2023 Arkansas GIS Symposium

Welcome to the 2023 Arkansas GIS Symposium!

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Concurrent Sessions 

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Sponsors

Welcome to the 2023 Arkansas GIS Symposium!

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(lunch on your own) 

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Sponsors

Calling all golf enthusiasts and geospatial industry professionals! It's time to tee off at the most exciting golf tournament of the year! Get ready to elevate your golf game, network with fellow golfers, and enjoy a day filled with fun, learning, and competition.

To learn more visit https://www.argisusers.org/post/golf-tournament 

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Sponsors

Check-In

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Exhibitors, Sponsors, and Vendors. 

15 Mintues Each.

Schedule TBD. 

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Presenter:  Robert Kacir

ArDOT collects pavement condition data using an automated data collection vehicle. Software on this vehicle uses a shapefile to help drivers/operators by dictating which roads to collect. Making a collection shapefile is time intensive and involves some technical knowledge. This presentation goes through the multi-year journey of refining, automating, simplifying, and documenting this process. It begins with error-prone manual processes and turns into a mature one-step process. The one-step process is simple and quick enough that additional complexity has been added.

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Presenter:  Shannon Stern

In this session, learn how to transform CAD and BIM floor plans into an information model in the geodatabase for authoring and sharing floor aware maps of your building interiors. Also learn how to leverage these indoor maps to power Indoors apps for space planning and offering employees, building occupants, and visitors a web and mobile experience for way-finding, workspace reservation, location sharing, building incident reporting, and more.

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Presenter:  Katy Hattenhauer

This presentation will guide you through what NG911 is, how the process started, where we are at in the process, the direction we are headed in, and why Next Generation 9-1-1 is of high importance for Arkansas.

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Presenter:  David Criswell

The mission of Trailblazers is to lead the development of an innovative regional recreation and transportation movement that places trails, cycling, and active transportation infrastructure at the core of an inclusive, vibrant, and healthy culture. In 2021, Trailblazers developed an active transportation infrastructure (ATI) equity index for Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas to provide the region with data to understand the reach of past investments in ATI and to help make recommendations to increase equity in future projects. The index employs a geostatistical methodology using census and local infrastructure data and was performed at the city and regional scale. The results were launched in an interactive web application created in Experience Builder which was one component of a larger report developed in StoryMaps. The GIS-based tools developed serve as valuable resources currently being referenced by city officials and ATI advocates promoting equity in active transportation planning in Northwest Arkansas.

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Presenter:  Shannon Stern

ArcGIS Workflow Manager is Esri’s scalable enterprise extension that automates and simplifies many aspects of performing and managing GIS and non-GIS work, making you more productive. In this session we’ll provide a general overview of the capabilities of ArcGIS Workflow Manager and demonstrate how it can be used to streamline submission and approval workflows (such as permitting, data submission and data requests) and versioned data editing workflows that use the new Utility Network, Parcel Fabric or Linear Referencing Network.

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Presenter:  Casey Vannoy

What are authoritative boundaries and how are they used in NG911.

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Presenter:  Anthony Dao

This presentation will take a general look at crash trends in Arkansas, how crash data is collected and processed through ARDOT, how the data is utilized, and the importance of promoting safe driving behaviors. Engagement throughout this presentation will aim to educate on traffic safety issues and explore some areas through crash visualization in the Arkansas Crash Analytics Tool (ACAT). The next time you are frustrated from being stuck in traffic due to a crash ahead— remember that lives may be at stake!

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Presenter:  John Borisenko

Steps to improving and managing spatial data governnance and management in a distributed Web GIS environment as well as a discussion of the broader concepts of GIS governance across an organization. We'll explore a framework for supporting best-practice deployment and ongoing management, utilization, and adoption of the ArcGIS Platform.

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Presenter:  Jeff Ledbetter

NG9-1-1 is evolving quicker than ever before, the timeline to ensure your PSAP and GIS is ready for NG9-1-1 is decreasing at an alarming rate. While portions of the NG9-1-1 world has yet to be developed, GIS has been identified as a mission-critical component. GIS is used in many 9-1-1 centers, public safety responder agencies, as well as, local, state and federal government processes in the United States. In an NG9-1-1 environment, GIS will be used in a much different manner. Unlike use in post-call processes, GIS will take on a critical role in pre-call delivery through NG9-1-1 call routing. This course will build on the knowledge gained during the Beyond the 98™ workshops to further understand and demonstrate the core functions and implications of GIS in NG9-1-1. Attendees will discuss the processes, functions and workflows of NG9-1-1 systems, an intermediate understanding of GIS, Next Generation Core Services affected by GIS, GIS data assurance and completeness for data stewardship to meet the minimum standards of applicable standards and best practices.

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Are you prepared to combine your passion for fitness with the thrill of learning? Join us for the Symposium 5K Walk/Run, where knowledge meets motion! ????

To learn more visit https://www.argisusers.org/post/5k-walk-run

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Presenter:  Sharon Hawkins/Christopher Pipkin

This presentation will take a look at how ARDOT captures data on traffic congestion across the state, how that data is analyzed to determine projects needed, and how sometimes being stuck in traffic is just bad luck! We’ll take you through how the public helps contribute to this data and how current/archived data is utilized to determine areas that have recurring congestion. Get ready to be interactive with us and discover the various ways traffic shows us exactly what we need to know at ARDOT.

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Presenter:  Shannon Stern

Good dashboards provide key insights at-a-glance. They are effective in communicating what is important. In this session, you will learn tips for getting the most out of your dashboards with best practices specific to various patterns of use. Discover how to communicate status and evaluate performance. Get ideas for new ways to present information and visualize your data effectively.

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Presenter:  Greg Resz

In this presentation the City of Fayetteville’s GIS Office takes you through some of their favorite and most impactful projects. You will hear about cost savings, return on investment, and the digital transformation that GIS has brought to the City. 

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Presenter:  Claire DeVaughan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP) provides foundational digital geospatial data representing the topography, natural landscape, and manmade environment of the U.S. and is in the process of establishing the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) to modernize the mapping of the Nation’s inland waters. High-resolution, light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data have been collected across much of the conterminous US (CONUS) through the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). This data will be used as the source to derive a positionally accurate and detailed stream network. 3DHP is the first systematic remapping of the Nation’s hydrography since the original USGS 1:24,000-scale topographic mapping program that was active between 1947 and 1992. By using modern acquisition, validation, and data management techniques, 3DHP will enable analysis and visualization for a broad range of environmental, climate, and infrastructure applications. This presentation will provide information on 3DHP, and on partnerships and data acquisition needed to support 3DHP.

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Presenter:  Chase Fisher

ArcGIS Experience Builder is built on the latest web technologies. As more capabilities are added to Experience Builder, it might be time to consider modernizing your ArcGIS Web AppBuilder apps. In this session, you will learn how to improve your app with the most modern technology Experience Builder offers while keeping a consistent user interface and workflow to minimize the impact on your existing audience. We will talk about Experience Builder templates, building complete experiences and mobile optimization.

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Presenter:  James Holley/Faith Mullins

PAgis and its member agencies displayed exemplary coordination in responding to an EF-3 tornado that caused extensive damage in Little Rock, North Little Rock, and surrounding areas. Collaborating with Esri, PAgis activated a Damage Assessment Program, equipping members with efficient tools for damage assessment. They provided maps and applications to facilitate assessment processes and consolidated aerial assessments from various organizations. A strategic retreat held prior to the tornado increased awareness of PAgis' capabilities among emergency management officials. With Esri's support, PAgis successfully deployed web apps, maps, and Hub sites, including a Road Closure and Traffic Signal app and a Before and After Map Viewer. These tools aided in monitoring real-time conditions and planning field damage assessments. Each jurisdiction had dashboards to track assessments and allocate resources effectively. The quick thinking, collaboration, and use of GIS technology exemplify the importance of disaster preparedness and response.

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Presenter:  Rauf Hussein/Devon Ramey

Efficiently detecting and mapping water pipelines while identifying possible pipe leak locations is crucial for preserving campus infrastructure and ensuring optimal utility management. This research article presents a comprehensive study conducted around the iconic Bell Tower, a historic architectural landmark on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) campus. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Drone Technology were employed to achieve the study's objectives. The utilization of GPR enabled the non-invasive exploration of subsurface areas, facilitating the pinpointing of water lines and potential leak sites. GIS technology further enriched the study by integrating real-time spatial data, enabling visualizations, and streamlining data analysis. Drone technology's 2D and 3D aerial imaging capabilities provided a comprehensive view of the area, thereby enhancing the accuracy of mapping efforts. The results of initial GPR data collection and processing, accompanied by the meticulous categorization of the site, demonstrated the potential for successfully detecting pipe leak locations. This research provides valuable insights into the effective detection and mapping of water pipelines and possible pipe leak locations, potentially leading to well-informed maintenance strategies and the preservation of essential campus utilities.

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Presenter:  Chase Fisher

This session showcases how to administer and optimize your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment on Windows. Learn useful information to get up and running with the software, including best practices for administrators. Topics include an overview of administrative endpoints, defining data stores, configuring utility services, and exploring log files. We will also touch on getting ready for Enterprise 11.1.

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Presenter:  Jonathan Duran

In September 2021, Jonathan Duran was elected as President-elect of the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). In doing so, he became the third member of the Arkansas GIS Office to be elected to the position, and Arkansas became the first state in NSGIC’s 32-year history to produce three Presidents, being preceded by Learon Dalby (2008-2009) and Shelby Johnson (2014-2015). In his year as President, Jonathan represented NSGIC and the State of Arkansas at various locations and meetings including the 126th Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Member Meeting and Innovation Days meeting, Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) Congressional Breakfast, the GeoGov Summit, and meetings with the state’s Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. This presentation will recap Jonathan’s 2022-2023 year as NSGIC President.

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Presenter:  John Ball/Alex Harper

This presentation will discuss the analysis and mapping methods used by Central Arkansas Water to comply with the service line inventory requirements outlined in the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule. We will discuss the development of workflow, data sources used for attribute information, and analysis for determining service line categories. ESRI's Lead Service Line Inventory mapping solution was used for the mapping of CAW's service line inventory.

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Presenter:  Roger Alabach

Green Bay Packaging owns and operates a paper mill and a sawmill in North Arkansas. To feed those mills with raw materials we own and manage somewhere around 250,000 acres of forest land. As one might expect we manage our timber inventory information using a Geographic Information System. In this presentation I will describe the how we at Green Bay Packaging migrated from the traditional desktop gis to publishing and managing our information on the cloud.

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Presenter: Daniel Phillips

Daniel will cover when and how to use parcel data for planning and analysis. He will also cover when parcel data should not be used, namely for transferring title and determining land boundaries.

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Presenter:  Deepak R. Joshi

Because the manual counting of soybean (Glycine max) plants, pods, and seeds/pods is unsuitable for soybean yield predictions, alternative methods are desired. Therefore, the objective was to determine if satellite remote sensing-based artificial intelligence (AI) models could be used to predict soybean yield. In the study, multiple remote sensing-based AI models were developed for soybean growth stage ranging from VE/VC (plant emergence) to R6/R7 (full seed to beginning maturity). The ability of the Deep Neural Network (DNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and AdaBoost to predict soybean yield, based on blue, green, red, and near infrared reflectance data collected by the PlanetScope satellite at 6 growth stages, was determined. Remote sensing and soybean yield monitor data from 3 different fields in two years (2019 and 2021) were aggregated into 24,282 grid cells that had the dimensions of 10 by 10m. A comparison across models showed that the DNN outperformed the other models. Moreover, as crops matured from VE/VC to R4/R5, the R2 value of the models increased from 0.26 to over 0.70. These findings indicate that remote sensing data collected at different growth stages can be combined for soybean yield predictions. Moreover, additional work needs to be conducted to assess the model’s ability to predict soybean yields with vegetation indices (VI) data for fields not used to train the model.

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Presenter: Chase Fisher

Survey123 brings together the power of geography and forms. Organizations worldwide use Survey123 to modernize everyday workflows. Join this session to learn the basics of the product, how people use it, and the new features we added recently.

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Presenter: Robert Kacir

Basic introduction to Open Street Map and related technologies and datasets.

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Presenter:  Patrick Dill

Agricultural land conversion has led to the loss of 72% of wetland habitat in Arkansas. Wetland loss has threatened migratory waterfowl survival by limiting wintering habitat. Agriculture makes up Arkansas’ largest industry annually adding 16 billion dollars to the state. Winter flooded rice acres fortunately mimic seasonal wetlands and provide food, cover, and connect remaining habitat. Federal agencies such as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and private organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice, have recognized the importance of winter flooded rice fields as habitat and invested millions of dollars in winter flooding subsidies. In this study, we estimate winter-flooded acres using the Landsat archive and Cropland Data Layer (CDL) annually for 2011-20. We analyze Landsat surface reflectance-indices to identify flooded pixels between November and February of each year. Flooded pixels are identified based on the different indices and categorized based on temporal indices. Finally, crop production area is quantified using the CDL to mask out non-agricultural pixels each year and summing the area of all pixels into annual winter-flooded acreage estimates. Our results provide accurate estimates of seasonally flooded acres that act as wetland habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds. Results from this study are helpful for policymakers and private organizations who provide cost-share assistance to flood agricultural land.

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Presenter:  Matt Rosenbalm

This presentation is an introduction to using Mobile Mapping for asset management applications. We will present the workflow, image only data extraction, and use cases.

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Presenter:  John Borisenko

There are many drivers that shape how state and local agencies use GIS, ranging from crisis response, to legislation, to the introduction of new technologies or solutions. This session will draw from the pioneering work of users to showcase how emerging technology and trends are reshaping the industry. Learn how to: leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence; lead community recovery efforts; build an intelligent organization; manage successful infrastructure projects; and achieve digital transformation.

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Presenter:  Stephen O’Connell

The UCA Geography Department promotes the use of GIS through coursework as well as campus and community engagement. Faculty research connects our students to real-world applications of geospatial technology across a variety of topics. The Department facilitates GIS use beyond our own programs by engaging with faculty in other units across UCA, including Criminology, Public Administration, Ecology, and Archeology. Through the Arkansas Geographic Alliance, our faculty and students conduct teacher demonstrations and workshops showcasing the capabilities of GIS for primary and secondary classrooms and we coordinate the annual ArcGIS Online Mapping Competition for middle and high school students. This presentation will summarize the ongoing efforts by UCA Geography to elevate geospatial technology on campus and around Arkansas.

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Presenter:  Stephanie Shaw

Learn the key questions to ask when performing GIS and non-GIS analysis of data with real life examples. Topics covered will include: How to get to know your data better, addressing problems in the data, and the importance of documentation.

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Presenter:  Shelby Johnson

This presentation will take the audience on a tour of some of lesser-known columns of the address point file.  For more than a decade address point file creators have largely focused the attributes specific to 911 and address geocoding elements.  This session will look at the feature type column, and the domain values shown there, which will aid users and creators in unlocking new uses for an old file.  Audience participation will be encouraged with visual quizzes throughout the session.  The landmark column may enter the picture as well.

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Presenter:  Dr. Brooks C. Pearson/Faith Vire/Shelby Johnson

This study was a collaboration between the Arkansas GIS Office, UCA Archives, and UCA Department of Geography to obtain, review, and georeference scanned images of school districts as they existed in 1936. The maps were retrieved from a three-volume report titled “Study of Local School Units in Arkansas 1937.” Georeferencing was performed for all Arkansas counties, excluding three that were omitted from the original report. Images were delivered in .tiff format, with NAD 83-UTM Zone 15N coordinates. Complete metadata was also included with each file. This study addresses an existing gap regarding documentation of historical school zones prior to widespread school consolidation. Of special interest is this data’s documentation of school districts under racial segregation.

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Presenter:  Jason Post

This study examines crowdsourced community (formerly citizen) science data to identify, quantify, and map urban fishery resources in Northeast Arkansas. Community fishing lakes and urban angling opportunities provide a means of local foraging, and are essential assets in combating food (in)security and rising costs of living.

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Presenter: William Watson

Access to basic sanitation facilities is a significant challenge for homeless populations, leading to improper waste disposal and public health concerns. San Francisco, California, has a large population of people experiencing homelessness, as well as limited public toilets, contributing to the problem. The Pit Stop Program, which introduced clean and safe public restrooms to high-need areas, was launched in 2014 to address the public health concern of improper waste disposal. This study built upon prior Pit Stop Program evaluations by conducting an Emerging Hot Spot Analysis (EHSA) of human/animal waste reports to the city's 311 system using spatial and temporal characteristics. We examined spatial and temporal trends from 5,940,667 311 reports in conjunction with Pit Stop and public restroom locations. Human/animal waste reports in San Francisco showed an upward trend from 2009 to 2022, reaching an all-time high in 2022. Pit Stop Program sites were generally concentrated in areas with the most waste reports, particularly the Tenderloin and Mission neighborhoods. Various spatiotemporal hot spot trends were identified throughout the city. Locations containing Pit Stops were more likely to be classified as diminishing hot spots. There is evidence of improvement in the Tenderloin neighborhood, which has seen the longest and most concentrated Pit Stop intervention, however the effect appears to be small and possibly temporary. Most areas in the city did not see notable improvements. The findings suggest the need for additional research and continued efforts to address sanitation issues for people experiencing homelessness.

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Presenter:  Dr. John W. Nowlin

Arkansas State University's College of Agriculture has had a research and teaching footprint in the agriculture technology space for over a decade. Now, they have taken the next step forward by developing a new program named GIS and Precision Agriculture. While the former degree was named "Agricultural Studies: emphasis in Agricultural Systems Technology," this new program is named "GIS and Precision Agriculture." This new program began this Fall (2023) and currently offers in-person instruction which will be expanded to also offer a fully online degree starting in the second half of the Spring Semester 2024. This presentation will detail the curriculum and introduce the faculty of this new program.

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Presenter:  Brian Culpepper

The Arkansas State Resource Assessment was guided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) nationwide directive originally released in 2011 that required that each state provide a summary for acres potentially “at-risk” for over 30 natural resource concerns of interest that have been identified within America. These natural resource concerns are targeted for mitigation using NRCS conservation programs on private lands throughout the nation. Arkansas’ NRCS office and staff conservationist have continued to use these GIS data models to focus resource allocation since 2012 and have partnered with the University of Arkansas to update source datasets and GIS modeling techniques and desktop software enhancements that have occurred since 2016. This presentation will discuss the resulting product development challenges and GIS data required to develop these important decision support products for our Arkansas Natural Resource Conservation Service professionals.

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Presenter:  Dr. Yaqian He

Climate extremes, such as droughts, floods, and tornadoes, can lead to significant economic losses. These events are of particular concern for the State of Arkansas due to its strong dependence on agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to such occurrences. Enhancing the accuracy of predicting these extreme events in near-real time is of utmost importance. This study conducted a comparative analysis of various near-real time prediction algorithms utilizing geostationary satellite imagery with a 60-minute lead time. This study aims to identify the most effective approach that is suitable for application within the State of Arkansas.

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Presenter:  George Williford

Groundwater is a vital resource, essential for agriculture, industry, and urban life. As such, it demands effective monitoring and preservation. Approximately 47% of the U.S. population relies on groundwater, a figure which includes 100% of public water supply in the Mississippi Embayment region. With high groundwater depletion rates across the aquifer system, this mapping effort seeks to address pressing groundwater management concerns. Leveraging remote sensing tools like the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), we are now capable of studying large-scale water storage with centimeter accuracy. However, GRACE's coarse spatial resolution hampers easy application at local and regional scales. To address this issue, we employed a random forest (RF) machine-learning model for downscaling GRACE data. Our study underscores the need for solid predictive variable selection, which also incorporates localized geologic considerations. Machine-learning techniques may bridge data gaps, enhancing our understanding of groundwater dynamics, and informing effective management strategies. This mapping effort aims to elucidate long-term water storage variation's spatial and temporal characteristics for regional resource management. As we move forward, these maps aim to facilitate more holistic and informed groundwater management approaches.  

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Presenter:  N. Ray Benson

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, L,) is an economically important row crop in northeast Arkansas and the surrounding region. Increasing input costs, pest resistance, and stagnant commodity prices have made profitable production challenging. Verticillium wilt of cotton, caused by the soil borne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, can be destructive in terms of yield loss. Severe infection obstructs uptake through the xylem, resulting in nutrient deficiencies throughout the plant. No known post-infection treatments are available. The presence of Verticillium dahliae in the soil does not guarantee visual symptoms will manifest during any particular production season. Additionally, disease symptoms are often not observed uniformly across fields. Although mild infections may not present visual symptoms of the disease, the restricted xylem flow will likely impact water use efficiency, lower transpiration, and increase canopy temperature. Georeferenced thermal imagery collected with UAS during the production has been used to measure canopy temperatures associated with irrigation and cover crop treatments in cotton. These technologies may facilitate early detection, as well as identifying moderate, asymptomatic levels of Verticillium wilt. Such information could provide a useful tool to help plant breeders improve selection for host plant resistance to this disease.

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Presenter:  Claire DeVaughan

The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) provides a foundation of digital geospatial data representing the topography, natural landscape, and manmade environment of the United States. These data, products and services are collectively referred to as The National Map (TNM), which users can incorporate into their decision making and operational activities. Information will be provided on TNM initiatives including the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP), US Topo, topoBuilder, and data discovery and download applications.

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Awards Presentations (Posters/Web Apps/Story Maps)

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This is not just another symposium; it's YOUR symposium. We want to ensure that this next event caters to your interests, passions, and curiosity. We value your input and believe that together, we can create an unforgettable experience. So, tell us:

?? What topics are you most excited to explore?

?? Who do you want to hear from? Renowned experts or emerging thought leaders?

?? Which workshops or interactive sessions would you love to participate in?

Your suggestions will shape the content and agenda of this symposium, ensuring it's tailored to your needs and aspirations. After all, it's your curiosity that drives innovation!

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Door Prize(s) Giveaway 

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