The Nation Needs The National

Map

Governments depend on a common set

of geographic base information as a tool

for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, and health and safety services.

Emergency management and defense

operations rely on this information.

Private industry, nongovernmental

organizations, and individual citizens use

the same geographic data. Geographic

information underpins an increasingly

large part of the Nation's economy.

Available geographic data often have the

following problems:

They do not align with each other 

because layers are frequently created 

or revised separately,

They do not match across administrative boundaries because each 

producing organization uses different 

methods and standards, and

They are not up to date because of the 

complexity and cost of revision.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is

developing The National Map to be a

seamless, continuously maintained, and

nationally consistent set of online, public

domain, geographic base information to

address these issues. The National Map

will serve as a foundation for integrating,

sharing, and using other data easily and

consistently.

In collaboration with other government

agencies, the private sector, academia,

and volunteer groups, the USGS will

coordinate, integrate, and, where needed,

produce and maintain base geographic

data.

The National Map will include digital

orthorectified imagery; elevation data;

vector data for hydrography, transportation, boundary, and structure features;

geographic names; and land cover

information. The data will be the source

of revised paper topographic maps.

Many technical and institutional issues

must be resolved as The National Map

is implemented. To begin the refinement

of this new paradigm, pilot projects are

being designed to identify and

investigate these issues. The pilots are

the foundation upon which future

partnerships for data sharing and

maintenance will be built.

The Proposed Florida Pilot Project

The USGS and the Southwest Florida

Water Management District (SWFWMD)

have proposed the Florida pilot project to

support The National Map and the

SWFWMD Comprehensive Watershed

Management Initiative. The pilot could

include other Federal and State partners.

During the course of the proposed

project, interests of the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, USGS-Water

Resources Discipline, National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

as well as State interests of the

Department of Environmental Protection

(FDEP), Bureau of State Lands, and

Florida State University (FSU), will be

addressed. Through partnership

participation, this proposed pilot project

can provide comprehensive support to

the State and Federal sectors, while

achieving the goals of The National

Map for current, consistent, and accurate

base geographic information.

The Watershed Management Initiative

covers the Withlacoochee River 

watershed and its adjacent coastal

waters. 

The National Map - Florida Pilot Project

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey USGS Fact Sheet 121-01

November 2001

Withlacoochee River Watershed
This area has experienced a rapid growth

in population, water demand, recreation,

and other environmental stresses over the

past 20 years. As in many areas of the

State of Florida, incoming population is

attracted to opportunities that require

high quality, perennial water sources for

housing, employment, and recreation.

Rapid urbanization of the Greater Tampa

Metropolitan Area has resulted in

conflicting water use requirements that

affect service delivery, environmental

conservation, recreation, logging, and

mining interests in the watershed and

adjacent areas. 

The SWFWMD, in cooperation with

Federal, State, and local partners, will

build a comprehensive, seamless

geospatial database for the

Withlacoochee River watershed and its

coastal waters that will include

orthoimagery, land cover/land

characterization, elevation, hydrography,

and geographic names data. Other data

additions will be determined as partners

are identified and cooperative

arrangements are effected. The

geospatial database will serve as a model

and data source for implementation of

The National Map in Florida.

In addition to the data collection and

maintenance issues included under this

proposed pilot project, the storage and

dissemination of data resulting from this

project would include services from

FSU. The Bureau of State Lands, FDEP,

and FSU will expand and enhance the

existing capabilities of the Land

Boundary Information System in this

effort.

The USGS and the SWFWMD will

cooperate with Federal, State, and

academic partners to identify data

stewards for each data category, establish

clear lines of communication with data

users, and identify database administrator

responsibilities, as well as develop

appropriate tools and procedures for

processing transactional updates for

long-term maintenance of these data. 

More Information About the

Proposed Florida Pilot Project

Dr. Steven Dicks

Mapping and GIS Manager

Southwest Florida Water Management 

District

2379 Broad Street

Brooksville, Fl 34604-6899

Phone: 352-796-7211 ext. 4200

E-mail: steve.dicks@swfwmd.state.fl.us

Or

G. Michael Callahan

U.S. Geological Survey

P.O. Box 710

Summerfield, FL 34491

Phone: 352-245-6193

E-mail: mcallaha@usgs.gov

More Information About The

National Map

We welcome your comments on The

National Map mission and strategies.

You can view and download the full

report at nationalmap.usgs.gov. Please

share your thoughts about the vision 

with the USGS by e-mail at

nationalmap@usgs.gov or by mail to

USGS-National Map, MS 511 National

Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,

Reston, VA 20192.

Florida Pilot Project Area