Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

History of GIS in the Walla Walla District.

In 1988-1992, the District participated in the Corps CADD Center (Waterways Experiment Station, WES) Single Discipline Task Group for GIS. This committee developed policy and procedures for GIS implementation and reviewed/proposed standards for data and systems.

In 1993, the District was named to (and chair of) the DOD Tri-Services CADD/GIS Field Working Group. This group has tasks to develop guidance for compliance with mandatory National spatial data transfer standards (SDTS); review a Tri-Services GIS standard data dictionary; provide guidance on GIS metadata (descriptive data about data) content standards; and testing methodology for transferring GIS data between various vendor GIS systems.

In 1994, the District participated in the development of Corps-wide GIS implementation regulations through the Topographic Engineering Center.

1995 and 1997 - The CADD/GIS Technology Center (formerly the Tri-Service CADD/GIS Technology Center) at the Waterways Experiment Station has led the effort to develop CADD and spatial data standards (SDS) and released the first version of the A/E/C CADD Standards in 1995 and the SDS Standards in 1997. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has since approved the SDS Standards and A/E/C CADD Standards and has been developed in close coordination with the National Institute of Building Sciences as they develop the National CAD Standards.

In 1998, the Director of Military Programs is requiring all districts to comply with the Tri-Service A/E/C Standards in order for the Corps of Engineers to efficiently move into the twenty-first century and use the virtual office in the design process. It is essential that all districts use the same standards when using CADD technology.

In 2001, An interim policy and guidance for GIS technologies was distributed for immediate compliance and implementation by all Army installations. Headquarters, Department of Army, is developing a strategy to increase data compatibility, eliminate redundant GIS efforts, and integrate installation GIS databases and applications across the Army into an enterprise system.

As an effort to begin complying with the policy, the District’s Geospatial Data and Systems (GD&S) Committee was reestablished and held the first meeting on December 12, 2001.

2003 - The Division is developing a Division-wide strategy to implement eGIS across all offices and programs within the districts and the two water management divisions enabling them to work together virtually to solve mutual problems and challenges. The next step of operating across the Division and outside of the Division will be a natural transition.

At the 2004 Geospatial Symposium in August, it was announced that the Field Working Groups would be disbanded. The money used to fund this group will instead be used to fund the development of standards (i.e., SDS and CADD standards). Free standards training will be available in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and/or SWAT teams will visit individual districts to assist with implementation.

The Corps is moving forward in implementing eGIS in the USACE 2012 environment, i.e., becoming a virtual Corps. To meet the goal of operating as a virtual Corps, it is necessary to share planning, engineering, design, and associated technical work efforts between districts. Included with the memorandum was the Geospatial Standards in the Virtual Engineering Environment, which is a schedule for achieving compliance with SDSFIE within the Corps.