The marvels of GIS become clearer each day for the technologist who is creating a Geographical Information System for Natchez and Adams County.

After a year on the job as GIS project manager for the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District, Peter Dale sees a first goal met in his efforts to gather, assemble and blend data into specialized computer programs tracking geographical elements throughout the county.

Exactly what is GIS?

&uot;GIS is a system,&uot; Dale said. &uot;It converts dry, spreadsheet-based databases that can be hard to understand into ‘smart maps’ where the information is easy to understand and manipulate in a visual format. It links spatial and tabular information and enables a person to visualize patterns, relationships and trends.&uot;

GIS is not GPS, global positioning system, Dale explained. A GPS is a piece of equipment that shows latitude and longitude and plays a role in the Geographic Information System.

Dale showed individual maps he has created in the computer program &045; streets, topography, residences and buildings and land records. The maps are designed to blend, or overlay each other for specific information on any of dozens of topics and possibilities.

&uot;There is a tremendous volume of information with over 1,200 streets and over 34,000 addresses across 486 square miles to convert into digital format,&uot; he said.

Natchez City Engineer and Water Works Superintendent David Gardner has watched the project closely as it has grown during the past year. &uot;It’s a tremendous project. People don’t realize the potential,&uot; he said. &uot;It takes a long time to build it up, and it’s hard for some people to understand because they don’t see what’s happening.&uot;

The first big GIS accomplishment is completion of the first phase of the Enhanced 911 program, Dale said. &uot;We’re one of three counties in Mississippi who have reached Phase 1 of Enhanced 911,&uot; he said.

Through precise street and address information and resident ownership and with new capabilities to track cell phones as well as line phones, emergency personnel have the tools they need to save lives.

Dale gave an example of someone who is in a field on a rural farm, becomes ill and calls from a cell phone. &uot;Not only can we know just where he is, but we also can look at maps to tell the best way to get to him. We have the ability to turn on and off the various layers of information. This is a big first and a big feather in our caps.&uot;

Gardner agreed. &uot;It’s a sophisticated system, state of the art.&uot;

Applications of GIS reach far beyond the emergency response use. Dale provided examples:

4Shipping businesses such as UPS, American Airborne and Federal Express can use the information.

4New business site selection, deciding where to set up a facility, business or service, is enhanced.

Gardner said he and Dale have requested a new soil survey of the county from the Soil and Water Conservation District. With that added to the GIS, yet another tool is &uot;just a mouse click away for a business developer who wants to know what kind of soil is on property where he may want to build a warehouse, for instance.&uot;

4Boundary determination of school, tax and other districts or properties becomes more clear-cut.

4Planning of resource allocation for road and highway maintenance is easier.

4Land parcel information, including tax assessment, is particularly enhanced.

4Water and sewer management, determining flows, pipe breaks, outages, new service, new development and maintenance is improved.

4Soil mapping for farming and agricultural use is in great detail.

4Wildlife management, including endangered species, is enhanced.

4Law enforcement can use information for crime tracking and analysis.

Many of the applications are directly related to economic development, Gardner said. &uot;The more you put into it, the more useful it becomes.&uot;

The process of converting existing hard-copy tax maps into digital format is almost complete, Dale said.

That includes aerial maps that Adams County Tax Assessor Reynolds Atkins is particularly excited about. &uot;These are a great set of aerial photographs, and they’re in color, so much better than what we have from back in 1997,&uot; Atkins said.

Not only does the GIS provide the aerial maps and tax parcels on its high-tech program to assist Atkins and his office in their work with the public. The new aerial maps also will save up to $40,000 that the tax assessor would have been mandated to spend on new aerial maps in 2007.

&uot;We’re finally coming into the 21st century,&uot; Atkins said. &uot;And this kind of program is something the State Tax Commission is pushing.&uot;

The system will continue to grow in usefulness and usage, Dale said. &uot;It’s only as good as the information you put into it,&uot; he said. &uot;Accuracy and integrity of the information is critical.&uot;