ForeRunner News
GIS Technology Strengthens ForeRunner's Commitment to the Four Corners Region
The Cartographic Team in Durango has changed the way survey and mapping data is processed by leveraging the capabilities of ArcGIS, ER Mapper and AutoCAD Map to improve data access and expedite projects.
About a year ago I identified several work flow processes where GIS would protect the integrity of our surveying and mapping work. With the assistance of Christian Stoddard, Jeff LaFrenierre, Lynnae Betselie, Heather Maisch, and Melissa Vessel, the team set out to build databases of surveyed monuments, corrected land grids and ownership parcels. The new interactive GIS database replaces the AutoCAD Map tool previously used for tracking this information.
Populating the master GIS database with accurate section corner locations became a high priority since these corners are used as reference points in plats, alignment sheets, and all survey work. This intelligent data base enables easy identification of known control points that our field crews can utilize, as well as identifying the accuracy level of the data (since older control may have been surveyed with sub-meter accuracy and source/accuracy information had not always been captured).
These corners were pulled into an ArcGIS map and the BLM grid used for project work was corrected to the found corners. Next, a reference corner file of all other corners was created and ownership parcels were corrected as necessary. Lastly, GIS & CAD standards were written to include work flow tasks, Forerunner and client procedures, standard naming and display formats, samples and QA/QC checklists.
By integrating our spatial data using ArcGIS the cartographic team is able to focus on drawing production and meeting tight deadlines rather than re-creating data. A secondary feature of GIS is graphical indices and project tracking tools available for project managers and clients through Arc Reader. Also, several map displays previously done in AutoCAD are now being produced in GIS more efficiently and we are able to deliver geo-databases to our clients.
GIS has also proved invaluable for raising the quality of our work, answering questions and streamlining our survey crew field work by eliminating redundancy, identifying valid survey control points (known section corners, for example), and information gaps beforehand.
By Sandi Mitchell