Benton County unveils GIS mapping to public
Posted on Wednesday, October 18, 2006
BENTONVILLE — Benton County’s new interactive mapping system, or GIS, is now online and ready for public use.
GIS, which stands for geographic information system, is a technology that’s already been available in Washington County, Bentonville, Rogers and other cities.
The online service offers navigable aerial photography and layers of data to be used for detailed mapping. Locations are searchable by road name, parcel number, sectiontownship-range or address.
“ It gives the public — whether they are a public or private entity — a way to see what is in Benton County, let’s them look at how it is changing, ” Bowen said. “ For example, you can look at the lake and see all the prosperity that is going on there. ”
The link to the service was made active Oct. 11, and since then more than 230 hits have been made at the site. Bowen expects that number to skyrocket when the public learns about the service.
“ This is a big deal, ” she said.
The maps and data used for the service are updated daily. When new data comes into the Benton County Assessor’s Office and is placed in the systems of that office, the same information goes to the GIS system the next day.
The county has used GIS to respond to 911 calls, map parcels and monitor property development, determine voting districts and precinct data, map and analyze crimes, locate roadways in need of repair, manage bridges and plan emergency evacuation routes.
Benton County first began the process of offering the mapping program to the public when a grant from the U. S. Geological Survey was awarded to the county in March. The $ 43, 114 grant allowed for the purchase of GIS equipment and computer hardware. Benton County provided the same amount of matching funds for personnel to complete the project.
The site is free but does require agreement to the conditions of use. Beginning next month, the mapping feature will have downloadable data and 2006 aerial photography.
To create a map, go to www. co. benton. ar. us, click on the GIS icon at the bottom of the page, then click on “ create your own maps. ”
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