Natural Resource Management: GIS Projects & News

View the Conservation Project Map
SWCD Conservation Map now available online
The SWCD has partnered with Dakota County Office of GIS staff to develop an online map for SWCD conservation projects installed on the ground of Dakota County landowners. Clicking an individual project on the map opens up an attribute table with a link to a PDF project fact sheet for more information.

Begin the Interactive GIS Map
Dakota County Interactive GIS Map now available
The Dakota County Office of GIS has produced an online mapping feature focusing on citizen related information and historical aerial photography. This tool will allow the public to pan and zoom across the County while viewing commonly requested data such as land cover, soils, wetlands and aerial photography from 1937 to the present. Any landowner can use this tool to determine what type of soils occur on their property, whether wetlands may be present, or what their land may have looked like 60 years ago. From the County website, citizens can print this information and maps from home.

Capitalizing on this technology will reduce office workload and increase efficiency by allowing interested individuals to access this information from their computer rather than traveling to the SWCD office to view maps and photographs.

Dakota SWCD Completes Wetland and Waterway Inventory and Assessment
The Wetland Inventory Project for the Vermillion and North Cannon River Watershed began in 2005 through a MEP grant from the Met Council and in conjunction with a Wetland and Watercourse Inventory and Assessment Project in the Vermillion River Watershed. The original goals of this project included inventorying existing and historical wetlands, convening a task force to develop watershed-based wetland assessment methods, assessing existing wetlands for functions and values, and drafting model ordinances for cities and townships.

Final Report
Attachment A - WWIA vs Local LGU Wetland Inventory
Attachment B - Project Fact Sheet
Attachment C - VRWJPO Standards
Attachment 3 - Map (LGU: City of Lakeville) 41.1mb Page Size: 24 x 36"
Attachment 4 - Presentation (2007 MN GIS/LIS Conference)
Attachment 5 - Poster: Vermillion Map (2007 MN GIS/LIS Conference) 7.0mb Page Size: 36 x 74"
Attachment 6 - Poster: North Cannon Map 6.5mb Page Size: 36 x 74"

NRCS Makes Soil Survey Available Online
The official Dakota County Soil Survey is now available online from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Web Soil Survey. This interactive feature provides electronic access to the most current full soil survey report content providing users quick delivery of text, tables, and maps.

Dakota SWCD partners with Minnesota DNR to produce The Natural Resource Guide CD
The Natural Resource Guide is a web application available on CD or from the Minnesota DNR website designed to give local decision makers the information necessary to make informed decisions on their local natural resources.

Dakota SWCD partners with City of Eagan to identify Eagan Core Greenway
The City of Eagan would like to incorporate preservation and stewardship into its decision making process and long term vision for protection, but it is important to first understand property ownership and the resource base.
(PDF: 16 pages, 4,524kb)