Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut

+ Resource Description

Citation

Information used to reference the data.

Title: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: 19810501

Data type: vector digital data

Data location: http://geonames.usgs.gov/, http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/

Description

A characterization of the data, including its intended use and limitations.

Abstract:

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), contains information about physical and cultural geographic features in the United States and associated areas, both current and historical, but not including roads and highways. The database also contains geographic names in Antarctica. The database holds the Federally recognized name of each feature and defines the location of the feature by state, county, USGS topographic map, and geographic coordinates. Other feature attributes include names or spellings other than the official name, feature designations, feature class, historical and descriptive information, and for some categories of features the geometric boundaries. The database assigns a unique feature identifier, a random number, that is a key for accessing, integrating, or reconciling GNIS data with other data sets. The GNIS is our Nation's official repository of domestic geographic feature names information.

Purpose:

The GNIS is the official vehicle for geographic names use by the Federal Government and the source for applying geographic names to Federal maps & other products. The GNIS supports the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), a Federal body created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947. The Board serves the Federal Government, other government agencies, and the public as the central authority to which name inquiries, name issues, and new name proposals can be directed. The GNIS provides the data to government agencies and to the public. The GNIS also supports the U.S. Geological Survey National Map (http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/) as the source for the gazetteer search in The National Map viewer and as an active layer in The National Map for Federal boundaries and geographic features not available from state or local sources.

Supplemental information:

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names Comprised of representatives of Federal agencies, appointed for 2-year terms, the Board is authorized to establish and maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. Sharing its responsibilities with the Secretary of the Interior, the Board has developed principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of both domestic and foreign geographic names as well as undersea and Antarctic feature names.

Dataset credit:

The Geographic Names Information System was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Language of dataset: en

Point Of Contact

Contact information for the individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data.

Person: Roger L. Payne

Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project

Phone: 703 648 4544

Email: gnis_manager@usgs.gov

Hours of service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Address type: Mailing address

Address:

523 National Center

City: Reston

State or Province: Virginia

Postal code: 20192

Data Type

How the data are represented, formatted and maintained by the data producing organization.

File or table name: depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME

Data type: vector digital data

Data format: SDE Feature Class

Native dataset environment: These data are maintained by the State of Connecticut using ArcGIS software developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in a Microsoft Windows operating system environment.

Time Period of Data

Time period(s) for which the data corresponds to the currentness reference.

Beginning date: 1974

Ending date: Present

Currentness reference:

ground condition

Status

The state of and maintenance information for the data.

Data status: In work

Update frequency: As needed

Key Words

Words or phrases that summarize certain aspects of the data.

Theme:

Keywords: Feature identification, Geographic feature, Geographical feature, Geographic name, Geographical name, Feature name, Official feature name, Place name, Variant name, Feature location, Feature coordinates, Feature state, Feature county, Feature class, Feature history, Feature description, Feature designation

Keyword thesaurus: None

Place:

Keywords: United States, State, County, Territory, Outlying Area, Topographic Map, Commonwealth, Parish, Borough, Census Area, Municipio, District, Populated Place, Antarctica

Keyword thesaurus: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4): Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Temporal:

Keywords: Current, Historical

Keyword thesaurus: None

Data Access Constraints

Restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing or using the data after access is granted.

Access constraints:

None

Use constraints:

None.  Acknowledgement of the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

Cross Reference

Information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest.

Title: The National Map

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unknown

Data location: http://nationalmap.usgs.gov/

Other citation details:

The National Map, is a seamless, continuously maintained set of public domain geographic base information that serves as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently. The National Map viewer is a Web-enabled portal to all of the geospatial information contained in The National Map. This portal not only supports on-line access to the geospatial information, but also allows the download of digital data and creation of cartographic products. The GNIS supports The National Map as the source for the gazetteer search in The National Map viewer and as an active layer in The National Map for Federal boundaries and other geographic features not available from state or local sources.

Cross Reference

Information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest.

Title: The National Atlas

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unknown

Data location: http://nationalatlas.gov/

Other citation details:

The National Atlas summarizes national-scale geographical information and delivers easy to use, map-like views of America's natural and sociocultural landscapes. This digital version revises a large bound collection of paper maps that was published in 1970. The Atlas serves a diverse populace as an essential reference, a framework for information discovery, an instrument of education, an aid in research, and a reliable source of government information. It includes stimulating products and services for children and adults to understand complex relationships among environments, places, and people. It contributes to our knowledge of the environmental, resource, demographic, economic, social, political, and historical dimensions of American life. Though it cannot display detailed map information, the Atlas directs users to other sources for this information. The GNIS provides geographic feature, location, and attribute data to the National Atlas.

Cross Reference

Information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest.

Title: The National Hydrography Dataset

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unknown

Data location: http://nhd.usgs.gov/

Other citation details:

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that contains information about surface water features such as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, springs and wells. Within the NHD, surface water features are combined to form "reaches," which provide the framework for linking water-related data to the NHD surface water drainage network. These linkages enable the analysis and display of these water-related data in upstream and downstream order. The GNIS provides geographic feature name data to the National Hydrography Dataset.

Cross Reference

Information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest.

Title: GEOnet Names Server

Originators: National Imagery and Mapping Agency

Publication date: Unknown

Data location: http://164.214.2.59/gns/html/

Other citation details:

The GEOnet Names Server (GNS) provides access to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency's (NIMA) database of foreign geographic feature names. The database is the official repository of foreign place-name decisions approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (US BGN). Approximately 20,000 of the database's features are updated monthly.

Cross Reference

Information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest.

Title: LandView

Originators: U.S. Census Bureau

Publication date: Unknown

Data location: http://landview.census.gov/

Other citation details:

LandView is a desktop mapping system that searches and maps selected information from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Census Bureau, and the U.S. Geological Survey. LandView contains a large subset of GNIS feature, location, and attribute data for the United States. It is available on DVD. See the LandView web site for information concerning the latest edition and ordering.

+ Graphic Example

Browse Graphic

Graphic illustration of the data.

Browse graphic 1

Open - Full view of Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut point features

Browse graphic 2

Open - Detail view of GNIS showing point features symbolized by CLASS and labeled with FEATURE_NAME attribute.

Browse graphic 3

Open - Detail view of GNIS showing point features symbolized by CLASS and labeled with FEATURE_NAME attribute and USGS 7.5 minute topo map displayed in the background. Structures and annotation appearing on the USGS 7.5 minute topo map are represented as point features in GNIS.

Browse graphic 4

Open - Detail view of GNIS labeled with FEATURE_NAME attribute and hydrography and transporation information displayed in the background. Note, GNIS point features are intentionally not symbolized, only labeled.

+ Spatial Reference Information

Horizontal Coordinate System

Reference system from which linear or angular quantities are measured and assigned to the position that a point occupies.

Projected coordinate system:

Name: NAD 1983 StatePlane Connecticut FIPS 0600 Feet

Map units: survey feet

Geographic coordinate system:

Name: GCS North American 1983

Coordinate System Details

Map projection

Map projection name: Lambert Conformal Conic

Standard parallel: 41.200000

Standard parallel: 41.866667

Longitude of central meridian: -72.750000

Latitude of projection origin: 40.833333

False easting: 999999.999996

False northing: 499999.999998

Planar Coordinate Information

Planar coordinate encoding method: coordinate pair

Coordinate representation:

Abscissa resolution: 0.000250

Ordinate resolution: 0.000250

Planar distance units: survey feet

Geodetic model

Horizontal datum name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222

Vertical Coordinate System

Reference system from which vertical distances (altitudes or depths) are measured.

Altitude system definition:

Altitude resolution: 1.000000

Altitude encoding method: Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

Spatial Domain

The geographic areal domain of the data that describes the western, eastern, northern, and southern geographic limits of data coverage.

Bounding Coordinates

In Projected or local coordinates

NAD 1983 StatePlane Connecticut FIPS 0600 Feet

Boundary	Coordinate
Left	686860.765000 (survey feet)
Right	1320780.193000 (survey feet)
Top	967008.870000 (survey feet)
Bottom	555518.328000 (survey feet)

In Unprojected coordinates (geographic)

GCS North American 1983

Boundary	Coordinate
West	-73.903983 (longitude)
East	-71.567862 (longitude)
North	42.114983 (latitude)
South	40.979788 (latitude)

+ Data Structure and Attribute Information

Overview

Summary of the information content of the data, including other references to complete descriptions of entity types, attributes, and attribute values for the data.

Direct spatial reference method: Vector

Indirect spatial reference method: Features are located by State and county, and related to the USGS topographic map on which the feature is shown.

Attributes of Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut

Detailed descriptions of entity type, attributes, and attribute values for the data.

Name: depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME

Type of object: Feature Class

Geometry type: Point

Number of records: 17396

Description:

A geographic feature is any relatively permanent part of the natural or manmade landscape or seascape that has recognizable identity within a particular cultural context. The primary attributes of a geographic feature are name and location.

Source:

Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).

Attributes

OBJECTID

Definition:

Internal feature number.

Alias: OBJECTID Type: OID Width: 4 Precision: 10 Scale: 0

Attribute values: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute definition source:

ESRI

FEATURE_ID

Definition:

Feature Identification- A random unique identifying number for a geographic feature. This number is assigned by the Geographic Names Information System and used as a relational key for uniquely identifying, indexing, and searching geographic features and for integrating or reconciling GNIS data with other data sets. The number has no information content.

Alias: FEATURE_ID Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	1
Maximum	9,999,999,999

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

FEATURE_NAME

Definition:

Feature Name - A geographic feature name and its written form and application approved or recognized as official by the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. The official name is established either by policy or by decision of the Board on Geographic Names. A geographic feature may have only one official name.

Alias: FEATURE_NAME Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Beginning date of attribute values: 18900804

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names
Source	Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).

Codeset

Description

Name

Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names

Source

Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).

Attribute definition source:

Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names, By Donald J. Orth, Executive Secretary, Domestic Geographic Names (emeritus) and Roger L. Payne, Executive Secretary, United States Board on Geographic Names and Domestic Geographic Names, Third printing (revised) and Preliminary Online Edition, 1997 (http://geonames.usgs.gov/pppdgn.html).

CLASS

Definition:

Feature Class - A feature class is a designation for a group of features in a broadly defined descriptive category. All features are assigned to one and only one class. They do not individually classify all kinds of cultural and natural features. By design, there are no Federal or industry standards or guidelines for feature classification. These classifications originally were developed for mainframe file structure search purposes. Although the terms are generally consistent with dictionary definitions, they may not conform exactly and are not always intuitive. Feature class values and definitions for the Geographic Names Information System from Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).

Alias: CLASS Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Attribute domain values

Value	Definition
airport	Manmade facility maintained for the use of aircraft (airfield, airstrip, landing field, landing strip).
airport	Definition Source: USGS
arch	Natural arch-like opening in a rock mass (bridge, natural bridge, sea arch).
arch	Definition Source: USGS
area	Any one of several areally extensive natural features not included in other categories (badlands, barren, delta, fan, garden).
area	Definition Source: USGS
arroyo	Watercourse or channel through which water may occasionally flow (coulee, draw, gully, wash).
arroyo	Definition Source: USGS
bar	Natural accumulation of sand, gravel, or alluvium forming an underwater or exposed embankment (ledge, reef, sandbar, shoal, spit).
bar	Definition Source: USGS
basin	Natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land (amphitheater, cirque, pit, sink).
basin	Definition Source: USGS
bay	Indentation of a coastline or shoreline enclosing a part of a body of water; a body of water partly surrounded by land (arm, bight, cove, estuary, gulf, inlet, sound).
bay	Definition Source: USGS
beach	The sloping shore along a body of water that is washed by waves or tides and is usually covered by sand or gravel (coast, shore, strand).
beach	Definition Source: USGS
bench	Area of relatively level land on the flank of an elevation such as a hill, ridge, or mountain where the slope of the land rises on one side and descends on the opposite side (level).
bench	Definition Source: USGS
bend	Curve in the course of a stream and (or) the land within the curve; a curve in a linear body of water (bottom, loop, meander).
bend	Definition Source: USGS
bridge	Manmade structure carrying a trail, road, or other transportation system across a body of water or depression (causeway, overpass, trestle).
bridge	Definition Source: USGS
building	A manmade structure with walls and a roof for protection of people and (or) materials, but not including church, hospital, or school.
building	Definition Source: USGS
canal	Manmade waterway used by watercraft or for drainage, irrigation, mining, or water power (ditch, lateral).
canal	Definition Source: USGS
cape	Projection of land extending into a body of water (lea, neck, peninsula, point).
cape	Definition Source: USGS
cemetery	A place or area for burying the dead (burial, burying ground, grave, memorial garden).
cemetery	Definition Source: USGS
channel	Linear deep part of a body of water through which the main volume of water flows and is frequently used as aroute for watercraft (passage, reach, strait, thoroughfare, throughfare).
channel	Definition Source: USGS
church	A building used for religious worship (chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple).
church	Definition Source: USGS
civil	A political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, municipio, parish, town, township).
civil	Definition Source: USGS
crater	Circular-shaped depression at the summit of a volcanic cone or one on the surface of the land caused by the impact of a meteorite; a manmade depression caused by an explosion (caldera, lua).
crater	Definition Source: USGS
crossing	A place where two or more routes of transportation form a junction or intersection (overpass, underpass).
crossing	Definition Source: USGS
dam	Water barrier or embankment built across the course of a stream or into a body of water to control and (or) impound the flow of water (breakwater, dike, jetty)
dam	Definition Source: USGS
falls	Perpendicular or very steep fall of water in the course of a stream (cascade, cataract, waterfall).
falls	Definition Source: USGS
flat	Relative level area within a region of greater relief (clearing, glade, playa).
flat	Definition Source: USGS
forest	Bounded area of woods, forest, or grassland under the administration of a political agency (see "woods") (national forest, national grasslands, State forest).
forest	Definition Source: USGS
gap	Low point or opening between hills or mountains or in a ridge or mountain range (col, notch, pass, saddle, water gap, wind gap).
gap	Definition Source: USGS
geyser	Eruptive spring from which hot water and (or) steam and in some cases mud are periodically thrown.
geyser	Definition Source: USGS
glacier	Body or stream of ice moving outward and downslope from an area of accumulation; an area of relatively permanent snow or ice on the top or side of a mountain or mountainous area (icefield, ice patch, snow patch).
glacier	Definition Source: USGS
gut	Relatively small coastal waterway connecting larger bodies of water or other waterways (creek, inlet, slough).
gut	Definition Source: USGS
harbor	Sheltered area of water where ships or other watercraft can anchor or dock (hono, port, roads, roadstead).
harbor	Definition Source: USGS
hospital	Building where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (infirmary).
hospital	Definition Source: USGS
island	Area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low wetland (archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, rock).
island	Definition Source: USGS
isthmus	Narrow section of land in a body of water connecting two larger land areas.
isthmus	Definition Source: USGS
lake	Natural body of inland water (backwater, lac, lagoon, laguna, pond, pool, resaca, waterhole).
lake	Definition Source: USGS
lava	Formations resulting from the consolidation of molten rock on the surface of the Earth (kepula, lava flow).
lava	Definition Source: USGS
levee	Natural or manmade embankment flanking a stream (bank, berm).
levee	Definition Source: USGS
locale	Place at which there is or was human activity; it does not include populated places, mines, and dams (battlefield, crossroad, camp, farm, ghost town, landing, railroad siding, ranch, ruins, site, station, windmill).
locale	Definition Source: USGS
mine	Place or area from which commercial minerals are or were removed from the Earth; not including oilfield (pit, quarry, shaft).
mine	Definition Source: USGS
military (historical)	Place or facility formerly used for various aspects of or relating to military activity.
military (historical)	Definition Source: USGS
oilfield	Area where petroleum is or was removed from the Earth.
oilfield	Definition Source: USGS
other	Category for miscellaneous named entities that cannot readily be placed in the other feature classes listed here.
other	Definition Source: USGS
park	Place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural or natural resource and under some form of government administration; not including National or State forests or Reserves (national historical landmark, national park, State park, wilderness area).
park	Definition Source: USGS
pillar	Vertical, standing, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation (chimney, monument, pinnacle, pohaku, rock tower).
pillar	Definition Source: USGS
plain	A region of general uniform slope, comparatively level and of considerable extent (grassland, highland, kula, plateau, upland).
plain	Definition Source: USGS
Post Office	(Formerly abbreviated as PO) an official facility of the U.S. Postal Service used for processing and distributing mail and other postal material.
Post Office	Definition Source: USGS
Populated Place	(Formerly abbreviated as ppl) place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village).
Populated Place	Definition Source: USGS
range	Chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra).
range	Definition Source: USGS
rapids	Fast-flowing section of a stream, often shallow and with exposed rock or boulders (riffle, ripple).
rapids	Definition Source: USGS
reserve	A tract of land set aside for a specific use (does not include forests, civil divisions, parks).
reserve	Definition Source: USGS
reservoir	Artificially impounded body of water (lake, tank).
reservoir	Definition Source: USGS
ridge	Elevation with a narrow, elongated crest which can be part of a hill or mountain (crest, cuesta, escarpment, hogback, lae, rim, spur).
ridge	Definition Source: USGS
school	Building or group of buildings used as an institution for study, teaching, and learning (academy, college, high school, university).
school	Definition Source: USGS
sea	Large body of salt water (gulf, ocean).
sea	Definition Source: USGS
spring	Place where underground water flows naturally to the surface of the Earth (seep).
spring	Definition Source: USGS
stream	Linear body of water flowing on the Earth's surface (anabranch, awawa, bayou, branch, brook, creek, distributary, fork, kill, pup, rio, river, run, slough).
stream	Definition Source: USGS
summit	Prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the Earth's surface; does not include pillars, ridges, or ranges (ahu, berg, bald, butte, cerro, colina, cone, cumbre, dome, head, hill, horn, knob, knoll, mauna, mesa, mesita, mound, mount, mountain, peak, puu, rock, sugarloaf, table, volcano).
summit	Definition Source: USGS
swamp	Poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy, possibly covered with open water (bog, cienega, marais, marsh, pocosin).
swamp	Definition Source: USGS
tower	A manmade structure, higher than its diameter, generally used for observation, storage, or electronic transmission.
tower	Definition Source: USGS
trail	Route for passage from one point to another; does not include roads or highways (jeep trail, path, ski trail).
trail	Definition Source: USGS
tunnel	Linear underground passageway open at both ends.
tunnel	Definition Source: USGS
valley	Linear depression in the Earth's surface that generally slopes from one end to the other (barranca, canyon, chasm, cove, draw, glen, gorge, gulch, gulf, hollow, ravine).
valley	Definition Source: USGS
well	Manmade shaft or hole in the Earth's surface used to obtain fluid or gaseous materials.
well	Definition Source: USGS
woods	Small area covered with a dense growth of trees; does not include an area of trees under the administration of a political agency (see "forest").
woods	Definition Source: USGS

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).

ST_ALPHA

Definition:

State - The state or states or state equivalents containing the geographic feature. This dataset contains features in States of the United States, the District of Columbia, territories, outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas. This is relational data, not spatial data. The data owner specifies the value(s) associated with each geographic feature. Values are represented by state name, state numeric code, and state alpha code. This data may be particularly helpful for features having no known, recognized, standard, or available boundary data.

Alias: ST_ALPHA Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	Codes For The Identification Of The States, The District Of Columbia And The Outlying Areas Of The United States, And Associated Areas.
Source	Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 5-2, Codes For The Identification Of The States, The District Of Columbia And The Outlying Areas Of The United States, And Associated Areas.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

ST_NUM

Definition:

State Number - The state or states or state equivalents containing the geographic feature. This dataset contains features in States of the United States, the District of Columbia, territories, outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas. This is relational data, not spatial data. The data owner specifies the value(s) associated with each geographic feature. Values are represented by state name, state numeric code, and state alpha code. This data may be particularly helpful for features having no known, recognized, standard, or available boundary data.

Alias: ST_NUM Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	Codes For The Identification Of The States, The District Of Columbia And The Outlying Areas Of The United States, And Associated Areas.
Source	Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 5-2, Codes For The Identification Of The States, The District Of Columbia And The Outlying Areas Of The United States, And Associated Areas.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

COUNTY

Definition:

County - The county or counties or county equivalents containing the geographic feature. This dataset contains features in counties or county equivalents of the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, territories, outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas. This is relational data, not spatial data. The data owner specifies the value(s) associated with each geographic feature. Values are represented by county name and county numeric code. This data applies particularly to features for which there is no known, recognized, standard, or available boundary data.

Alias: COUNTY Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.
Source	Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-4, Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

COUNTY_NUM

Definition:

County Number - The county or counties or county equivalents containing the geographic feature. This dataset contains features in counties or county equivalents of the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, territories, outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas. This is relational data, not spatial data. The data owner specifies the value(s) associated with each geographic feature. Values are represented by county name and county numeric code. This data applies particularly to features for which there is no known, recognized, standard, or available boundary data.

Alias: COUNTY_NUM Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.
Source	Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-4, Counties And Equivalent Entities Of The United States, Its Possessions, And Associated Areas.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

PRIMARY_LAT_DMS

Definition:

Primary Point Latitude - The latitude of a point locating a geographic feature, also termed the feature application. Along with the feature name, the application is approved or recognized as official either by policy or by decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. A point feature is defined by this single set of coordinates on the USGS National Base Map series at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of a ridge is the highest point. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of original place such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir is the center of the dam. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. The primary point has a sequence number of 1. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. An application may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as a point in a geographic information system, and may be applied as label points.

Alias: PRIMARY_LAT_DMS Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute values: Latitude values in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

PRIMARY_LON_DMS

Definition:

Primary Point Longitude - The longitude of a point locating a geographic feature, also termed the feature "application." Along with the feature name, the application is approved or recognized as official either by policy or by decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. A point feature is defined by this single set of coordinates on the USGS National Base Map series at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of a ridge is the highest point. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of original place such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir is the center of the dam. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. The primary point has a sequence number of 1. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. An application may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as a point in a geographic information system, and may be applied as label points.

Alias: PRIMARY_LON_DMS Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute values: Longitude values in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

PRIMARY_LAT_DEC

Definition:

Primary Point Latitude (decimal degrees) - The latitude of a point locating a geographic feature, also termed the feature application. Along with the feature name, the application is approved or recognized as official either by policy or by decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. A point feature is defined by this single set of coordinates on the USGS National Base Map series at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of a ridge is the highest point. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of original place such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir is the center of the dam. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. The primary point has a sequence number of 1. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. An application may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as a point in a geographic information system, and may be applied as label points.

Alias: PRIMARY_LAT_DEC Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	-90.00000 latitude
Maximum	72.00000 latitude
Attribute units of measurement	Decimal degrees
Attribute measurement resolution	0.00001

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

PRIMARY_LON_DEC

Definition:

Primary Point Longitude (decimal degrees) - The longitude of a point locating a geographic feature, also termed the feature "application." Along with the feature name, the application is approved or recognized as official either by policy or by decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names for use throughout the Federal Government. A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. A point feature is defined by this single set of coordinates on the USGS National Base Map series at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of a ridge is the highest point. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of original place such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir is the center of the dam. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. The primary point has a sequence number of 1. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. An application may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as a point in a geographic information system, and may be applied as label points.

Alias: PRIMARY_LON_DEC Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	-180.00000 longitude
Maximum	180.00000 longitude
Attribute units of measurement	Decimal degrees
Attribute measurement resolution	0.00001

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

SOURCE_LAT_DMS

Definition:

Secondary Point Latitude - The latitude of a point locating a linear or areal geographic feature on a map of the USGS National Base Map series (at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000) other than the map containing the primary point. With one exception (i.e., the point representing the source of a stream, valley or arroyo may be on the same map as the primary point) a feature is assigned one point per map on which it is located. The points are sequenced. Sequence number one is always the primary point, and the remaining points are secondary points. For a linear feature with feature class equal to valley, stream, or arroyo, the points are sequenced from mouth toward the source and the highest sequence number is the source. For other linear features and for areal features, secondary points are sequenced according to guidelines of the Geographic Names Office. The location of the point on the feature within the map is arbitrary. This method of associating features with maps was conceived prior to geographic information system technology and has been retained as a useful approximation of feature extent and a reference to printed maps. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. Secondary points may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as points in a geographic information system and may be applied as label points.

Alias: SOURCE_LAT_DMS Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute values: Latitude values in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

SOURCE_LON_DMS

Definition:

Secondary Point Longitude - The longitude of a point locating a linear or areal geographic feature on a map of the USGS National Base Map series (at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000) other than the map containing the primary point. With one exception (i.e., the point representing the source of a stream, valley or arroyo may be on the same map as the primary point) a feature is assigned one point per map on which it is located. The points are sequenced. Sequence number one is always the primary point, and the remaining points are secondary points. For a linear feature with feature class equal to valley, stream, or arroyo, the points are sequenced from mouth toward the source and the highest sequence number is the source. For other linear features and for areal features, secondary points are sequenced according to guidelines of the Geographic Names Office. The location of the point on the feature within the map is arbitrary. This method of associating features with maps was conceived prior to geographic information system technology and has been retained as a useful approximation of feature extent and a reference to printed maps. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. Secondary points may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as points in a geographic information system and may be applied as label points.

Alias: SOURCE_LON_DMS Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute values: Longitude values in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds.

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

SOURCE_LAT_DEC

Definition:

Secondary Point Latitude (decimal degrees) - The latitude of a point locating a linear or areal geographic feature on a map of the USGS National Base Map series (at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000) other than the map containing the primary point. With one exception (i.e., the point representing the source of a stream, valley or arroyo may be on the same map as the primary point) a feature is assigned one point per map on which it is located. The points are sequenced. Sequence number one is always the primary point, and the remaining points are secondary points. For a linear feature with feature class equal to valley, stream, or arroyo, the points are sequenced from mouth toward the source and the highest sequence number is the source. For other linear features and for areal features, secondary points are sequenced according to guidelines of the Geographic Names Office. The location of the point on the feature within the map is arbitrary. This method of associating features with maps was conceived prior to geographic information system technology and has been retained as a useful approximation of feature extent and a reference to printed maps. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. Secondary points may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as points in a geographic information system and may be applied as label points.

Alias: SOURCE_LAT_DEC Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	-90.00000 latitude
Maximum	72.00000 latitude
Attribute units of measurement	Decimal degrees
Attribute measurement resolution	0.00001

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

SOURCE_LON_DEC

Definition:

Secondary Point Longitude (decimal degrees) - The longitude of a point locating a linear or areal geographic feature on a map of the USGS National Base Map series (at a scale of 1:24000 or 1:25000) other than the map containing the primary point. With one exception (i.e., the point representing the source of a stream, valley or arroyo may be on the same map as the primary point) a feature is assigned one point per map on which it is located. The points are sequenced. Sequence number one is always the primary point, and the remaining points are secondary points. For a linear feature with feature class equal to valley, stream, or arroyo, the points are sequenced from mouth toward the source and the highest sequence number is the source. For other linear features and for areal features, secondary points are sequenced according to guidelines of the Geographic Names Office. The location of the point on the feature within the map is arbitrary. This method of associating features with maps was conceived prior to geographic information system technology and has been retained as a useful approximation of feature extent and a reference to printed maps. These points do not represent boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. Secondary points may be displayed as latitude and longitude data or as points in a geographic information system and may be applied as label points.

Alias: SOURCE_LON_DEC Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Beginning date of attribute values: 1890

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	-180.00000 longitude
Maximum	180.00000 longitude
Attribute units of measurement	Decimal degrees
Attribute measurement resolution	0.00001

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

ELEV_METERS

Definition:

Elevation (in meters) - The elevation above sea level of the feature at the primary point (positive number) or depth of a feature at the lowest point below sea level (negative number). Elevations are entered into the Geographic Names Information System primarily from USGS maps and other textual sources. Elevation is for information only and is not to be considered authoritative.

Alias: ELEV_METERS Type: Double Width: 8 Precision: 16 Scale: 5

Attribute domain range

Range	Value
Minimum	-13,500
Maximum	20,500
Attribute units of measurement	Feet

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

MAP_NAME

Definition:

USGS Product Name - The name of the USGS electronic or printed products containing the representation of the features. Products include standard USGS 7.5x7.5 degree quadrangle maps as well as digital electronic products.

Alias: MAP_NAME Type: String Width: 255 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Attribute value codeset domain

Codeset	Description
Name	The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Source	The official database of names assigned to standard USGS products according to USGS policy and procedures, including standard 7.5x7.5 degree quadrangle maps and digital products. Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).

Codeset

Description

Name

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

Source

The official database of names assigned to standard USGS products according to USGS policy and procedures, including standard 7.5x7.5 degree quadrangle maps and digital products. Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523 (gnis_manager@usgs.gov).

Attribute definition source:

Geographic Names Office, USGS, 523 National Center, Reston, VA 20192-0523.

SHAPE

Definition:

Feature geometry.

Alias: Shape Type: Geometry Width: 4 Precision: 0 Scale: 0

Attribute values: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute definition source:

ESRI

ESRI Feature Description

Description of spatial objects in the data using the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) terminology.

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) terms

depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME

ESRI feature type: Simple

Geometry type: Point

Topology: FALSE

Feature count: 17396

Spatial index: TRUE

Linear referencing: FALSE

SDTS Feature Description

Description of point and vector spatial objects in the data using the Spatial Data Transfer Standards (SDTS) terminology.

Spatial data transfer standard (SDTS) terms

depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME

Type: Entity point

Count: 17396

Feature class

Type: Area point

Feature class

Type: Node, planar graph

Feature class

Type: Complete chain

Feature class

Type: GT-polygon composed of chains

+ Data Quality and Accuracy Information

General

Information about the fidelity of relationships, data quality and accuracy tests, omissions, selection criteria, generalization, and definitions used to derive the data.

Logical consistency report:

During Phase I data compilation, a random sample of 10% of the entries in the system were visually verified against the compilation source data (large-scale USGS topographic maps) to ensure logical consistency of locative references (geographic coordinates, topographic map, and county. Subsequent data compilation and input processes include programmed validation checks for logical consistency, visual examination, and spot checks of data.

Completeness report:

This dataset contains information about physical and cultural geographic features identified by a proper name and location, with the exception of most roads and highways.

Attribute Accuracy

Accuracy of the identification of data entities, features and assignment of attribute values.

Attribute accuracy report:

During Phase I data compilation, a random sample of 10% of the entries in the system were visually verified against the compilation source data (large-scale USGS topographic maps) to ensure an accuracy rate of at least 95%. Subsequent data compilation and input processes ensure accuracy with programmed validation checks for format and content, visual examination, and spot checks of data.

Positional Accuracy

Accuracy of the positional aspects of the data.

Horizontal accuracy report:

Accuracy of these digital data is based upon the use of source graphics which are compiled to meet National Map Accuracy Standards. Comparison to the graphic source is used as control to assess digital positional accuracy.

+ Data Source and Process Information

Data Sources

Information about the source data used to construct or derive the data.

Data source information

USGS

Title: 1:24,000-scale topographic maps

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: Unknown

Data type: Map

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute data.

Beginning date: unknown

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

USBGN

Title: Records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unpublished material

Media: card, paper, and electronic files

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

Creation date

USFS

Title: U.S. Forest Service 1:24,000-scale topographic maps and visitor maps

Originators: U.S. Forest Service

Publication date: Unknown

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Present

Currentness reference:

Publication date

NOAA/NOS

Title: National Ocean Service charts

Originators: National Ocean Service

Publication date: Unknown

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Present

Currentness reference:

Publication date

Various

Title: Unknown

Originators: State Names Authorities

Council of Geographic Names Authorities (COGNA)

National Park Service (NPS)

Federal, state and local agencies

Public

Other sources

Publication date: Unknown

Other citation details:

GNIS accepts data or data changes for consideration from any source, and upon validation by the Board on Geographic Names or the appropriate Federal or state agency, will enter the data into the database.

Media: Multiple electronic or text media types.

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Unknown

Currentness reference:

Unknown

USGS_Geographic_Name

Title: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: 20060112

Data type: vector digital data

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: disc

Source contribution:

Contains point locations for all Connecticut data downloaded from the Geographic Names Information System GNIS at http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm in a tab delimited text (.txt) file named CTDEC.txt. USGS_Geographic Name is a GeoDatabase Feature Class.

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

Process Steps

Information about events, parameters, tolerances and techniques applied to construct or derive the data.

Process step information

Process Step 1

Process description:

GNIS Phase I data compilation and edit - Feature name and attribute data were collected from the largest-scale USGS topographic maps available. These data are compared to the records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Person: Roger L. Payne

Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project

Phone: 703 648 4544

Email: gnis_manager@usgs.gov

Hours of service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Address type: Mailing address

Address:

523 National Center

City: Reston

State or Province: Virginia

Postal code: 20192

Process date: 198105

Data Source used

USGS

Title: 1:24,000-scale topographic maps

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: Unknown

Data type: Map

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute data.

Beginning date: unknown

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

USBGN

Title: Records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unpublished material

Media: card, paper, and electronic files

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

Creation date

Process Step 2

Process description:

GNIS Phase II data compilation and edit - Feature name and attribute data are collected from official state and local sources and other approved sources including historical maps and documents.

Person: Louis A. Yost

Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Position: Chief, Geographic Names Information Section

Phone: 703 648 4552

Email: lyost@usgs.gov

Hours of service: 0900-1700 Eastern time

Address type: Mailing address

Address:

523 National Center

City: Reston

State or Province: Virginia

Postal code: 20192

Process date: Not complete

Data Source used

USGS

Title: 1:24,000-scale topographic maps

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: Unknown

Data type: Map

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute data.

Beginning date: unknown

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

USBGN

Title: Records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unpublished material

Media: card, paper, and electronic files

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

Creation date

Process Step 3

Process description:

GNIS Maintenance program - Federal and state maintenance cooperators submit new and corrected data in conjunction with their mapping and geographical information system data maintenance programs. Data is submitted using web data entry and edit forms and batch file processes. Agencies interested in participating in this program should contact the individual specified below.

Person: Robin D. Worcester

Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Position: Chief, Geographic Names Information Section

Phone: 703 648 4551

Email: rworcest@usgs.gov

Hours of service: 0900-1700 Eastern time

Address type: Mailing address

Address:

523 National Center

City: Reston

State or Province: Virginia

Postal code: 20192

Process date: Not complete

Data Source used

USGS

Title: 1:24,000-scale topographic maps

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: Unknown

Data type: Map

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute data.

Beginning date: unknown

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

USBGN

Title: Records of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication date: Unpublished material

Media: card, paper, and electronic files

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

Creation date

USFS

Title: U.S. Forest Service 1:24,000-scale topographic maps and visitor maps

Originators: U.S. Forest Service

Publication date: Unknown

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Present

Currentness reference:

Publication date

Various

Title: Unknown

Originators: State Names Authorities

Council of Geographic Names Authorities (COGNA)

National Park Service (NPS)

Federal, state and local agencies

Public

Other sources

Publication date: Unknown

Other citation details:

GNIS accepts data or data changes for consideration from any source, and upon validation by the Board on Geographic Names or the appropriate Federal or state agency, will enter the data into the database.

Media: Multiple electronic or text media types.

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Unknown

Currentness reference:

Unknown

NOAA/NOS

Title: National Ocean Service charts

Originators: National Ocean Service

Publication date: Unknown

Media: paper

Source contribution:

Feature names and attribute information

Beginning date: Unknown

Ending date: Present

Currentness reference:

Publication date

Process Step 4

Process description:

National Map partnerships - As part of The USGS National Map program, the Geographic Names Office enters into partnerships with state names authorities and state and local GIS agencies to integrate vertically name, location, and attribute data in the GNIS with state and local datasets. These partnerships utilize GIS and web technology to automate and simplify data maintenance, ensure data consistency, integrity, and accuracy, and meet the goals of the Board on Geographic Names for national names standardization. Agencies interested in participating in this program should contact the individual specified below.

Person: Roger L. Payne

Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Position: Chief, Geographic Names Project

Phone: 703 648 4544

Email: gnis_manager@usgs.gov

Hours of service: Monday through Friday 0730-1700 Eastern Time

Address type: Mailing address

Address:

523 National Center

City: Reston

State or Province: Virginia

Postal code: 20192

Process date: Not complete

Process Step 5

Process description:

Create GeoDatabase Feature Class - Downloaded the Connecticut data extract from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) at http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm as a tab delimited text (.txt) file named CT_DEC.txt.The downloaded file contain primary feature attributes, but do not contain all attributes. The downloaded file reflects GNIS data last updated by USGS on September 19, 2006. Imported tab delimited data into MS Excel, imported the MS Excel data into an ESRI Personal Geodatabase as a conventional MS Access data table, and using ESRI ArcCatalog software registered the MS Access data table as a Personal GeoDatabase data table. Using ESRI ArcMap software, created a point event layer based on the Primary_lat_dec and Primary_lon_dec attribute values in the data table, projected the point data to the Connecticut State Plane Coordinate System, NAD 83 (map units feet), and exported the data to a point Feature Class named USGS_Geographic_Name in the ESRI Personal Geodatabase. Downloaded metadata for the GNIS data in XML format from http://geonames.usgs.gov/GNIS.html and, using ArcCatalog softwre, imported the metadata document to describe the USGS_Geographic_Name point Feature Class. Modified the metadata to reflect these processing steps and enumerate the Class attribute as described in http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/feature_class.htm.

Organization: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection

Person: Howie Sternberg

Phone: 860-424-3540

Address type: mailing and physical address

Address:

79 Elm Street

City: Hartford

State or Province: Connecticut

Postal code: 06106

Country: USA

Process date: 20070112

Process software and version: ArcGIS 9.1

Data Source used

CT_DECI.txt

Data Source produced

USGS_Geographic_Name

Title: Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) for Connecticut

Originators: U.S. Geological Survey

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication place: Reston, VA

Publication date: 20060112

Data type: vector digital data

Map scale denominator: 24000

Media: disc

Source contribution:

Contains point locations for all Connecticut data downloaded from the Geographic Names Information System GNIS at http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm in a tab delimited text (.txt) file named CTDEC.txt. USGS_Geographic Name is a GeoDatabase Feature Class.

Beginning date: 1890

Ending date: present

Currentness reference:

publication date

ESRI geoprocessing history

Description of ESRI geoprocessing commands, settings, and tolerances applied to the data.

ESRI geoprocessing command information

1 Process

Date: 20070112 Time: 152445

Tool location: C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Data Management Tools.tbx\CopyFeatures

Command issued: CopyFeatures C:\Download\CT_GNIS.mdb\USGS_Geographic_Name R:\GeoData\Location\geodatabase\Connecticut_Places.mdb\USGS_Geographic_Name # 1000 0 0

2 Process

Date: 20070112 Time: 155024

Tool location: C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Data Management Tools.tbx\CopyFeatures

Command issued: CopyFeatures C:\NAD83\archive\Location\Geodatabase\Connecticut_Places.mdb\USGS_Geographic_Name "Database Connections\depdbs11.DEP.sde\depgis.DEP.USGS_Geographic_Name" DEPVECTORSTATIC 1000 0 0

3 CopyFeatures_96

Date: 20081215 Time: 163043

Tool location: C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Data Management Tools.tbx\CopyFeatures

Command issued: CopyFeatures "Database Connections\10.18.8.94.depgis@DEP.sde\depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME" "Database Connections\062174-svr.depgis@DEP.sde\depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME" DEPFEATUREDYNAMIC 0 0 0

4 DeleteFeatures_1

Date: 20101026 Time: 161845

Tool location: C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Data Management Tools.tbx\DeleteFeatures

Command issued: DeleteFeatures "Database Connections\10.18.8.60.depgis@dep_92dc.sde\depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME" "Database Connections\10.18.8.60.depgis@dep_92dc.sde\depgis.DEP.USGS_GEOGRAPHIC_NAME"