The Columbia Center is actively involved in improving mapping at the local, regional and state level. Our philosophy is built on the belief that local data is best. Many initiatives work from the national or state level to attempt to provide accurate, large scale data for emergency response, economic development and resource management. However, these efforts often fail to produce accurate and complete data that is useful at the local level.
We believe the process must begin with local agencies that know their land and have a real need for accurate, high-quality data. The places where really good geospatial data exist today are large urban areas where local agencies have the resources to produce and maintain good data. We are bringing this ability to the rural portions of Texas. We believe the flow of data should be from the local to regional to state and finally to the federal level.
The Columbia Center is currently engaged in several projects designed to attack the problem of poor geospatial data in rural areas:
9-1-1 mapping for Nacogdoches County
9-1-1 mapping for Panola County
Road updates for San Augustine County
DETCOG 9-1-1 modernization
The Columbia Center is also engaged in state-wide mapping initiatives to address specific emergency response needs. Again, these projects are being managed from the ground up , cooperating with local officials to gather information and develop long-term relationships. These projects include:
Texas Electrical Grid mapping for the Texas Military Forces
Public Water Supply Critical Facilities Infrastructure Mapping for Texas
Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
Public Water District Mapping for TCEQ
The Columbia Center continues to seek new ways to improve the quality and accessibility of geospatial data for rural East Texas.
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.
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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:
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This image illustrates the kind of mapping problems that are commonly encountered in rural parts of the State.
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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.
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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.
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...
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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. |
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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.