, resources can be allocated at the Centers to backup and serve out critical data. Projects are currently underway with the following agencies:

The Deep East Texas Council of Governments

The East Texas Council of Governments

The Houston/Galveston Area Council

The City of Tyler

The City of Nacogdoches

Nacogdoches County

Panola County

Services

3/31/2008 7:03:34 PM

The Columbia Center proudly provides the following kinds of services:

Mapping Services

The Columbia Center is collecting data continuously and using them to update our geospatial databases. With these data we are able to create maps on-the-fly, and are always looking for new ways to apply this data. We can also be contracted to conduct field work for gathering new kinds of data. Here are some examples of work we have done recently in this area:

Geospatial Data Replication

Part of our mission is to provide a secure data center for the storing of critical geospatial information for public agencies. We can provide live, off-site backup of geospatial data for city, county and regional governmental organizations. Through our sister organizations, these services can extend across the state. Please contact us for more information.

Web Services

Our Columbia Center staff includes several highly trained programmers capable of taking geospatial information and making easy to use web applications. If you see a need for a service we could provide over the internet, please contact us. Below is our Web Applications page:

Software Resources

3/31/2008 6:37:48 PM

Free software is available that can manage and display geospatial data. We offer the links below as a convenience. The Columbia Center has no connection with any of the following products or companies and makes no warranties as to their usefulness or quality.

If you know of another free resource that you find useful, please send us a link and we will add it to this list.

ESRI

ArcExplorer Family of Free Geospatial Applications

Google

Google Earth

Lizzard Tech

ExpressView Browser Plug-in(MrSid) for Windows

Express Server Plug-in for ArcGIS

Leica

Leica Geosystems ViewFinder V2.1

Purdue University

Multispec (Multispectral Image Data Analysis System)

Data Services

3/31/2008 5:30:33 PM

Columbia Center Data Services provide access to GIS data over the Internet. These services are designed to be ingested by desktop GIS Applications such as ESRI ArcGIS. The following data services are available:

Stratmap2 trans

Stratmap2 political boundaries

Stratmap2 hydro

stratmap2 hypso

NAIP 2004 digital orthoimagary

Texas Shaded Relief

Texas Analytical Hillshade

To access these services, you must have a GIS application that is capable of accepting map services as input. This includes most commercial GIS software a a few free viewers such as ArcExplorer. Many of these services are provided in WMS and KML format as well as ESRI ArcGIS Server. Please refer to your software documentation for details.

To access these services, select “GIS Servers” as the the source in your desktop software and enter “http://arcgis01.crgsc.org” as the URL. Once the connection is established, you will see all the services that are currently avialable.

Be sure to look at Web Applications under the Applications tab. Many Web Apps can be used as data layers in desktop GIS software as well.

Web Applications

3/31/2008 11:57:40 AM

Web Applications deliver geospatial data and functionality over the Internet. They utilize computing power, data and technical expertise at our facilities in Nacogdoches, Texas to deliver simple, easy to use geospatial applications through a ordinary Internet browser.

The applications are targeted at very specific goals and user communities in order to make them as simple and intuitive as possible. Again the emphasis is on placing the technical requirement on the server side and to free the user from as much technical complexity as possible.

The Columbia Center uses a variety of hardware and software to implement these services and we are always experimenting with new technologies. Check these pages often for additional applications.

Data Services

3/31/2008 11:56:20 AM

Stratmap2 trans

Stratmap2 political boundaries

Stratmap2 hydro

stratmap2 hypso

NAIP 2004 digital orthoimagary

Texas Shaded Relief

Texas Analytical Hillshade

Be sure to look at Web Applications under the Applications tab. Many Web Apps can be used as data layers in desktop GIS software as well.

Internet Map Services

3/31/2008 11:55:27 AM

Columbia Center Internet Map Services provide geospatial map data over Inernet connections. These services are fall into three broad categories:

Data Services are primarily for use as data layers in desktop GIS software applications such as ESRI Arc Explorer or ArcGIS. These services generally incorporate only one data theme or layer and are meant to be combined with other data.

Map Services may be used as data sources for desktop GIS software as well, however, they include more data layers and offer functionality that is useful when viewed in an ordinary web browser such as IE or FireFox.

Web Applications are Map Services that go further to deliver GIS functionality to over the Internet. They are designed to run in an ordinary web browser and deliver advanced GIS functionlaity generally targeted to a specific purpose. Web Applications are listed under their own tab on this website.

REDDnet

3/30/2008 9:10:44 PM

The Research and Education Data Depot Network (REDDnet) is an NSF funded research initiative to build a distributed network storage system for data intensive collaboration. The Columbia Center is one of 6 institutions involved in the project along with The University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, Nevoa Networks, North Carolina State University and the University of Delaware.

The concept underlying REDDnet is that data storage should be part of the network infrastructure. Rather than a data repository at a single location, REDDnet storage is distributed across the wide-area net- work. Data is sliced into blocks and distributed across the network.

The similarity to a data RAID store is useful to understand this technology. Just as a RAID system stripes data across several physical disks to improve I/O performance and enable fault tolerance, REDDnet stripes data across depots.

REDDnet is based on Internet Back- plane Protocol (IBP) developed at the Logistical Computing and Internetworking (LoCI) Lab at the University of Tennessee. Several technologies are layered on top of IBP to enable different capabilities. One of these, called L-Store, developed at the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education (ACCRE), at Vanderbilt University, provides the file system abstraction and metadata maintenance that make REDDnet work. Tools developed at NEVOA Networks help manage the system.

The REDDnet project involves several application areas and Columbia Center’s involvement is focused on one of these, delivery of satellite remote sensing data. Other application areas are CMS – Elementary particle Physics at the CERN large Hadron collider, TeraScale Supernova Initiative, National Geospatial Digital Archive, and Retinopathy – Diabetic Eye Disease Screening in Peru and Bolivia.

The Columbia Center is in cooperation with AmericaView to develop the AmericaView/REDDnet Demonstration Project. This project provides fast download of AmericaView remote sensing archives through REDDnet. Phase 1 of the project is nearing completion at the time of this writing. Phase 1 involves a GloVis data discovery tool coupled with a L-Store download engine.

Learn more about REDDnet HERE.

Read about AmericaView/REDDnet application use cases HERE.

Try AmericaView/REDDnet HERE.

Panola County 9-1-1 Mapping

3/30/2008 9:04:40 PM

When Panola County approached the Columbia Center for help modernizing their 9-1-1 mapping, the management team jumped at the opportunity. The Nacogdoches 9-1-1 mapping project was winding down and this looked like an opportunity to apply the lessons learned during the Nacogdoches work and test the procedures that had been developed during that process.

It turned out to be something entirely different…

Most Counties in East Texas are using e9-1-1 addressing systems that are based on primitive, and somewhat inaccurate base maps. Yet, where there is a will there is a way! In Panola County, even inferior maps were unavailable. So instead of basing addresses on maps, the County assigns address by physically measuring distances from road intersections.

The data are recorded on paper forms and then entered into Excel spreadsheets. The system works well and is in fact much more accurate than most of the map-based systems in East Texas. However, with the industry moving towards Mapped Automatic Location Identification (Mapped ALI) and other map-based dispatch systems, Panola County’s system clearly needed updating.

Funding for the project was provided by a Grant administered by the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG). Panola County issued a contract with the Columbia Center to generate a e9-1-1 base map for the county and integrate the County’s existing 9-1-1 addressing into it. The result would be a standards-based e9-1-1 Geodatabase for Panola County e9-1-1.

This project involved the following steps:

Establish a spatially correct road-centerline for Panola County.
Impose address ranges on road segments based on existing addresses.
Generate an address location point file based on existing adress data.
Generate appropriate service area boundaries for the County.
Deliver all data to Panola County as an ESRI geodatabase.

In addition, the Center was intent on introducing GIS to the Panola County e9-1-1 addressing office, and from there to other County offices. Because of this, Larry Jones from the e9-1-1 addressing office, worked closely with Columbia Center Staff during the project. Doing so not only allowed him to become familiar with geospatial technology in general, and the GIS being created for Panola County in particular, but also to provide critical information that informed the choices Center personnel were making as the project developed.

As with the original 9-1-1 mapping pilot project in Nacogdoches County, a number of custom tools were created for the Panola County project. These tools automated certain tasks, allowing faster completion, but also eliminating common human error.

In addition to the Panola County geodatabase that was created during the project, the Columbia Center is building Internet Map Services that will allow other County offices and the general public to leverage this work. The result of the Panola County 9-1-1 Mapping Project is a modern GIS that not only serves as a sound basis for continued 9-1-1 Mapping efforts in Panola County, but also as a base map for other County endeavors.

Nacogdoches County 9-1-1 Mapping

3/30/2008 4:20:48 PM

Nacogdoches County, like many counties in East Texas, has a long and varied 9-1-1 history. Most early attempts to develop viable 9-1-1 systems in East Texas began with very poor mapping. In the days before GPS and accurate orthorectified aerial photography, there were no financially viable avenues for rural counties to acquire accurate maps. As a result, attempts to assign addresses in a systematic way failed because they were based on map representations that did not accurately portray what actually existed on the ground.

In 2006, The Columbia Center undertook to address this problem by developing methodologies that could be practically applied across the region. Nacogdoches County was selected for the pilot project.

Throughout the project, attention was paid to the feasibility of completing this work for other rural counties. Techniques, tools and work flows were developed that reduce labor and minimize the level of expertise required to do the work. The systematic approach developed and perfected by the Columbia Center involves several steps:

This image illustrates the kind of mapping problems that are commonly encountered in rural parts of the State.

Collect and evaluate available data.

Photo-revise road centerlines.

Verify road centerline attribution.

Verify road address ranges.

Align address points to base.

Align driveways to base and address points.

Verify address points to road ranges.

Flag unresolved addressing issues.

Create or align other boundaries to base.

The Columbia Center adopted the Texas State-wide standard 9-1-1 Geodatabase schema for this and all 9-1-1 mapping projects. Nacogdoches County was among the first counties in Texas to embrace this new standard.

The result of the project is twofold: First a comprehensive and accurate base map for Nacogdoches County e9-1-1. Second (and more importantly), a system that can be used to update mapping for other rural counties across the state. Although funding is limited, the Columbia Center is actively seeking opportunities to help other counties update their mapping.

Sample inset of completed Nacogdoches County 9-1-1 Base map. This map features geographically accurate line work, verified address ranges and integrated polygonal layers representing pertinate service areas.

The Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center System

3/29/2008 5:29:52 PM

The Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center System is a growing network of University-based Centers dedicated to supplying regional geospatial services in support of emergency response, economic development, and natural resource management. The System was established in 2006 by a federal appropriation through the Department of Defense. The original Center and prototype for the System is the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, Texas. At present, Centers exist at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Texas Tech University (TTU), and Lamar University (LU).

The Texas Natural Resource Information System (TNRIS), a state agency with responsibility for managing Texas’ geospatial assets, serves as the hub of the system. In one sense, the System extends the reach of TNRIS and expands its mandate to include regional geospatial support.

The Centers are connected via the Lone Star Education And Research Network (LEARN). LEARN is a cooperative effort of 34 institutions of higher education in Texas to provide high-speed connectivity between their institutions, and provide connectivity to research networks across the country. LEARN provides the physical connectivity required to allow the Centers to share data and collaborate on projects in spite of the great distances between them. In addition, the System is a Internet2 project.

Each Center brings it’s own area of expertise to the system. For example, The Columbia Center at SFA focuses on forestry issues, 911-mapping, and rural economic development. UTEP has expertise in geology, air quality, and border issues. TTU works on agricultural issues, water rights, and weather issues. Lamar specializes in minerals, oil exploration, and coastal issues.

All of the Centers share responsibility for emergency preparedness and response, data replication, training and other state-wide issues.

The Columbia Center System has been identified by Senator Hutchison as a “Model for the Nation.”

K-12

3/28/2008 2:07:05 PM

The Columbia Center Training and Education group regularly conducts community outreach activities. One common activity is providing enrichment for local and regional K-12 educational institutions.

“We reach several thousand elementary kids each year with a variety of outdoor, Center, and classroom programs,” says Dr. Darrel McDonald, Assistant Director for Education and Training.The kids really enjoy it and so do we!”

For the younger kids, Professor World may very well make an appearance. Professor World is an intrepid wanderer roaming the globe his his walking stick and wearing his “Walking Woofers” looking for opportunities to talk to kids about our world and the places, people and things on it.

Other groups taking advantage of Columbia Center outreach opportunities are the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, FFA, Boys and Girls Clubs and other similar youth organizations.

In addition to youth-oriented activities, the Training and Education group provides instruction for adults as well. One popular offere is “GPS for Hunters and Fishermen.” This one day class is usually offered on a Saturday and focuses on using recreational grade GPS recievers for outdoor activities.

These training sessions are generally offered free of charge for schools and other non-profit organizations. A modest fee is charged for some programs. If you are interested in the Columnbia Center visiting your organization, or if you would like to bring a group to the Columbia Center for training, please contact the Training and Edcuation Group by clicking here.

Focus Groups

3/28/2008 2:07:01 PM

The Training and Education section conducts focus group session regularly to assure that Columbia Center programs are in line with the needs and expectations of user communities. The “best” geospatial tool is the one that is used, and the best way be sure a tool will be used is to align it perfectly with the needs of the users.

Columbia Center invites professionals from a particular discipline, ems, fire or law enforcement for example, from across the region to gather at a central location. There is a brief presentation on geospatial technology, and then the session is opened up for discussion. Whenever possible, an individual from the selected group is chosen to facility the meeting. Geospatial experts from the Columbia Center listen to the comments and offer suggestions. Ideas and comments are recored and used to guide Columbia Center policy and program development.

Focus groups are an effective method of ensuring that we fully understand the issues facing our various user communities,” said P. R. Blackwell, Assistant Director for Operations. Without this direct contact, we can only guess at our user’s needs. These sessions also afford us the opportunity to meet and come to know the people we are supporting. We invariably come out of these meetings with enhansed admiration and appreciation of the jobs they do every day.”

Academic Classes

3/28/2008 2:04:36 PM

Stephen F. Austin State University offers several programs for degree seeking individuals. Students can pursue degrees that lead to minors in GIS, B.S. degrees with concentration in geospatial sciences, as well as two Masters degree programs. Internships are an integral part of both undergraduate and graduate programs. Also, graduate assistantships for teaching and research are awarded on a competitive basis.

For more information concerning academic programs, please visit SFASU, The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture or contact the Columbia Center Education and Training Dept..

Certification

3/28/2008 2:04:18 PM

Stephen F. Austin is developing curricula for several geospaital technology Certification programs. Watch these pages for announcements as these programs come on-line.

Training

3/28/2008 2:04:13 PM

The Education and Training (E/T) Program of the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center System (CRGSC) is tasked to develop and distribute quality, integrated spatial information training about the use of geospatial data, tools, maps and images to regional public entities, local government groups, scientists, students and interested citizens. The target audience consists of regional professionals involved with emergency response, natural resource managers and economic development groups at all levels. An equally important target group is students and professionals seeking careers in geospatial sciences.

More specifically, programs offered by the Columbia Center provide relevant geospatial training specially designed for first responders (including emergency managers), Homeland Security directors, National Guard units, fire and police personnel, designated logistics individuals and local government employees’ assigned specialized duties during emergencies. In addition, training modules are offered to local, regional and state government employees that will focus on how geospatial activities can be used in daily routines. This training includes ways to develop, manage and disseminate geospatial databases so critical infrastructure is maintained at an acceptable level of accuracy to carry out regular service delivery as well as provide vital data to support emergencies.

Some of the training courses offered by the Columbia Center are:

Introduction to GPS Applications – Level 1

Introduction to GPS Applications – Level 2

Intorduction to GPS data Collection with ArcPad

Economic Risk Analysis for GIS Users

Geocoding with ArcGIS 9.2

Introduction to Metadata

The United States National Grid: Theory and Use

Introduction to ArcGIS I (ESRI Certified)

Introduction to ArcGIS II (ESRI Certified)

To learn more about Columbia Center training classes, please contact the Training and Education Department.

To learn about upcoming classes, click HERE!

How The Columbia Center Helps You Vote

3/28/2008 10:51:28 AM

Debra Gaston, Election Coordinator

While the pride staff members at the Columbia Center take in their work is motivation enough, sometimes there’s nothing better than high praise and baked goods.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Partners with the Columbia Center

3/28/2008 9:51:01 AM

Hurricane Rita

Data collection technician Chyrell Reich recording the location of a public water supply feature.

Other Satellite Remote Sensing Data Sources

3/24/2008 9:42:48 PM

United States Geological Service GloVis

Mid-America Geospatial Information Center (MAGIC)

NOAA Satellite and Information Service

Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF)

Other Historic Map Sources

3/24/2008 9:42:28 PM

Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS)

General Land Office Historic Preservation Program

UTA Library Cartographic Connections

Texas Transportation Archive (TTA)

Texas State Libraries & Archives Commission (TSL)

UT Library Perry-Castaneda Map Collection

David Rumsey Collection

Other GPS Base Stations

3/24/2008 9:42:21 PM

Cooperative CORS Sites

Trimble Reference Stations

TxDOT Global Positioning System

Other GIS Data Sources

3/24/2008 9:42:17 PM

The following organizations provide free access to GIS data for Texas. The Columbia Center provides this list as a convenience and makes no claims as to the quality or usefulness of data available on these sites.

Academic:

Center for Applied Spatial Technologies (CAST)

Texas A&M University – Department of Geography

Texas State University – Department of Geography

Texas Tech University – Digital Atlas of Texas Counties

Texas State University – Texas Stream Team

The University of Texas – Department of Geography

Regional Government:

Texas Association of Regional Councils

Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG)

Houston-Galvestion Area Council (HGAC)

North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)

Alomo Area Council of Governments (AACOG)

Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA)

State Government:

Bureau of Economic Geology *(BEG)

Texas General Land Office (GLO)

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)

Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Texas Historical Commission (THC)

Texas Legislature Online (TLC)

Texas Natural Resources Infomation System (TNRIS)

Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW)

Federal Government:

Geospatial One Stop (GOS>

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

National Aeronotics and Space Administration (NASA)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

USDA Geospatial Gateway

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW)

United States Geological Service (USGS)

The City of New Boston Map Viewer

3/24/2008 7:46:38 PM

The The City of New Boston Map Veiwer was created as part of the Hazard Mitigation Planning Project undertaken by the Columbia Center in 2002. This viewer provides access to the data collected for that project including base map layers, critical facilities and hazards.

http://ims.crgsc.org/website/new_boston/viewer.htm

City of Nacogdoches Map Viewer

3/24/2008 7:46:29 PM

The The City of Nacogdoches Map Viewer is an ESRI IMS viewer for Nacogdoches. In includes most of the layers in the City GIS including 6 inch aerial photography captures in 2002.

http://ims.crgsc.org/website/cityofnac/viewer.htm

Angelina County Parcel Viewer

3/24/2008 7:46:13 PM

The Angelina County Parcel Viewer is an ESRI IMS viewer for Angelina County Texas. The data for this service is provided by Angelina County Appraisal District and includes parcel ownership data for the county.

http://ims.crgsc.org/website/angelina/viewer.htm

East Texas Map Viewer

3/24/2008 7:46:07 PM

The The East Texas Map Viewer is an ESRI IMS viewer for East Texas. It covers that portion of East Texas that falls in UTM Zone 15 (everything east of the Longitude 96° W. This map service may be viewed in a web browser or used as a data layer in GIS Desktop Software.

http://ims.crgsc.org/website/eTex/viewer.htm

East Texas Council of Governments Map Viewer

3/24/2008 7:41:43 PM

The The East Texas Council of Governments Map Viewer is an ESRI Internet Map Service base on data collected by the Columbia Center for the ETCOG County Hazzard Mitigation Project. It covers the 14 counties of ETCOG.

http://ims.crgsc.org/website/etcog/viewer.htm

GPS Base Station Data

3/16/2008 12:14:09 AM

The Arthur Temple College of Foresty and Agriculture in cooperation with the Forest Resources Institute and The Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center maintains a Trimble Reference Station GPS base station at Columbia Center location in downtown Nacogdoches, Texas. The basestation is a 12-channel, automated reference station, collecting L1 carrier and C/A code for differential GPS (DGPS) information. Public access is provided for GPS users within 300km of Nacogdoches.

GPS information is collected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and archived on the Columbia Center webserver ten minutes after every hour. The data can be accessed automatically using Trimble Pathfinder Office software, or through this web interface

Click here to access the GPS ARCHIVES

Reference Position(WGS84):

LATITUDE: 31* 36’ 11.19222" N

LONGITUDE: 94* 39’ 19.65572" W

ELEVATION: 71.770 M HAE

Base Station:

RECEIVER TYPE: Trimble NetR5 13 Channel

BASE STATION TYPE: TRS

General:

ORGANIZATION: Arthur Temple College of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University
LOCATION: Nacogdoches, Texas
ADDRESS: PO Box 6109 SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962-6109
CONTACT: PR Blackwell
EMAIL: prblackwell@sfasu.edu
TELEPHONE: 936.468.1199
FAX: 936.568.0701

Internet Server:

WEB ADDRESS (for Pathfinder Office): http://data.crgsc.org/gis/gpsdata/yymmddhh.zip

NOTE: This archive cannot be accessed by direct anonymous FTP at the present time. Use a web browser to download correction files with the "http://" prefix rather than "ftp://".

Disclaimer:

The GPS digital data on this site was collected by the Geographic Information Systems Laboratory at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University and is made available as a public service. Neither Stephen F. Austin State Univeristy nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty for the accuracy, completness or usefullness of the information contained herein. Reference to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Arthur Temple College of Forestry, or SFASU.