Agricultural Land Use of Wyoming

Frequently-anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

Title: Agricultural Land Use of Wyoming

Abstract:

This dataset represents croplands of Wyoming as interpreted from 1:58,200-scale National High Altitude Program (NHAP) color infrared aerial photography. The photos, which were taken in 1980-1982, were interpreted and land use designations were hand-drawn onto plots produced at the same scale as the photos, using a light table. The plots were then digitized as polygons into ARC/INFO 7.0.2. Valid polygons include irrigated croplands, non-irrigated croplands, urban lands, golf-courses, and non-agricultural lands. Golf courses boundaries, which have changed recently, were later updated with 1994 NAPP photos.

1. How should this data set be cited?

   Wyoming Water Resources Center, 199809, Agricultural Land Use of Wyoming: University of Wyoming Spatial Data and Visualization Center, Laramie, Wyoming.

   Online Links:

   • <URL:<http://www.sdvc.uwyo.edu/clearinghouse/agland.html>

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -111.09

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -103.88

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 45.107

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.95

3. What does it look like?

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Beginning_Date: 1980

   Ending_Date: 1982

   Currentness_Reference: ground condition

5. What is the general form of this data set?

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • GT-polygon composed of chains (6619)

   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest .001. Longitudes are given to the nearest .001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal Degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   Attributes are CODE: an integer, and DESCRIBE: a 2 letter character.
    CODE = 1 and DESCRIBE = 'ir' for irrigated cropland
    CODE = 2 and DESCRIBE = 'ni' for non-irrigated cropland
    CODE = 3 and DESCRIBE = 'ur' for urban or built up
    CODE = 4 and DESCRIBE = 'na' for non-agricultural land
    CODE = 5 and DESCRIBE = 'gc' for golf courses
   

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: n/a

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Wyoming Water Resources Center

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

   Technical Coordinator
   Spatial Data and Visualization Center
   Box 4008 University Station
   Laramie, Wyoming 82071
   USA
   

   307-766-2735 (voice)
   arneson@uwyo.edu
   

   Hours_of_Service: 8:00 - 5:00 MST

The purpose of this data layer is to provide a digital layer showing areas of agriculture and agricultural chemical use in Wyoming. This layer was designed to be applied in the Wyoming Ground-Water Vulnerability Mapping Project.

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   photos (source 1 of 2)

   National High Altitude Program, 1982, 1:58,200 NHAP Color-IR photos.

   Type_of_Source_Media: film

   Source_Scale_Denominator: 58200

   Source_Contribution: interpretation of land use

   photos (source 2 of 2)

   National Aerial Photography Program, 1994, 1:40,400 NAPP Black and White photo-negatives.

   Type_of_Source_Media: film

   Source_Scale_Denominator: 40000

   Source_Contribution: interpretation of golf course boundaries

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: Feb-1995 (process 1 of 2)

   February 1995 - June 1998

   Photos were delineated and transcribed by hand (using a light table) to 1:58,200 scale plots using 1:100,000-scale hydrography and roads for reference. Once transferred the plots were digitized and attributed in ARCEDIT. A maximum RMS of 0.006 inches was used in registration. Coverages were then edgematched and mapjoined by county initially and then statewide.

   Date: Oct-1998 (process 2 of 2)

   October 1998

   Golf courses were delineated from photos and transcribed by hand (using a light table) to 1:40,000 scale plots using 1:100,000-scale hydrography and roads for reference. Once transferred the plots were digitized and attributed in ARCEDIT. A maximum RMS of 0.006 inches was used in registration. Coverages were then matched to previously digitized land use layer.

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

1. How well have the observations been checked?

   Ground truthing was performed on Albany and Laramie counties which were deemed the most difficult to interpret. Attribute quality was determined to be generally very good. Minor problems occur in areas where irrigated hay can not be differentiated from stream-side riparian vegetation. It should be assumed that several of these problems exist within the statewide layer.

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

   Estimated accuracy for this dataset is approximately +/- 100 feet, though this estimation has in no way been formally tested. The estimation is based on National Mapping Accuracy standards, taking into account the source scale of the aerial photographs, limitations associated with interpreting and transcribing polygons by hand, and digitizing hand-drawn polygons on 1:58,200-scale plots (1:40,000-scale for golf courses).

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

   All polygons are appropriately labeled.

5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

   Polygon topology has been checked and verified.

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: none

Use_Constraints:

This layer should be used at a scale no larger than 1:58,200 and should only be used when more current boundaries are either not available or unimportant.

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

   Data Manager
   Spatial Data and Visualization Center
   Box 4008 University Station
   Laramie, Wyoming 82071
   USA
   

   307-766-2735 (voice)
   n/a
   

2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   The distributor shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of this data, based on the description of appropriate/inappropriate used described in this metadata document. The distributor makes no claims for the data's suitability for other purposes. It is strongly recommended that this data is directly acquired from the distributor described above and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	ARCE (Arc/Info export) (version 7.0.4)
     Network links:	ftp.sdvc.uwyo.edu or <http://www.sdvc.uwyo.edu/clearinghouse>

   • Cost to order the data: No fees are required for downloading the data that is on-line.

Dates:

Last modified: Oct-1998

Metadata author:

Margo Berendsen
Box 4008 University Station
Laramie, Wyoming 82071
USA

307-766-2751 (voice)
meh@uwyo.edu

Metadata standard:

FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)