Illinois Height Modernization

Sheena K. Beaverson

Program GoalsIllinois Geodetic Control

Establish comprehensive network of survey benchmarks.

Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)Provide stewardship for existing data.Acquire new data.

Steering CommitteeIllinois Department of TransportationIllinois State Geological Survey

Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesIllinois Natural History SurveyIllinois State Archaeological SurveyIllinois State Water Survey

United States Geological SurveyUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

ILHMP: Start of Year 1In Year 1, Illinois was in the bottom 10 states,

with respect to height information.LiDAR and derivative elevation data non-existent.

3 counties acquired, data access limited.Estimate 50% of all known benchmarks

destroyed. Closer to 60%, plus revision of 30% known elevations

Multiple vertical datums in use (40+). Adjustments to North American Vertical Datum

(NAVD88) complex.

ILHMP: Project Years 1-3• Years 1-3: funded by federal

appropriations. Supported by Congressman Johnson, Congressman

LaHood, Congressman Shock, Senator Durbin and also NGS.

Year 1: 2008-2009 funded $300,000 Year 2: 2009-2010 funded $725,000 Year 3: 2010-2011 funded $800,000

Total of $1.9M in funding directly to ISGS. IDOT a project partner.

ILHMP: Project Years 4-8Year 4: Federal Highway Administration,

State Planning and Research (SPR) funding.Year 4: 2011-2012 funded $3,500,000

Option to renew up to 4 times at same rate. Funding extends through June 30, 2016.

Total of $17.5M directly to IDOT.Intergovernmental Agreement from IDOT to

ISGS.

ILHMP: Project Years 6Year 6: $885,000 funds for airborne LiDAR

Illinois Department of Resources Office of Water Resources

Kankakee County, IllinoisWill County, Illinois

Intergovernmental Agreements with ISGS.Made possible because of new UIUC policy

offering flexibility in establishing vendor contracts.

ILHMP: Project Years 1-8Total of $20M in funding, plus:

LiDAR from IDOT, IDNR-OWR, FEMA, NRCS, USGS, USACE, Illinois Counties.

$50,000 pilot project from USGS for Boone and Winnebago County for LiDAR data stewardship.

IDOT in-kind services.

Project Milestones

ILHMP: Geodetic LevelingProgram Years 1-5

1,515 new benchmarks367 existing benchmarks1,705 miles of leveling

Program Year 6 (current)installation of 671 new138 existing benchmarks700 miles of geodetic

leveling

Illinois Geodetic Control

Project Milestones

Statewide LiDAR: What do we have?Available for:

green, brown counties

blue river corridorsAcquired for:

tan countyContracted Spring

2014:gray counties

Statewide LiDAR: How current is it?Acquired over 11

years.

Illinois LiDAR01/2008 – 04 counties01/2012 – 22 counties07/2013 – 70 counties10/2014 – 81 counties

Update map: 2014 acquisitions

Statewide LiDAR: How is data quality?3DEP Quality Level 3

Majority of data3DEP Quality Level 2

lowest parameters4 counties, 2 projects

3DEP Quality level 2 highest parameters1 county, 2 projects

Update map: 2014 acquisitions

Statewide LiDAR: Who acquired it?Acquired by 8 vendors.

AeroMetric Quantum Spatial

Continental MappingMerrick & CompanyPhoto ScienceSanbornSurdexWilson & CompanyWoolpert

Update map: 2014 acquisitions

Statewide LiDAR: What did it cost?Contracts funded by:

IDOTIDNR-OWRISGS (ILHMP)CountiesFEMANRCSUSACEUSGS

Update map: 2014 acquisitions

Advice to other States, Challenges

Statewide LiDAR: Who can contract?Attempting to acquire and process data with monies

tied to 1-year fiscal period is risky.IDOT, ISGS ,USGS contracting mechanisms in place.4-8 months to set up agency agreements, transfer

funds.8-10 months to establish contract for well-defined

project with selected vendor.All of the above tied to state or federal fiscal year,

paperwork deadlines, competitive advertisement rules. Inability to complete paperwork has caused loss of funding. Rainy or early spring can pre-empt a project.

Statewide LiDAR: Who can contract?ISGS LiDAR and Photogrammetry Retainers

2013-2014 ISGS ran competitive process to select up to 2 vendors to serve on retainer. Retainer contracts can be renewed for up to three 1-year periods. Surdex Quantum Spatial

Each retainer limited to: No more than $1M in projects in a single fiscal year. No more than $500,000 per project (formerly $100,000).

Best option for utilizing short-term monies.

ILHMP: Year 6Our ranking has improved dramatically.

Top 15 states for % of state covered by LiDAR. A rough estimate.

15th of 49 states for number of leveled heights. Publishing of Year 5 data along Mississippi River

will move us into top 10, by # of leveled heights within the state. 2012 NGS poster at the ESRI International User

Conference

Number of Leveled HeightsStates listed by:

NGS Funded Y/NAlphabetically

Could this information be published by NGS annually, ranked by # vertical marks?Want to illustrate

program impacts over time.

ILHMP: Progress MapsLiDAR Status map series currently in

development

Companion series for geodetic leveling, similar to Minnesota maps.Benchmarks by decadeLast reported, by decadeWho reported (state, local, county, private)Vertical, horizontal, 3D

2014 GPS on Bench MarksNGS bench mark priorities … for Illinois

Could NGS show estimated Geoid accuracy 5 years ago? 2010? Comparison would be helpful.

Sheena K. BeaversonIllinois State Geological Survey

sbeavers@illinois.edu217-244-9306

Illinois Natural Resources Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

• Keywords “Illinois” and “Height”

USGS 30meter DEMPecatonica River, Winnebago County Illinois

LiDAR Bare Earth DEMPecatonica River, Winnebago County Illinois