Topographic mapping status

 in 

North Carolina as of November 30, 2000

Contents

• Update note (May 30, 2001)

• Abstract

• Introduction  

• Data tables

• "Currentness" and version year data in table format (includes link to 1:1,000,000-scale topograhic index map in PDF format)

• "Currentness" and version year status graphics

• Types of map revision

  • Minor revision

  • Basic revision

  • Complete revision

  • Single-edition revision

• Digital raster graphics (DRGs)

• Status of aerial photography and ground control

• Geographic names information system (GNIS)

• State agencies and information sources

• Federal agencies and information sources

• For additional information

Update note (May 30, 2001): 

The status of topographic maps is in constant change. The US Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a map index on the Internet for revisions; postings on that Internet site may lag actual map updates and availability. Check the this site and the USGS site for other updates. 

The following section is taken from a forthcoming report on the status of topographic mapping in North Carolina as of November 30, 2000, and adapted from Moore (2000). The abstract appears in the program abstracts of the Geological Society of America's Southeastern Section Meeting, Raleigh, NC in April 2001.

May 29, 2001 – The USGS’ National Mapping Division’s Mid-continent Mapping Center (MCMC) just advised us that they are about to start work on another fourteen minor revisions in NC (see list below).  All are funded 100% federally funded The maps are anticipated to be finished and sent to the Branch of Printing by 9/30/01.  Printing should be completed by 3/30/02.

May 23, 2001 - Six 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps from the Wytheville, VA-NC 1:100,000 scale quadrangle area were photoinspected to determine the need for revision. The additional photoinspections were identified by the USGS-National Mapping Division from the FY-2001 "5000 Best Sellers list - Photo-Inspection Candidates." Quadrangles that qualified for revision (i.e. failed photoinspection) were not photoinspected further once the revision criteria were met. Quadrangles that passed photoinspection are deemed current. Imagery used for the photoinspection was 2000 source year. The results of the photoinspection follow:

Quadrangles needing revision: Abingdon (VA) and Damascus (VA)
Quadrangles not needing revision: Whitetop Mountain (VA), Troutdale (VA), Mouth of Wilson (NC/VA), and Sparta West (NC/VA).

In addition, seven 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps from the Boone, TN-NC 1:100,000 scale quadrangle were photoinspected to determine the need for revision. All of the photoinspection results reported are in North Carolina. The results of the photoinspection follow:

Quadrangles needing revision: Zionville, Valle Crucis, Boone, and Grandfather Mountain

Quadrangles not needing revision: Globe, Buffalo Cove, and Glendale Springs

May 1, 2001 -- The King and Walnut Cove quadrangles were revised. Both are basic revision.

April 23, 2001 -- The Weeksville quadrangle was revised from a color infrared othrophoto quadrangle to a forest-in-green map. It was photoinspected using 1997 imagery.

March 20, 2001 -- The USGS-National Mapping Division (USGS-NMD) authorized the following maps for minor revision and new Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs). These maps are wholly or partly in North Carolina. The revised maps are due back from the Branch of Printing by September 30, 2001. These maps are: Bunches Bald, (NC), Cades Cove (TN), Calderwood (TN), Clingmans Dome (NC), Luftee Knob (NC), Mount Guyot (TN), Silers Bald (NC), Smokemont (NC) and Thunderhead Mountain (NC).

March 12, 2001 -- The USGS-NMD completed photoinspection of 13 quadrangles over the Fontana Lake NC-TN 1:100,000 scale quadrangle using 2000 source year imagery to determine the need for revision. Results follow: 1) passing photoinspection - (i.e. current) are the Tapoco, Fontana Dam, Tuskeegee, Robbinsville, Hewett, and Sylva South quadrangles, and 2) failing photoinspection (i.e. not current) are the Wayah Bald, Franklin, Wesser, Santeetlah Creek, Noland Creek, Bryson City, and Whittier quadrangles.

The following are revised topographic maps from October 2000 through December 2000 according to the USGS' business partner's memorandum of 3/15/2001. They are: 1) Benson, 2) Bethany, 3) Boones Crossroads, 4) Catawba, 5) Cherry Grove, 6) Coats, 7) Dawson Crossroads, 8) Elizabeth City, 9) Elkin South, 10) Ellendale, 12) Ellisboro, 13) Essex, 14) Falkland, 15) Galatia, 16) Halifax, 17) Hobbsville, 18) Hobgood, 19) Hubert, 20) Hurdle Mills, 21) Jacksonville Northwest, 22) Kelford, 23) Kellum, 24) Kings Creek, 25) Merchant's Millpond, 26) Milton, 27) Norfleet, 28) Northwest Lumberton, 29) Palmyra, 30) Rocky Point, 31) Scotts Hill, 32) Siloam, 33) Spicer Bay, 34) Stevenson Point, and 35) Vienna.

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Abstract

The North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS) has had the responsibility, by state law, to “…manage and direct topographic mapping….” Through a cooperative program with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Mapping Division (USGS-NMD), each state dollar is matched by a federal dollar. State funding has declined from ~$400,000 in the 1960’s to $177,000 – now only enough to revise 19 of the state’s 953 quadrangles annually. Less money in inflation adjusted dollars is being spent now on topographic map revision than since the mid-1960’s. A coordinated state and federal effort over the last three state fiscal years resulted in ~48% of topographic maps being <10 years old.

Users have asked how up-to-date is each topographic map. There are two map dates: 1) “currentness,” and 2) version year. The most current map date is frequently not the date printed on the map. Maps which were recently photoinspected, and deemed “current”, may have currentness year dates that are more recent than the date on the printed map. The USGS-NMD database was corrected for North Carolina on November 30, 2000. Tables showing “current” and version years, and "currentness" year and version year status maps are here.

Because of decreased state and federal funding and higher revision costs, many of the maps that are up-to-date now (<10 years old), will be outdated in 5 years, especially in rapidly developing areas. Aging of this spatial framework layer decreases its utility in many disciplines. Because digital raster graphics are made from the paper maps, the state’s digital layer will “age” at the same rate as the paper maps.  Even with an influx of funding, the state’s topographic map revision program cannot be restored in the short term.  Map “currentness” will decline rapidly statewide.

The NC General Assembly transferred funding stewardship and program responsibility to the N.C. Office of State Budget, Planning, and Management on July 1, 2000. The N.C. Statewide Map Advisory Committee provides advice on topographic map revision priorities.

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Introduction

This page contains data about the status of topographic maps in North Carolina as of November 30, 2000.  Simply click on any active link to move through this publication (any text that is in color and underlined). Simply use your browser's back button to return to this page. When files are extracted, you are given a choice whether to browse the file on screen, or to save the file to disk. 

Data are provided in Microsoft Excel^®, and tab delimited ASCII formats.  The 1:24,000 scale topographic index map is provided in Adobe Acrobat Reader's Portable Document Format^® (PDF, version 4.0).   For page-size topographic index maps of smaller areas of the state, click this link.

Adobe Acrobat Reader^® is needed to view information stored via PDF (Portable Document Format) documents. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, we recommend following the instructions below and downloading it now.

Adobe Acrobat Reader^® can be downloaded without cost by clicking here . Now select the free reader version at the bottom of the page by double clicking “Get Acrobat Reader Free.” Scroll down the page to Step 1 and make your language selection (English is the default), select your platform/operating system (Microsoft Windows 95^®, Microsoft Windows 98^®, etc.), and select the nearest location (USA is the default). Step 2 requires you to enter your name and e-mail address. For Step 3, double click on download. Select your desired directory and click okay or save to download the file. After download is complete, go to the saved file and double click the file name to begin installation. After installation you are ready to read PDF documents.

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Data tables

This section provides links to the data tables listing the status of topographic maps in North Carolina as of November 30, 2000. This date was chosen because the U.S. Geological Survey's National Mapping Division (USGS-NMD) corrected their on-line map catalog for North Carolina as of that date. Comment fields in tables provide additional information about revision in progress of 1:24,000-scale topographic maps. Click on each map scale to view the data. Two options are provided for the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps: 1) Microsoft Excel^® format, and 2) tab-delimited ASCII text files. The US Geological Survey maintains a map index on the Internet for revisions; postings on that Internet site may lag actual map availability.

These tables contain comment fields and other fields. Explanatory footnotes are at the bottom of these tables. Foremost, users are urged to review the distinction between "Currentness Year" and "Version Year." Comment field 1 pertains to Currentness Year -- "1" indicates this is a photoinspection date which may not match the date on the printed map (version year). This photoinspected map has not been modified and the printed edition is still current. 

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"Currentness" and version year data in table format

• 1:24,000-scale (Microsoft Excel^® file) (Tab delimited ASCII file)

• (Topographic map index in Adobe Acrobat Reader^®) Note: for optimum results in reading quadrangle names on this map, you may need to increase magnification more than 100% using the viewer.

• 1:50,000-scale

• 1:62,500-scale

• 1:100,000-scale

• 1:125,000-scale

• 1:250,000-scale

• 1:500,000-scale

• 1:1,000,000-scale

• 1:2,000,000-scale

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"Currentness" and version year status graphics

The "Currentness Year" and "Version Year" topographic status maps as of November 30, 2000 follow. 

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Digital raster graphics (DRGs)

Since the advent of DRGs, as topographic maps are revised, DRGs are produced as well. When a map undergoes basic revision, the DRG is available at about the same time as the printed map because the digital layers used to update the map are made into a raster product by combining the digital layers. When a map undergoes minor revision, the DRG may lag the  printed map by as much as 12 months, or more, because a DRG is made from scanning the printed map.

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Status of aerial photography and ground control

The 1993-1994 panchromatic photography resulted in many ground control points. Because many of these control points were available to the 1998 color infrared digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles (DOQQs), cost was lower in many cases. DOQQs are digital images of aerial photographs in which displacements caused by the camera and terrain have been removed. Each DOQQ covers an area 1/4 of a standard USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle at a scale of 1:12,000. The processed files for the eastern third of North Carolina were completed in February 2001. Distribution is pending; the Center for Geographic Information and Analysis maintains their current status. The legislature funded the purchase of these data for the eastern third of the state, and funds to cover the rest of the state are being pursued as of February 2001. This is part of a long term process to capture the state in imagery every 5 years.

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Types of map revision

The following, adapted from Moore (2000) describes the four types of map revision (basic, complete, minor and single edition). The first three are defined by USGS-NMD product standards, the fourth by an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS).

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Basic revision

Basic revision uses aerial photographs from the National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) to update a subset of map features.  DOQQ’s made from NAPP photographs are the primary data source.  The DOQQ’s are used for horizontal position control and for feature interpretation.  In some cases, field checks may be performed by volunteers or by State cooperating agencies.  Name, boundary, and collar updates are similar to minor revision.  Basic revisions may or may not include contour updates.

Even though it depends almost entirely on remote sources, basic revision is not cheap.  Basic revisions cost approximately $17,000. For budgeting purposes, the 50% state share cost is about $8,500. 

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Complete revisions

Complete revisions update all standard feature content, including contours.  Information is field checked.  This is very expensive and is therefore rarely done.  Only four USGS-NMD quadrangles in the US were completely revised between 1995 and 2000 (Moore, 2000).  Complete revision of these four was possible because a State agency did the field verification work. There are no complete map revisions in North Carolina.

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Minor revision

Revision candidate quadrangles are compared to recent aerial photographs to determine how much change has occurred since the last map revision.  This process is called photoinspection; the 50% state share cost of photoinspection now is $50 per quadrangle. If changes are small and few in number, the map may need only minor revision.  Names and boundaries are updated using information from local sources and other maps.  Corrections on file are made and the map collar is updated. The 50% state share cost of minor revision is about $500.

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Single Edition

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) signed an interagency agreement in 1993 to begin a joint single-edition mapping program.  The content of the maps includes features normally shown on USGS maps, with additional features required for the management of National Forest System land.  Under the agreement, 7.5-minute quadrangles that contain National Forest land are revised by the USFS but are printed and distributed by the USGS.  There are about 10,000 7.5-minute single-edition maps in the United States -- about one-fifth of the 50,000 of the quadrangles in the United States.

Procedures for single-edition updates are controlled by the USFS and are similar to USGS basic revision procedures.  The interagency agreement allows the USFS to update only the National Forest land on a quadrangle and leave the other areas of the map unrevised.  In these cases, the remainder of the map is part of the USGS revision pool.  The two organizations have different requirements and criteria for selecting maps for revision, so revision of forest and non-forest land is usually not concurrent (Moore, 2000). 

Thus, areas outside the National Forest System lands may not have been revised and could be significantly older than the printed map date. Users should note that: 

• In many cases, map revisions on a topographic map are performed only within the USFS national forest boundaries;

• In certain cases, partial and inconsistent feature revisions are performed outside the USFS national forest boundary; and

• Soft copy (the equivalent of a DRG) may not be as current as the published paper map.

A number of cartographic errors were noted in the revised USFS Single Edition Maps in the Croatan and Uwharrie National Forests. The errors were entered into the USGS-NMD's correction file; the correction cycle is about seven years before these errors will be corrected. 

Under this cooperative map maintenance agreement program, the USFS has the responsibility to revise quadrangles that display national forest lands. Revisions to the single edition maps are limited to those parts of the quadrangles containing USFS lands. This results in "two-tiered" data. Thus, a map revised under this maintenance program may have only a small part of the map revised, and when the revised map is printed, a new date. Users need to be aware of this limitation on the currentness of map data, as well as cartographic limitations when using topographic maps having national forest lands in North Carolina.

The equivalent of digital raster graphic (DRG) to the USFS is known as "soft copy."  Soft copy is not routinely produced. Thus, the paper maps that are revised under the USFS-USGS single edition revision program are more current than the digital data for single edition quadrangles (e.g. quadrangles containing national forest land). The USFS-USGS agreement and limited resources preclude resolution of these issues.

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Geographic names information system (GNIS)

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database is the official repository of feature names for the United States. Names and feature locations are checked against the GNIS and changes are included on every topographic map revision. Maps are generally revised using aerial photographs; no field parties are employed to check names. Old names tend to continue from one map revision to another.

The USGS-NMD delegated review of names to the Statewide Mapping Advisory Committee (SMAC) in North Carolina in 1998. The review of proposed names or name changes are called dockets.

The Statewide Mapping Advisory Committee (SMAC), a subcommittee of the State's Geographic Information Coordinating Committee (GICC), established a subcommittee to review name changes. The GICC is established by executive order of each governor. The Chairman of this 'names' subcommittee is Dr. Wayne Walcott, Department of Geography & Earth Sciences, UNC-Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001. His telephone number is 704.547.2293. His e-mail address is wawalcot@unccvm.uncc.edu.

The names subcommittee provides an official application packet. Recommendations are forwarded to the SMAC for concurrence. Name changes or new names are forwarded to the USGS-NMD's GNIS committee for final consideration and adoption. The entire process takes about three years in order to give ample time for local consideration and input from interested parties.

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State agencies and information sources

The Center for Geographic Information and Analyses provides links to the Statewide Mapping Advisory Committee (SMAC) through the Geographic Information Coordinating Council), the NC Geographic Data Clearinghouse, and the NC Geographic Information Clearinghouse.

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Federal agencies and information sources

• USGS Topographic Map Information

• Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQQs)

• National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) or NAPP status

• Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

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For additional information

For additional information, contact Jeffrey C. Reid (Jeff.Reid@ncmail.net), North Carolina Geological Survey, 1612 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699-1612, http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us, (919.733.2423 - voice) or (919.733.2423 - facsimile).  The NCGS main office is located at 512 North Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27604-1148.

Moore, Larry, 2000, The U.S. Geological Survey's revision program for 7.5-minute topographic maps, in Soller, David R., editor,  Digital Mapping Techniques '00-Workshop Proceedings, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-325, p. 21-26.

U.S. Geological Survey, 1998, Standards for revised primary series quadrangle maps, National Mapping Program, Technical Instructions, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, National Mapping Division.

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