| Title: | A Shoreline GIS: Mapping the Historical Shorelines of Massachusetts |
| Authors: | Matt von Wahlde, Geonetics Inc.; Steve Mague, Durand and Anastas Environmental Strategies, Inc. |
| Date/Time: | Tuesday, September 23 ~ 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Abstract: | In the fall of 2002, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) contracted with the BSC Group, Professional Land Surveyors, and its subsidiary, Geonetics, Inc., to develop a GIS to serve as a cartographic framework for determinations of state tidelands jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP pursuant to Chapter 91 (c.91) and the Waterways Regulations (310 CMR 9.00). When completed, the project will cover the entire Massachusetts coast, excluding Provincetown, which was mapped in 1995, and the Elizabeth Islands.) For those geographic areas that are located on filled tidelands, a key focus of this work includes a cartographic-based approach to the mapping of the Historic High and Low Water Marks as these terms are defined in the Waterways Regulations at 310 CMR 9.02. Shoreline data was compiled using a custom AutoCAD Map application and SQL Server database. This tool facilitated linking of scanned historical and source documents to linked line work and included quality control and review capabilities to allow the PLS’s to review multiple candidate historical shorelines. The AutoCAD application exported the line work and metadata to a customized ArcGIS query application developed as part of the project to facilitate end-user access to the linked shorelines, documents, and extensive research metadata. The speakers will discuss the GIS project created to catalogue, reference and retrieve over 2,600 historical plans and maps produced as early as the 17th century, including 347 georeferenced to contemporary datums, the challenges encountered with historical mapping techniques and spatial reference systems, and the project methodology developed to map these features. |
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