(ROCKWALL, TX – Nov. 23, 2015) A good showing of residents turned out for the 2nd Annual GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 18, hosted by the City of Rockwall’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department inside the City Council chambers.
Coinciding with National Geography Awareness Week, the event gave locals all manner of information concerning Rockwall GIS, how it’s used and what the technology offers through a display of a map gallery, the various GIS technology, tools and equipment, as well as several educational videos. Folks in attendance also enjoyed some light refreshments courtesy of the GIS Department.
“It gives us an opportunity to showcase,” said GIS Supervisor Lance Singleton. “We go to the city council for new items and data, and they don’t really get to see all we do. So this just gives us an opportunity to showcase our involvement.”
The City of Rockwall’s GIS helps promote innovative solutions and improves customer service to residents by enabling access to data, maps and images. The GIS Department uses the GIS to assist all departments within the city, with most of its projects falling under Engineering (20 percent) and Parks and Recreation (14 percent).
Using a remote sensing technology called LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) that measures distances, elevations or surfaces by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light, the GIS team can provide the city with emergency response, drainage studies and hydrologic / floodplain modeling, development suitability analysis and infrastructure planning, identification of structures and other man-made features, habitat classification, vegetation mapping and many other purposes.
Having completed 319 core projects as of Oct. 1st of this year, the GIS Department looks to be on the path to its busiest year since its creation in 2007.
For more information on Rockwall GIS, visit rockwall.com/gis.
Story and photo by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.
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