GIS: A Tool of the Trade

The use of Geographic Information Systems or GIS as a land use planning tool in Michigan coastal communities has increased from 11 percent in 1994 to 35 percent in 2002, according to Michigan Sea Grant's coastal community survey.

The data management software links complex database information—such as soil types, zoning boundaries and even property ownership—to geographic references, allowing quick analysis of land use features and characteristics.

“It enables you to see relationships that may not have been apparent without a visual reference,” says GIS Analyst Trevor Floyd, who works for St. Clair County.

Floyd gives the example of a conservancy interested in protecting wetlands. For this task, GIS can link natural features information with land survey data, thus providing community planners a method to examine zoning and identify properties of concern. Parcel owners may then be contacted in order to increase public awareness and focus future efforts.

Floyd also notes current GIS applications specifically for working with watersheds. One capability enables technologists to map water flow as a way to visualize possible contaminant routes.