Public Land Survey System Data Set Now Available by Rick Hill

The Indiana Geological Survey is pleased to announce the release of essential information for digital mapping in Indiana. The Public Land Survey System data, consisting of the Congressional lines for the state, counties, townships, and sections, forms the basis for many kinds of mapping; this data previously has not been available in a comprehensive digital format. The data is available for free download or on a CD-ROM ($10).

This data set is accurate and rectified to the scale of the United States Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic maps (1:24,000), and therefore, can be used to create an accurate geographic base for other digital data. Every Congressional line and all other lines that form officially recognized boundaries (such as location and donation lines or special land grant lines) are included.

The data was created using Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) software and exists as a coverage; the information has been created as both line and polygon formats. Lines and polygons are attributed with labels signifying their Congressional location. This coverage has been subdivided into ESRI shapefiles based on the type of Congressional boundary line represented. County boundaries, township-ranges, and sections complete the subdivisions. Metadata (documentary information about the data) is provided as part of the data package. Metadata includes procedural information and contact information if additional information about the data is needed.

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