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Lewis County GIS Mapping Division

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Lewis County GIS Mapping Division was formed in 1994 and provides mapping and map analysis services for County offices and departments as well as map products to several cities and districts, state and local agencies, and businesses and the public.

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Business Problem

Lewis County, Washington is located in southwestern Washington State, 90 miles south of Seattle, WA, and 25 miles south of Olympia, WA, the State capital. Lewis County covers an area of 2,436 square miles and has a population of 69,500 citizens.

The GIS Mapping Division was formed to address WA Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements. After 8 years, GIS Mapping has become an important County resource for mapping support and is utilized regularly by a wide variety of clients. The Division provides GIS services to County offices and departments having access to 400-500 maps for addressing management, planning and operation activities and needs. Citizens can view and print these on-line County maps via the Internet from their home or office. Customers' comments have been favorable.

GIS Mapping succeeds in its goal to make all maps available to all customers on a first come first serve basis. It addresses these customers' requests for map products as its first priority. It provides interoperability between the ESRI mapping system and other GIS related application systems. Maps and data are exchanged between Assessor (parcel maps, revaluation areas, land appraisal); Community Development (comprehensive plan, zoning, and environmental critical areas review); Public Works (transportation improvement program, online CRP Bid Process, surface water management for flooding, County Road Atlas); and Sheriff, Emergency Management, and E-911 Dispatch (emergency response districts, hazardous locations, crime incidents) systems.

Technology Implemented

Lewis County utilizes the full suite of ESRI products to build applications to serve its wide variety of users and clientele. ArcInfo is used in supporting our primary mapping projects. MapObjects, Visual Basics and ArcExplorer are used to provide access to on-line network map subjects/themes at 150 County office desktop and public counter PCs to increase map availability. ArcView is used to address and support specific PC office functions at the operation level tailored to each user’s specific need. MapObjects and ArcIMS are used for Intranet and Internet applications. GPS is used to increase the location accuracy of road centerlines, PLSS lines, roadway culverts, public wells, river revetments, subdivisions, and other features.

Development Team Biography

The GIS Mapping Division consists of 8 staff positions; 5 located in the Public Works Department and 3 for the Assessor’s Office. The Lewis GIS was formed as a project in 1994 to address WA Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements. It has since become a permanent division designated as a core County function providing mapping services to County offices and departments, as well as several cities and districts, state and local agencies, and businesses and the public. In the eight years of its existence, the GIS has maintained an excellent staff of analysts and technicians familiar with local government and the community.

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