CT ECO Basic Data Guide

2008 NAIP Color Orthophotography

Example of 2008 NAIP Color Orthophotography

Description

Connecticut 2008 NAIP Color Orthophotography is a statewide aerial survey of 2008, natural color, leaf on, 3.39 feet (1 meter) ground sample distance imagery for Connecticut from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). NAIP acquires digital ortho imagery during the agricultural growing seasons in the continental United States. A primary goal of the NAIP program is to enable availability of ortho imagery within one year of acquisition. NAIP is administered by the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) through the Aerial Photography Field Office in Salt Lake City. This leaf-on imagery is captured during the peak growing season and is used as a base layer for GIS programs in FSA's County Service Centers, and is used to maintain the Common Land Unit (CLU) boundaries. The ground resolution for this imagery is 3.39 feet (1 meter) per image pixel.

Purpose

The 2008 NAIP imagery for Connecticut includes 4 color bands, allowing for the display and analysis in natural color or color infrared. The nearby example is in natural color. This leaf-on, natural color imagery serves a variety of purposes from observing vegetation and crop condition to supporting identification and mapping of habitat areas through photo interpretation. This orthophotography is ideal for observing crop condition.

Use Limitations

This statewide mosaic of 2008 orthophotography is not color balanced so tonal imbalances between individual input images are not corrected. As shown in the nearby example, the range and intensity of colors varies depending on the area viewed. For example, surface water bodies and and trees in the natural color imagery appear in different intensities of blue and green across the state. Because the 2008 aerial photography was taken during the peak agricultural growing seaon, the tree canopy blocks the ground surface from view and creates shadows that also obscure nearby features. Also, the location and shape of features in other GIS data may not exactly match information shown in the 2008 aerial photography primarily due to differences in spatial accuracy and data collection dates. For example, a stream in the 1:24,000-scale Connecticut Hydrography data from CT DEP may not line up exactly with the watercourse shown in the 2008 aerial photography. Their location and shape are bound to be different because information such as hydrography compiled from older 1:24,000-scale USGS topographic quadrangle maps, lacks the spatial accuracy of and is less current than the 2008 orthophotography.

Dataset Information

Coverage area of 2008 NAIP Color Orthophotography
  • Status - Orthophotography covers the State of Connecticut.
  • Date of Data - Summer 2008. Depending on the area, photography was captured in 2008 on July 3, 10, 11, 15, and 16.
  • Map Scale and Accuracy - The ground resolution for this imagery is 3.39 feet (1 meter) per image pixel.

Additional Documentation

  • GIS Metadata - Contains technical documentation describing the 2008 NAIP Color Orthophotography data and the data sources, process steps, and standards used to collect and store this information in a geographic information system (GIS).

Originators

GIS Data Download

  • Connecticut 2008 NAIP Orthophotography data is available as a statewide mosaic in File Geodatabase format from DEEP GIS Data.
  • Connect GIS and AutoCAD software to this information online using the Ortho 2008 4Band NAIP CT ECO Map Service.