LAB 1: Base Data

Goal and Background: 

The Clear Vision Eau Claire has become responsible to construct and develop a vision for the Eau Claire Confluence project. The goal of the project is to construct a fine arts center at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire River in Downtown Eau Claire. The fine arts space will include Performance spaces, galleries, offices, classrooms, studios and more. The goal for The Clear Vision Eau Claire organization has is to use different spatial data sets in regards to public land management, administration, and land use in order to prepare the overall vision for the Confluence Project. This vision is further expressed through several objectives. The first objective is to understand different data sets for the city and county of Eau Claire. The second is to digitize the site for the proposed Confluence Project. The third objective is to understand and represent Public Land Surveying System in regards to the Confluence Project. The fourth objective is to create legal descriptions of the the two parcels. The final objective is to build the an actual layout with each of the major thematic feature classes.   

Digitized Verision of Parcel 1
(128 Graham Street, 02-0365)

Digitized Version of Parcel 2
(202 Eau Claire Street, 02-0357)

Methods:

The First step was to create a civil Divisions Map. This map is primarily used as a locator map in order to get a perspective on where the confluence project site is located within the city of  Eau Claire. In order to create this map a world imagery was added to the data frame along with the Eau Claire county boundary, civil divisions, and the the projected project site. County Boundary is shown in transparent light gray, and the civil divisions are represented with a transparent rose color. This is necessary in order to see the base map and the project site. 

The second step was to create a map showing census boundary data. To create this map the world base imagery was inserted into the data frame as well as the block groups and tract groups. A Census Block Group is a geographical unit used by the United States. A block group is a subdivision of a tract group and is the smallest geographical unit that the Census Bureau publishes. The tract groups are represented by hollow colored polygons with an orange outline. The Block groups are symbolized by a unique variables showing age groups from 18 - 20. In Blue shows a greater number of people this age living within a group, green being the median number, and tan the lowest. These colors are semi transparent in order to once again locate the project site of confluence project. 

The third step was construct a map showing the Public Land Surveying Systems (PLSS). This is a surveying method used historically throughout the United States which identifies land parcels before designation of eventual ownership. PLSS is comprised of townships, sections, quarter sections and quarter-quarter sections. In this map the world imagery base map and the project site is inserted into the data frame once again. Within the range of the map you can also see the quarter quarter divisions that were inserted and symbolized with hollow polygons with a bright green outline. 

The fourth step was to then create a map showing the parcel data for the city of Eau Claire. The Parcel area, centerlines, and the river were inserted into the data frame over the top of a world imagery base map and the project site. The parcel areas which show survey data representing plot lines and parcel corners are represented in a hollow polygon with a bright yellow outline. The centerlines are slightly different in color indicated by and orange outline. 

The Fifth step was to generate a map showing the zoning areas around the project site. To create this map the zoning areas were inserted on top of the same world imagery base map along with the project site and the centerlines used in the previous step. The zoning area data represents the type of activities a specific division of land is primarily used for. In order to represent this information I used a unique values map to classify specific zoning areas together based on their zoning code. I symbolized each division with a different transparent color in order to see the project site.  I then translated the zoning code and its assigned color which is shown in the legend so you could properly determine how each division is represented. 

The sixth and final step was to create a map showing the voting districts around the project site. This map shows the division of the districts and the appropriate number label. I once again used the world imagery base map and the project site. I then inserted the voting districts into the data frame and symbolized them in a transparent green color, and labeled them by the ward number. 

Sources: City of Eau Claire and Eau Claire County 2013