7 replies to this topic

[wolfegeo]

 ADDWELLS1500.jpg   615.84K   148 downloadsThis map will give you all an example of where I’m starting from. It was created for use in a PowerPoint presentation and is one in a series showing how GIS can be used in assessing the impact of point source contamination on private wells.

The background is a tax parcel layer. I added additional attributes to the table so that I could symbolize the layer based on the source (municipal or public water supply, community well, private well) and type of water (groundwater, surface). The county doesn’t have records showing the location of private wells. By adding source water and type attributes to the parcel layer I’m able to create numerous derived data sets. For example address points, located on parcels with a water source attribute of private well, become a proxy for private wells.

This map worked great in a PowerPoint where you only saw it at a distance. As part of a series it had meaning. I’m not sure that it can stand on its own.

What I’d like to do is use this as a foundation for a map that does two things:
1. Shows the map user the source of water to a particular tract of land
2. Lets the user know if there is a prior history of contamination in the vicinity.

Any and all comments are appreciated.

Thanks,

Kathy Wolfe
WolfeGeo

[Nick H]

This is a nice, clear map, I like it. I think the heavy red used for the interstate highways could be toned-down a lot because I don't think these roads are a part of this map's message. Perhaps it would also be possible to label the clusters, showing the location and a point-count for each (e.g. "Area name, 15").

Regards, N.

[bwize]

Oh man, I live in Mooresville! So weird.

[MapMedia]

Hi Kathy - good start.

I would like a more clear description of the Addresses (1500 feet AND on private well served)? It was unclear to me.

Also, in sources, define the layer and its source explicit, as I wanted to know the source of the groundwater water monitoring, number of samples, and type of contamination (VOC, bacteria)?

Thanks! Chris

[frax]

Kathy - I assume the dark blue is water (looks like a reservoir in the southwest, right?). I think I would try to represent that differently, since it attracts the attention now (maybe white with a blue outline, or a faint steel blue?).

For the incidents, so each dot is one address - but what if there were several incidents in the same area, wouldn't that be relevant? Wouldn't it be interesting to try to represent the severity of the incidents as well (e.g. number of households affected) - as the size of the dots? Just some ideas...

But I think it looks very good and clear otherwise!

[wolfegeo]

Thank you so much for your comments. To be honest the type of comments your making are exactly what I was hoping to hear. In my humble opinion the map, as is, cannot stand alone. It was generated for a specific use and unfortunately outside of that environment causes confusion and may be misconstrued.

I've attached a link to the original presentation so you can see the map in context.

http://204.211.239.2...hursday_130.pdf

Cartography and GIS are not one and the same (but you already knew that ). GIS allows you to combine various data sets, generate new data, and analyze the material. The key word here is ‘analyze’. CARTOGRAPY (in the hands of a skilled cartographer) allows you to communicate the results of that analysis to your audience in the form of a map.

I’m going to redesign the map with my new audience in mind (realtors, developers, and real estate attorneys). There’s a lot of good formation here. I just need to tease it out

Thanks sooooooo much.
After I've recreated the map for my new audience, I'll post it again.

Kathy Wolfe
WolfeGeo

[frax]

Cartography and GIS are not one and the same (but you already knew that ). GIS allows you to combine various data sets, generate new data, and analyze the material. The key word here is ‘analyze’. CARTOGRAPY (in the hands of a skilled cartographer) allows you to communicate the results of that analysis to your audience in the form of a map.

Cartography is a part of GIS, as the output/representation and presentation of the geographic information. The presentation you see on the screen when you analyze the data and tweak it is also cartography! (for you to analyze it properly, you most likely will need to present and inspect the data)

[Charles Syrett]

I remember being a cartographer in the Ontario government back in the 70s, and walking past a young woman hunched over what looked like a big hockey puck with a cable running from it, on a light table. Someone explained to me that this was new technology, that she was "digitizing", that it was part of a new process called "GIS".

So. Cartography is "part of GIS"? I suppose the point could be made. I use GIS as "part of" my cartographic process. This is semantics, and in the real world there aren't any hard demarcation lines! A farmer draws a pencil sketch map for his kid on the kitchen table -- that's cartography. A professional analyst sits at a computer and crunches data, without displaying it -- that's GIS. And somewhere in between is the stuff we folks on this list do.

Charles Syrett
Map Graphics
http://www.mapgraphics.com

Cartography is a part of GIS, as the output/representation and presentation of the geographic information. The presentation you see on the screen when you analyze the data and tweak it is also cartography! (for you to analyze it properly, you most likely will need to present and inspect the data)