Pages

Friday, March 10, 2017

Lab I: Base Data

GOAL AND BACKGROUND
The goal for this lab was to create several base maps for the Eau Claire Confluence Project by applying knowledge learned from spatial datasets used in the civil sector. The objectives for this lab included: digitizing the Confluence Project, learning about the PLSS, answering questions pertaining to the base data, exploring the City and County of Eau Claire data sets, becoming familiar with WebGIS and legal parcel descriptions, building layouts with major thematic feature classes, and writing a technical report about the project on my blog.
This lab’s background hypothetically placed me working as an intern in the Clear Vision Eau Claire. During my duration as an intern, Clear Visions Eau Claire partnered with Haymarket LLC in creating a community arts center/commercial retail complex, and university housing in downtown Eau Claire. The designated site was the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers. The projects proposed name was the Confluence Project. In this position I had to create several basemaps with information pertaining to the site for the Confluence Project.
METHODS
The first step I achieved was familiarizing myself with the datasets and feature classes by using ArcCatalog. Once that was completed I created a blank geodatabase and polygon feature class. I imported the Eau Claire Block Groups dataset as my default coordinate system.
For the second step I opened ArcMap and imported the Confluence Project and added the World Imagery from the basemaps into the data frame. Next, I added the parcel area feature class and used the legaloutline.jpg document to view the parcels of the Confluence Project. Once I knew the location of the two parcels I used the editing tool to select the Confluence Project feature class. Then, I selected on the snapping toolbar ‘end snapping’ and ‘vertex snapping’. After this I digitized the Confluence Project by choosing the polygon tool and saved my edits.
For the third step, I created another data frame within the same ArcMap document. In this data frame I imported the World Imagery from the basemaps and the ‘PLSS Townships’ from the 2009-17-13 Eau Claire and City of Eau Claire geodatabase. After turning on the Section Number in the label properties I studied the pattern of PLSS in the county and city of Eau Claire. I then proceeded to add the ‘PLSS Quarter Quarter sections’ and ‘PLSS qq’ from both data sets. I used the swipe tool to peel back the layer beneath and view the data. Using the identify button I brought up the attributes for the area that held the Confluence Site and examined it.
For the fourth step, I proceeded to the City of Eau Claire WebGIS looked up the Confluence Project Site and read the report in the city parcels feature information window. I then created this PLSS legal description report of the Confluence Site from the Eau Claire City Public Land Survey System geodatabase and http://eauclairecitywi.wgxtreme.com/website.
Figure 1:  Legal Description of the Proposed Confluence Project Site

For the Fifth step, I created six data frames within an ArcMap document. Within all six data frames I included the Confluence Project site, the World Imagery basemap, a map legend, and bar. Individually, the first data frame consisted of Civil Divisions; the second - census boundaries; the third - PLSS sections; the fourth - Eau Claire’s Parcel data; the fifth data -zoning classes; and the sixth - voting districts.
RESULTS
Going from right to left, the Civil Divisions map shows the area of the Proposed Site residing in the city. The Census Boundaries map illustrates the location of the Proposed Site being in a densely populated area. The PLSS Features map shows the parcel area of where the proposed site would be located. The Voting District map illustrates the ward that the proposed site would be in. The Zoning Map shows what classes are surrounding the site and that the site lies within the CBD. The Eau Claire Parcel Data shows the parcels and centerlines of the area within Eau Claire.
Figure 2: Proposed Site of Confluence Project and Eau Claire boundaries and counties

SOURCES
You have a role to play in building Eau Claire's future. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.eauclairearts.com/confluence/

Frequently asked questions: The Confluence Project. (n.d.). Blugold news. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://www2.uwec.edu/News/more/confluenceprojectFAQs.htm


Hemstead, B. (n.d.). PLSS - Legal Descriptions | PLSS. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.sco.wisc.edu/plss/legal-descriptions.html


Mapping Services. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://www.eauclairewi.gov/departments/public-works/engineering/mapping-services

(2013, June 17). Retrieved March 10, 2017, from http://youtu.be/p5UZYebNqJU

City of Eau Claire and Eau Claire County used for maps

No comments:

Post a Comment