Feedback on the New Datums

2015 Geospatial SummitApril 13 to 14, 2015

North Carolina Geodetic SurveyGary W. Thompson

Our major products/services affected by the new datums:•NC Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP)

o Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs)o Elevation certificateso Flood Inundation Mapping Alert Network (FIMAN)

•NC Land Records Management System

•NC CORS/Real Time Network (RTN)

•Statewide LiDAR (3DEP) and aerial imagery programs

•NCDOT transportation projects

•Statewide GIS clearinghouse (NC OneMap) and all GIS programs (state and local governments)

•Precision Farming applications

•Programs/projects with a geospatial component

Preparation

Our preparations include:•Organizing an agency advisory committee, the NC Geodetic Survey Advisory Committee (GSAC), with reps from:

•Providing 2022 datum information to constituents via:o Workshopso Speaking engagements

•Requesting feedback from:o NC Society of Surveyors (NCSS)o NC Property Mappers Association (NCPMA)o Carolina Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (Carolina

URISA)

Preparation

o State surveying agencieso Professional societies

o Universitieso Private industry

We are excited because...Expected advantages of the new datums for your organization, its products, or services

• Example: Improved height information will be available in:o Areas lacking NAVD 88 benchmarkso Areas of crustal movemento Improved geoid and gravity especially in our coastal and mountainous areas

• NGS leadership actively engaging State & Local surveying and mapping communities during the next 7 years.

Advantages / Challenges

We are concerned because...Expected challenges of the new datums for your organization, its products, or services

• The 2022 datums transition will be an unfunded mandate for:o Most state and local agencies o The private sector

• The 2022 Vertical Datum’s 2cm accuracy, while a major improvement in areas without vertical control, will not meet high precision (sub-centimeter) vertical control requirements (e.g. coastal work in North Carolina). In addition, NGS does not plan to improve the accuracy of the geoid beyond 2 cm.

• Due to budget and personnel constraints, NGS will focus:o More on the scientific community’s issues o Less on State/Local agency’s issues

Advantages / Challenges

The tools, products, or services we need most (from NGS or others) are:• User friendly transformation tools

• Tools to incorporate gravity data into the NGS database

• Tools to perform leveling network adjustments to incorporate leveling data into NAVD 88 and the future vertical datum

• Tools for retrieving all of NGS geodetic data in GIS data formatso Not just data sheets

• NGS should develop a cooperative program with State and local government agencies to complement the agency’s decreasing resources

o Example: Accept new CORS from partnering agencies

• Accept and incorporate geodetic leveling data into NGSIDB

• Provide plate fixed positions to requesting states

Transition Tools / Outreach Needs

The outreach we need most (from NGS or others):• NGS leadership should meet with State/Local governments and

participate at the state Land Surveying and GIS conferences seeking input concerning the 2022 datums impacts

• Ensure the Surveying, Mapping, and GIS communities are included in the decision making process by establishing an ad hoc group:

o To document and address issues with the new datumso Include representatives from:

Transition Tools / Outreach Needs

NGS leadership State surveying agencies Professional societies

Academia Private industry GIS professionals