|  Lincoln
Charter Township is located along the shores of Lake Michigan
in Berrien County, just south of the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor
metropolitan area.
Many
of the township’s maps, including streets and water and
sanitary sewer maps, were outdated and existed only in a small
number of hard copies. To update and reflect conditions, the
township
decided to use a geographic information system (GIS). The GIS
database is relatively easy to use and will allow township
staff
to keep its maps current.
Williams & Works began the project by creating an updated digital map
of street rights-of-way, based on data supplied by Berrien County’s
GIS department and by hard copy maps supplied by the township.
Once the base map was complete, Williams & Works’ staff
added other data to the GIS database, such as location of fire
hydrants, sanitary sewers, and manholes. Eventually, watermain
placement and other data will also be added.
In
addition to showing township sewer service availability, the
new
sewer maps also illustrate flow direction. While the flow direction
information is helpful in a printed map format, Williams &
Works GIS staff completed this element of the project in a way
that will allow the township to create a future “smart map.” A
smart map will determine flow direction automatically as new
data is entered.
|
