GIS COORDINATING COMMITTEE

Data Development TWG Work Plan

1999 Digital Orthophotography

August1998

 

A.  Overview:  Acquire statewide color infrared digital orthophotography from aerial photographs to be flown in 1999.

 

B.  Background:  The State of Georgia, through the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), signed a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) with the U.S. Department of Interior - USGS and many other partners (Federal, State, and Local) to produce Digital Orthophotography Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQs) statewide in 1995.  DOQQs are highly accurate digital aerial photographs with a spatial resolution of one-meter.  These DOQQs were produced from 1993 National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) black and white imagery.  The DOQQs are being used widely throughout state, local, and private organizations for a wide array of state business needs (appendix A).

 

The Data Development Technical Working Group (DD-TWG), under the direction of Terry Jackson, DCA, conducted a needs assessment for digital imagery and decided to participate in the next NAPP-3 program for Georgia.  States were asked to co-fund and cooperate with the NAPP steering committee to determine the type of imagery needed for the state.  If a state does not cooperate, the federal government may or may not conduct the flight.  The DD-TWG also concluded that Georgia should fly the state using color infrared film under leaf-off conditions.  The flight will take place between December 1998 and March 1999.  This project will produce NAPP film and film positives that can be used to produce a new set of color infrared DOQQs.

 

The GISAC and DD-TWG committees sought out partners to fund the NAPP-3 flight.  The total cost to the State under a 50/50 cost share with the USGS was approximately $250,000.  To fund the JFA with USGS five organizations contributed $50,000 each:

            Department of Community Affairs and Atlanta Regional Commission

                Department of Natural Resources

                Department of Transportation

                Georgia Forestry Commission

                University System of Georgia, UGA

The NAPP-3 JFA between Georgia and USGS was executed on June 25th 1998, by the Office of the Information Technology Policy Council (ITPC).  Georgia is on schedule to have color infrared leaf-off aerial photographs completed by mid-1999.

 

The DD-TWG also recommended that the state investigate opportunities to develop DOQQs from this imagery.  The committee had two main issues: 1) the next generation DOQQs should be produced in a more timely fashion and 2) the cost should be significantly less then the previous venture.  Statewide coverage from 1993 DOQQs (contracts executed in 1995 and 1996) were delivered on schedule.  The committee desires to have new statewide coverage completed in no more than 18-months from the contract date.  The overall cost of the new DOQQs should be 30-40% less since much of the costly production of digital elevation models and the collection of ground control was accomplished during the last project and could be reused.

 

Methodology:  There are two methods being investigated to produce second generation DOQQs, image-to-image rectification and standard orthophotographic production. Both techniques in theory will produce DOQQs that will approximately match the previous set of DOQQs.  This is a desirable result since much of our state spatial data infrastructure will be rectified to the 1993 imagery.  Image-to-image rectification involves first scanning and correcting imagery.   Next photo identifiable features from old and new imagery are identified and the new imagery is warped to fit the old DOQQs.  Using standard techniques for second generation DOQQs, much of the previous processing (old aerial triangulation, DEM, and ground control) can be reused to develop the DOQQs. 

 

Several National Digital Orthophotography Program (NDOPP) steering committee members feel that the image-to-image technique can produce a product at a lower cost than standard techniques.  But this has not been proven and some speculate that the cost will be the same or possibly higher due to higher labor costs associated with finding photo-identifiable features.  Currently the USGS has signed JFAs for second generation DOQQs using standard techniques and on a 50/50 actual cost match until then have a better fix on actual cost.   The DD-TWG recommends that the state follow the lead of the USGS-NMD and enter into a JFA using their methodology to develop DOQQs.

 

Data Content and Delivery Schedule:  The data produced from this project will have the following specifications:

Digital othophotography derived from 1999 NAPP-3 color infrared leaf-off Imagery for Georgia.

Spatial resolution:  One-meter

Spatial accuracy:  Must meet National Map Accuracy Standards for its scale.

Scale:  1:12,000

Tiling method:  USGS quarter quadrangle

Projection:  UTM and State Plane

Datum:  NAD83

Units:  Meters

Data Format:  GeoTIFF

 

The delivery schedule will depend on the State of Georgia having the necessary funds available to execute an agreement so that our request can be queued in the heavy production cycle for the nation.  If we submit one JFA versus several, as we did in 1995, it may help speed the production and help in managing the project.   The tentative delivery schedule for this database development project is as follows:

 

Milestone

Date(s)

NAPP flight

December 1998 – March 1999

NAPP media available

June 1999

Sign JFA with USGS

July 1999

DOQQ Production

August 1999 – December 2000

 

Budget:  The USGS cost estimated to produce second generation DOQQs is  $750 per quarter quadrangle.  They are developing a program where states can cost share this development under their traditional 50/50 JFA.  USGS has two contracts underway to help determine the actual cost to produce second generation DOQQs.  More accurate cost estimates will be available in the coming year.

 

There are approximately 4,100-quarter quadrangles that cover the State of Georgia.   Assuming the cost to Georgia to be 50% of the estimated cost of $750.00 per DOQQ or $350.00, the cost to the State of Georgia to produce a second generation of DOQQs will be approximately; $1,537,500.00 ($375 * 4,100).

 

The JFA to produce these new DOQQs should be executed in fiscal year 2000.  If GISCC decides to support this data development partnership, the committee needs to develop a state strategy to fund this project.

 

Maintenance and Custodial Responsibility:  This data development project will not require any maintenance program.  Any errors or problems with data will be corrected by USGS-National Mapping Program.  The NAPP and NDOPP programs currently have a seven-year program for imagery updates.  The GIS Data Clearinghouse will act as data custodian to aid in the distribution and management of this project.

 

Contract Organization:  Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, National Mapping Division, Joint Funding Agreement.

 




Appendix A

1995-96 Joint Funding Agreement Members in Georgia-USGS DOQQ Program

 

Federal Agencies

Tennessee Valley Authority

USGS National Mapping Division

USDA Consolidated Farm Agency Services

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

 

Georgia State Agencies

Department of Community Affairs

Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health- Flood Recovery Program

Forestry Commission

Emergency Management Agency

Department of Natural Resources

Department of Transportation

 

Georgia Regional Development Centers

Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center

Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center

Southeast Georgia

 

Compiled by GA Department of Community Affairs; July 1998

 

Organizations in Georgia Using 1993 NAPP & DOQQ Products

 

Federal Agencies

Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (National Biological Survey-

U.S. Dept. of Interior)

Tennessee Valley Authority

USGS-Georgia Center for Spatial Analysis Technologies

USGS National Mapping Division

USDA/NASS

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

 

Georgia State Agencies

Department of Community Affairs

Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health- Flood Recovery Program

Forestry Commission

Emergency Management Agency

Safe Dams Program - Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division

Department of Transportation- Office of Environment/Location

Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division - Natural Heritage Program 

Department of Revenue

 

Georgia Regional Development Centers

Atlanta Regional Commission

Central Savannah River Area

Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Center

Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center

Coosa Valley Regional Development Center

Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Regional Development Center

Lower Chattahoochee Regional Development Center

McIntosh Trail Regional Development Center

Middle Flint Regional Development Center

Middle Georgia Regional Development Center

North Georgia Regional Development Center

Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center

South Georgia Regional Development Center

Southeast Georgia*

Southwest Georgia

 

Georgia Counties

Butts County Tax Assessors

Cherokee County Board of Commissioners

Cobb County Water System

Crisp County Tax Assessors

 

Georgia Counties

Douglas County Board of Commissioners

Forsyth County Department of Information Technology

Harris County Board of Tax Assessors

Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation

Newton County Tax Assessors

Newton County Board of Commissioners

Paulding County Board of Tax Assessors

Paulding County Engineering Department

Spalding County

Wilkinson County Board of Tax Assessors

White County

 

Georgia Cities

City of Calhoun

City of Cartersville

City of College Park

City of Rome

Peachtree City

 

University System of Georgia

Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science

Dalton College/Board of Regents

UGA Institute for Community and Area Development

UGA Institute of Ecology

UGA Institute for Technology Outreach Services

 

Utilities

Georgia Power Land Department Forestry

Georgia Power Company Land Department

 

Commercial

Photo Science, Inc.

Pond and Company

ECC International

PBS&J

 

Other

The Nature Conservancy

West Georgia Drug Task Force

 

Compiled by GA Department of Community Affairs and the GA GIS Data Clearinghouse; July 1998