Data for RG counties a click away
Interactive, Web-based maps and analysis services created
By Jenna Smith, February 2005
For more information regarding this subject, contact:
Raghavan "Srini" Srinivasan
(979) 845-5069
r-srinivasan@tamu.edu
Data for Texas counties along the Rio Grande are now available at your fingertips.
Interactive Internet-based mapping and analysis services have been developed for several counties, ranging from El Paso County at the northern tip of the river to Cameron County where the river empties into the Gulf.
Raghavan “Srini” Srinivasan, professor and director of the Spatial Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at Texas A&M University, Jennifer Jacobs, research associate with the SSL, and a team of investigators used ArcIMS software to generate the interactive maps.
“ArcIMS is an Internet mapping service that provides a means of disseminating interactive maps via the Internet,” said Jacobs. “These maps provide increased stakeholder access to data.”
To date, 16 Texas counties have been analyzed and mapped. Stakeholders can access and identify environmental, natural resource, socio-economic and health-related information for each individual county.
B.L. Harris, project director for the Rio Grande Basin Initiative, said the maps provide stakeholders with the latest resource and census-based information on a common scale, allowing them to make decisions on program needs for a specific area.
“The maps serve as a repository for all natural resource information for anyone interested in the county,” said Harris. “It allows county residents to learn more about where they live.”
Outside industries and companies will also use the information to assess opportunities for products or potential locations within the counties. By using demographic data, companies can target programs to specific economic or ethnic groups.
“This project began as an outgrowth of the Rio Grande Basin Initiative and a need to have a better description of water resources and related resources,” said Harris.
“By developing innovative products such as this, we can see if there is interest in adopting similar technologies across the state.”
The SSL has already begun collecting health data in the counties to add to the maps. “The health information will hopefully help reduce the incidence of diseases because health officials will be better able to plan for them,” said Srinivasan.
Currently, map demonstrations have been given to all Extension county executive directors and district administrators in both urban and rural areas of Texas.
“No additional software or training is needed for viewing these maps,” said Jacobs. “Anyone can have access to this data with just a click of a button.”
Access the mapping service through the Rio Grande Basin Initiative Web site. Or, go to the Spatial Sciences Laboratory Web site.
