In May, the US Geological Survey (USGS) released a new tool "Topoview" making it easier to access its trove of almost 180,000 historical maps, many of which previously been only available for internal USGS use.These maps date from the mid 1800's through the 1980's nationwide.
Maps many decades outdated are often still relevant, serving as a historical record and source document for tracking changing geographical data. With the emphasis on climate change and sea level rise, old maps are especially good at showing the shifting borders of wetlands, coastal areas, and changes in land use over time.
Most often the largest hurdle in making a historical map useful to a larger population is the scanning and warping, or georectification process.
Scanning, while time consuming and requires great care, is but just the first step for accurately comparing old and new maps. A scanned map can be used for visual comparison, but georectification, the process of warping and digitally assigning coordinates to a scanned map, becomes important if a historical map is needed for any GIS analysis or use along side a Googlemap to accurately compare former and current conditions.
Check out the
USGS Topoview Mapping Tool here and use them for your own projects!
Wetlands in the News
29 April 2024
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One goal of the $500K wetlands project is to curb the flooding of the Killbuck Creek
Benefits of H2Ohio project include harnessing the power of the regular flooding of the Killbuck Creek into feeding the wetlands.
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Volunteers needed for Great Gwinnett Wetlands event
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources are requesting volunteers for the 10th Annual Great Gwinnett Wetlands event on May 4.
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Streams that supply drinking water in danger following 2023 Supreme Court decision that stripped wetlands protections: Report
A Supreme Court decision that stripped protections from America's wetlands will have reverberating impacts on rivers that supply drinking water all over the U.S.
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Louisiana federal refuges, state wildlife areas get $3.9 million to restore wetlands, forests
Nature-based improvements to forests and wetlands in seven national wildlife refuge complexes and five state wildlife management areas in Louisiana will be funded with more than $3.9 million of federa...
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DeWine, ODNR, Intel partner for $1 million Dillon wetlands restoration in Muskingum County
Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Intel announced Thursday a $1 million Dillon Wetland Restoration project on 92 acres.