Geographic Information Services (GIS) provides accurate information, assistance, support, and maintains and creates information to aid in the development of maps and data analysis to support Departmental activities and issues.
The GIS program maintains a large database of layers, including (but not limited to) zoning, parcels, buildings, roads, realty information, water/sewer lines, vegetation, natural and cultural resources, and digital orthophotos. These data layers, covering the Swinomish Indian Reservation and surrounding areas, are continually expanded and updated.
We also maintain a large range of equipment and software to support GIS activities, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS). For example, our GPS unit has allowed us to accurately map natural features, such as streams, tides, and invasive species growth and eradication as well as man-made features such as fire hydrants, water/sewer lines, and culverts.
The Swinomish GIS program is involved in and essential to many projects and day-to-day operations of the Planning Department. The use of GIS in the Swinomish Planning Department has greatly increased the efficiency and ease of understanding and solving Planning and Tribal related issues.
What is GIS?
Geographic Information Systems, known as GIS are specialized computer systems for the storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of large volumes of spatial data. A GIS combines layers of information about an area to give you a better understanding of that place. GIS technology integrates common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. These abilities distinguish GIS from other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies.