April 2007 Newsletter
2007 Indiana GIS Conference
Thanks to everyone for making this year's conference a success. Now it's your turn to tell us what you thought
at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=845693321265.
Your feedback last year resulted in real changes like repeats of the most popular workshops and earlier closing
ceremonies. Let us know what you want, we'll listen!
And for those who weren't able to make it this year, you can view presentations from the conference on the IGIC website.
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To Catch a Killer
On Monday morning November 22, 2004 Carmel Police arrested Willie J. Dumes, 30, of Indianapolis, on a warrant for
the murder of Stephanie Gillum. Dumes was charged with one count of Murder and one count of being an Habitual Offender
in connection with the homicide of Stephanie Gillum. Gillum had been found dead in her vehicle in a parking at a local park.
Detective Brad Hedrick, Carmel Police Department, asked the City of Carmel GIS to create "a map" showing the jury where the
victim was found, who she was with before the murder, and the time and location of the crime.
The first maps were relatively basic: aerial photography of the investigation site showing points where evidence was found.
As the investigation into the murder progressed, however, Detective Brad Hedrick approached Carmel GIS with more evidence to map.
The Detective had obtained detailed information on the victim's cell phone. Cell phones are constantly communicating with a
network, sending pings to the nearest transmission tower, which enables calls to be routed correctly. As a cell phone moves,
its call is handed off from tower to tower. The carrier keeps records of which towers the phone contacts and when, tracking
its movement to within a few hundred yards.
Using the cell phone records and other additional evidence, Carmel GIS was able to create a digital "trail" of the victim's
location throughout the fatal evening. The detailed map produced for the trial was one of many, many maps created for the
murder investigation.
The cell phone map was used throughout the murder investigation and criminal trial. The Prosecutor and members of the jury
later commented to Detective Hedrick, "The map presented case evidence in a clear, concise manner. It created a clear
picture of the crime events, and we were able to focus on the visual display."
In January 2007, Willie Dumes was found guilty of killing his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Gillum.
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Dot-Dot-Dash
As budgets decrease and workloads increase, time management has become an issue of critical importance.
Using GIS for asset management is a great savings in itself; however, there are other ways to utilize GIS that saves time.
Noble County sends out one or two road line striping contracts per year. This entails choosing the roadways, totaling the
skip and solid stripes, placing this on the contract and sending to the contractors. The process of totaling the stripes
from the striping books takes three days to add by hand.
GIS has substantially streamlined this tedious process. Noble County created digital road centerlines, marking the start
and end points. Tables were associated with each line, allowing users to include variables like striping, offsets,
measurement in lineal feet, and road ID numbers. To find the amount of paint needed, it was a matter of choosing a
road, and if necessary, further paring down the variables. Then users highlighted the length column in the table and
clicked the statistics button.
This is a highly adaptable process that can be used with anything that is measured in lineal feet. Curbs, sidewalks,
roadways, and legal drains can all be referenced. When large sections need to be repaired or replaced, they can be
measured in minutes instead of hours.
The first time this process was used to develop a striping contract, there was an approximate time savings of 75%. The
second time, the savings increased to 83%.
In addition, whenever paint totals submitted by the contractor deviate by 5% from the calculated amount, those areas are
driven and manually measured in the field. For the 2006 project, the largest road differential was 2%, with a total
contract differential of only 0.41%. Therefore, no secondary road time was required. This was a significant time
savings for Noble County, and freed up staff time to be spent on other projects.
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IndianaMap College Poster Contest Winners
See
pictures of all this year's winners.
First Place
"Ambient Air Quality Simulation for Indianapolis Using Urban CFD Model"
Brandon Duffin, Adam Campbell, Joe Listerman - Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Second Place
"Where Do Babies Come From? A Place-Based Analysis of Intercountry Adoption"
Todd Lindley - Indiana University
Third Place
"Addressing Social and Environmental Needs Through Community Tree Planting"
Wendy De Board - Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
IndianaMap K-12 Poster Contest Winners
See
pictures of all this year's winners.
First Place
"Indiana Counties: Snow Emergency of February 13, 2007"
Robbie Becker
Second Place
"Parks, Trails and Landmarks: Washington Township, Indianapolis"
Brie Joyce
Third Place
"Libraries in Center and Washington Townships, Indianapolis"
Nicolas Myers
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ESRI Discounts in Numbers
IGIC members are eligible to receive discounts on ESRI products. Through a special arrangement with ESRI,
members who work for any level of Indiana government can combine their orders for bulk discounts.
Participants can receive 18%-30% off ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcGIS extensions. If you'd like to add
your name to the list, or get more information, contact the IGIC offices at 317.234.924 or info@igic.org by April 20th.
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Follow the Pollution
The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act identified 1.) urban storm water runoff as a source of water pollution,
and 2.) the need to study the sources of runoff and other factors contributing to surface water pollution.
Indiana State Rule 13 is a similar measure which applies to entities with sewer system that discharge storm water.
The challenge for Monroe County was to meet State and Federal compliance requirements, and develop a long-term water
quality analysis plan.
Utilizing GIS, the Monroe County Planning Department developed a Stream Assessment which gives a countywide overview
of water quality.
The first step was to determine the amount of runoff generated by different areas. Planners developed a unique process
which uses zoning classifications to calculate both current and future impervious surface estimates. Those areas with
more impervious surfaces, like parking lots and driveways, generate more runoff. Next came the lengthy process of
reviewing and classifying parcels according to land use. Finally, benchmarks were used in calculations to provide a
snapshot of long-term water quality impacts in a given area.
The completed assessment shows where runoff originates, indicates land use on each property, and determines which water
bodies are affected by the runoff. This combined data provides a baseline for future comparison, and is a key component
in analyzing the effects of land use on water quality over time.
Results of the analysis are available at
www.co.monroe.in.us/planning/data.html.
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One Man, Many Maps
As President of the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative, Jim West was charged with identifying economic
development opportunities for Dearborn County in rural southeast Indiana.
Jim began by using the County's GIS to research potential areas of opportunity. After studying demographics, income
and population trends, he examined the existing infrastructure. He requested that Dearborn County GIS compile sewer
maps from the nine sewer providers in the area. He then used these maps to meet with all Dearborn County's sewer
providers to address gaps in coverage and promote collaboration. His efforts resulted in the creation of a regional
sewer board which is developing a plan to fill in the sewer gaps.
Using these sewer maps, parcel data, aerial photography, flood, transportation and elevation data, Jim identified three
areas that had high potential for industrial development. Each area was eligible to become a Tax Increment Financing
Districts, a major incentive to developers. With this information and maps in hand, the proposed redistricting was
backed by solid, persuasive evidence illustrating the comprehensive benefits to the community.
Jim was able to accomplish the task of forming the tax districts in less than two years. Without GIS tools, these districts
would still be in the process of development. The maps were so critical, local government leadership has pledged to continue
investing in GIS.
Today, the properties are being marketed to developers with the same maps used to create the tax districts. As a result of
Jim's diligence and use of GIS, Dearborn County is better primed for economic opportunity than ever before.
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A Flood of Information
Being located in a floodplain affects a property's insurance requirements, building guidelines, flood control options,
property values, permitting constraints, and zoning. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains maps
showing floodplain boundaries, but many had become outdated. The flooding events in 2003 and 2005 were the largest
and most widespread Indiana had seen in years, and illuminated the inadequacies of the FEMA maps. Reevaluating them
became a crucial task.
The Division of Water at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources become the lead agency in Indiana for updating
floodplain mapping. During the first phase of the project, existing maps were converted to an electronic format, and
made available at www.floodmaps.in.gov.
For the second phase, the Division partnered with public and private firms to develop new and revised floodplain studies.
Innovative project management and contracting practices resulted in significant cost savings, allowing the Division to
expand the scope of the project to cover additional waterways.
An additional component of the project was notifying landowners of changes to the floodplain maps, and the ramifications of
those changes. The Division developed an outreach plan, using parcel boundary data as the basis for an informational mailing
sent to each affected landowner, including them in the process of correcting and updating the maps.
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Soils and Cropland Data
The National Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS) Indiana Cropland Data for 2000-2004 have been made available for
download from the IndianaView GloVis website (www.indianaview.org). Use the Sensor - Other Files menu item to access
the files, which represent classifications of Landsat TM data specific for agriculture crops.
Also, the project to create a Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database for each county in Indiana is complete! You can
download them from the FTP site at ftp://ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/abegis/indiana/ssurgo/download_ssurgo/. For more information
on how the geodatabases were created and how to use them, browse the Flash movies (see Step Seven) at
http://danpatch.ecn.purdue.edu/~caagis/PurdueGIS/video/.
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In Brief
Health Care and Environmental Impact
The University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University in Ohio are looking for a person with expertise in using
GIS in health care to serve on an advisory committee as part of a grant through the USDA to study the potential human
health impacts of the application of biosolids on agricultural fields. The time commitment would not be great: generally one,
two-day meeting each year and a one-day teleconference. For more information, contact Kevin Czajkowski at the University of
Toledo kczajko@utnet.utoledo.edu.
Training the End User
Toni Fisher is the GIS Manager in Curry County, Oregon. She is also a graduate student and her Master's Dissertation
in GIS (Birbeck College, MSc GISc) evaluates issues surrounding the training of end users. Her dissertation is going to
explore the need for GIS professionals to be proficient trainers in order to make GIS implementation in their organizations
more successful. She is asking for input from GIS professionals at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=56463457290.
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Classes & Seminars
Water, Water, Everywhere: Finding and Using Hydrology Data
April 16th, 1:00-3:30pm Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
FREE
Register
This seminar features three speakers who will present on Indiana's hydrology data and GIS uses. Topics will include:
- Obtaining and using the National Hydrography Dataset
- Elevation-derived hydrography data
- Indiana's streamflow-gauging network
- Web-based streamflow applications
- Groundwater data in GIS-based analysis
- Incorporating land cover, elevation and soil data into hydrogeology models
Join Dave Nail and Scott Morlock of the U.S. Geological Survey, and Sally Letsinger of the Indiana Geological Survey to
learn how you can use GIS to estimate runoff potential; analyze conservation plans; calculate groundwater flow rates;
or predict how fast contaminants will move through a stream system.
Geo-Spatial Technologies in the K-12 Classroom
Thursday, May 3rd, 4:30-7:30pm, Indiana State Library, History Reference Room, Indianapolis
FREE
Register
Are you looking for ways to incorporate orienteering, GPS, GIS, aerial photography or satellite imagery into your
classroom? Join us for a quick journey through successful lessons and activities from educators throughout the state.
Connections to Indiana Academic Standards, resources, and organizations will be offered. Food will be provided, and
professional development points are available.
Project Management Methods for Making Credible Maps
Thursday, June 14th, 1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, History Reference Room, Indianapolis
FREE
Register
How can you make maps that are convincing and reliable? How can you make sure that the knowledge you have is
passed on accurately? What can you do if your organization's mapping guru leaves? Cele Morris of the Northwest
Indiana Center for Data Analysis will guide you through data development practices for creating maps that mean
what they say, with accurate, credible data behind them, providing a greater return on your data investment.
Team Navigation!™ and Treasure Hunts!
Friday, July 13th, 1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, History Reference Room, Indianapolis
FREE
Register
This unique presentation will engage participants in fun, practical ways of using maps as real navigation tools.
It will begin with a Treasure Hunt, using a Treasure Map and a secret puzzle to find a Treasure Chest!
Participants, lead by Jeff Coates of TrueNorth and Associates, will learn about:
- How you can easily make accurate maps using aerial photographs available on the internet
- How to read and use a topo map
- Fun interactive ways to introduce maps to others
- How to use map and compass together as a navigational tool
- More about the family sport of orienteering
- How to have a little fun actually navigating!
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