“Fly Dane” Aerial Mapping Earns Top State Award

April 19, 2002
Sharyn Wisniewski, (608) 267-8823
County Executive

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today announced that the county’s “Fly Dane” project—a partnership that gives local communities close-up, accurate, aerial mapping at reduced cost—has received a statewide award. Dane County and Ayres Associates, engineers and architects, Madison, have received an Engineering Excellence Honor Award from the Wisconsin Association of Consulting Engineers (WACE). “This project was so successful because we all worked together to keep costs down while getting a high quality product,” said County Executive Falk. “These incredible maps are so helpful to the county and all our communities.” The imagery is readily combined with Geographical Information System (GIS) or Computer-Aided Drafting (CVAD) mapping systems for mathematically accurate representations of the landscape. The maps are being used in a variety of ways, including to: -- Plan security and response for events such as the upcoming US Conference of Mayors -- Analyze stormwater runoff -- Manage sewer, water or other utilities and services -- Reconstruct accident scenes -- Plan for “smart growth” -- Analyze where flooding may occur Ayres Associates and Dane County began designing the project and building the partnership in the fall of 1998. In late 1999 and the spring of 2000, Ayres Associates began acquiring survey data and aerial photography. Mapping projects were created from late spring 2000 through August 2001. By the time the Fly Dane 2000 projects began, the Dane County Land Information Office had contacted and organized 41 municipalities and other agencies as partners. Cities, villages and towns came together to create a larger geographic community to produce a mapping project that would be better than any than the individual communities and agencies had ever had before The map products, created countywide, included 12-inch resolution digital aerial photographs enhanced by computers to create scale accurate maps, 4-foot contours, road centerlines and water features. In urban areas, the maps have resolution down to six inches. From a “birds eye” viewpoint, you can readily see utility lines, roadways, and even manhole covers. About a third of the $1 million project was paid for through grants to Dane County from the state Wisconsin Land Information Program, with another third paid for by the cities, towns and villages participating in the project. The final third was a combination of federal funds from the Regional Planning Commission, and various other local sources and fees. “Working together cut the project costs in half,” said Falk. Following are the participating partners: Dane County -- Land Information Office -- Highway & Transportation Department. -- Parks Department -- Public Works Department -- Department of Planning & Development Cities -- Edgerton -- Fitchburg -- Middleton -- Monona -- Stoughton -- Sun Prairie -- Verona Villages -- Belleville -- Black Earth -- Blue Mounds -- Brooklyn -- Cambridge -- Cottage Grove -- Cross Plains -- Dane -- Deerfield -- DeForest -- Marshall -- Mazomanie -- McFarland -- Mount Horeb -- Oregon -- Shorewood Hills -- Waunakee Towns -- Blooming Grove -- Burke -- Cottage Grove -- Dunkirk -- Dunn -- Madison -- Mazomanie -- Medina -- Middleton -- Rutland -- Sun Prairie -- Verona -- Vienna -- Westport -- Windsor Private -- Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District State -- Department of Corrections Federal -- Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA) Other -- Dane County Regional Planning Commission -- Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organization # # #