Cadastre for Kalama/Woodland-South Cowlitz County

Section Index

Identification Information

Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Cowlitz County GIS Department
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Cadastre for Kalama/Woodland-South Cowlitz County
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA
Publisher: Cowlitz County GIS Department
Description:
Abstract:
Cadastral information for Cowlitz County consists of platted and un platted parcel boundaries, rights of way, easements and other associated legal layers that will ultimately be digitally converted to replace more than 1100 Assessor’s hand drawn map sheets. When complete, the cadastral information for Cowlitz County will build the foundation for a shared, multi-purpose Geographic Information System of high quality.
Because the existing plats and maps in Cowlitz County were generally unsuitable to achieve the map accuracy needed, the Cowlitz County GIS Department in 1992 commenced a process to rebuild the legal cadastral layers from original records. To date nearly 50% of the tax parcels are converted as CAD drawing files and ArcInfo(R) coverages and as raster images. (See browse graphic for locations of completed work).

To provide an immediate and complete set of Assessor’s maps for public and private use, more than 1100 paper maps were scanned as images and bundled together in a commercial software package for general viewing, plotting and distribution. This set of images are being replaced one by one as new cadastral maps are rebuilt by the GIS department and then converted to raster images. All cadastral maps in use are being maintained periodically by a joint effort between the Assessor and GIS departments.

Purpose:
Cowlitz County GIS builds cadastral maps for a fourfold purpose: 1. To build the cadastral map element of the GIS by defining the location, size, dimensions and area of tax parcels, and other legally defined mapped data. 2. To assist "the map user" in interpreting legal information from deeds and plats (and other recorded information).3. To provide a link to the Assessor’s relational database as well as other parcel dependent databases for ad hoc query and analysis of spatial data and 4. To build the foundation for legally defined administrative and taxing districts that are geographically dependent on the location and boundaries of tax parcels and other legally defined features.
Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Single Date/Time:
Calendar Date: 1997
Currentness Reference: ground condition (land divisions thru recordations)
Status:
Progress: In Work
Maintenance and Update Frequency: As needed
Spatial Domain:
Bounding Coordinates:
West Bounding Coordinate: 122.89001
East Bounding Coordinate: 122.7089
North Bounding Coordinate: 46.14369
South Bounding Coordinate: 45.85454
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: None
Theme Keyword: Cadastral
Theme Keyword: Cadastre
Theme Keyword: Parcel
Place:
Place Keyword Thesaurus: None
Place Keyword: Cowlitz County
Place Keyword: Washington
Place Keyword: Washington State
Access Constraints:
None for off line access. On-line access to this data is restricted to departments of Cowlitz County Government.
Use Constraints: None
Point of Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: Chris Schaefer
Contact Organization: Cowlitz County GIS Department
Contact Position: GIS Manager
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing address
Address: 207 4th Ave.,North
City: Kelso
State or Province: WA
Postal Code: 98626
Contact Voice Telephone: (360) 577-3025
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 360 423-9986
Contact Electronic Mail Address: SchaeferC@Co.Cowlitz.Wa.US
Hours of Service: 8-5 WST
Contact Instructions: Additional contact persons: George Bradford, PLS (GIS Surveyor) or Doug Willoughby (GIS Deputy Manager); Phone (360) 577-3025
Browse Graphic:
Browse Graphic File Name: Plan_GPS.jpeg
Browse Graphic File Description: Cowlitz County Cadastre Project Boundaries
Browse Graphic File Type: JPEG
Native Data Set Environment:
Vector: ArcInfo(R), Autocad(R), running on Window(R) NT 4.0. Raster: SourceView (R) running on Windows (R) NT 4.0

Data Quality Information

Attribute Accuracy:
Attribute Accuracy Report:
Attributes are associated with only the ArcInfo coverages built from CAD files. Attributes associated with the ArcInfo coverages provide , where appropriate: 1. (Planned) links to external enterprise databases and images that include Tax Assessment Records and Auditor’s Deeds and 2. (Planned) links to external GIS departments databases that consist of detailed meta data designed to help the "map user" understand the quality of the legal descriptions used to construct each element of the cadastral map. The meta data attribute is gleaned directly from the CAD file as an annotation layer, as well as from notes as text directly entered in an Access(R) database. The GIS department checked the meta data records for completeness only, individual entries are not checked.
For non GIS departmental records, the GIS Department plans to check the completeness of the linked databases but not the accuracy of the data record itself and leaves such QC/QA checks for the department from which the records were obtained.
Logical Consistency Report: Data set is topologically structured line, point and G-Polygon data with nodes at all intersections.
Completeness Report:
Vector database: For the vector database, approximately 50% of the more than 51,000 tax parcel database and associated cadastral coverages have been converted and are being maintained, primarily in the platted, urban portions of the county. The GIS department plans to release the cadastral coverages for public use, first within city boundaries, according to a phased implementation schedule during 1998 and 1999. After the cadastral map is complete within the city areas of the county, GIS staff will focus on completing the un platted, rural portions of the county in the next several years.
Image Database: More than 1100 assessor maps have been scanned, or have been converted to an image format from rebuilt CAD drawing files, and are being maintained . The image database is complete.
Positional Accuracy:
Vertical Positional Accuracy:
Vertical Positional Accuracy Report: Not Applicable (NA)
Lineage:
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Assessor Department
Publication Date: 1996
Title: Assessor’s SourceView(R)Tax Map Images
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA
Publisher: Cowlitz County Assessor's Dept
Type of Source Media: image
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: 1996
Ending Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: SV Tax Maps
Source Contribution: Assessor's Tax Maps, Source Scale is 1200 and 2400
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Cowlitz County Auditor
Publication Date: 1923 to unknow
Title:
Record’s of Surveys/Short Plats/Long Plats/ Record’s of Surveys/Short Plats/Long Plats/Donation Land Claims (DLC)
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA
Publisher: Cowlitz County Auditor
Type of Source Media: stable-base material
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: 1850
Ending Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: Plats and Surveys
Source Contribution: Recorded plats and surveys at a source scale of 1200 and 2400
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Cowlitz County Auditor
Publication Date: 1850 to unknown
Title: Recorded Deeds
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: text
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA
Publisher: Cowlitz County Auditor
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: 1863
Ending Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: Recorded Deeds
Source Contribution: Recorded Deeds
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Cowlitz County Central Services Department
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Assessor Dept. Tax Roles
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA
Publisher: Cowlitz County Central Services Department
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Range of Dates/Times:
Beginning Date: 1850
Ending Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: Tax Roles
Source Contribution: Assessor's Tax Roles
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Washington State Department of Transportation
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Road Right-of-Way-Maps WSDOT
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Vancouver, WA
Publisher: Washington State Department of Transportation
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Single Date/Time:
Calendar Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: WSDOT Right-of-Way
Source Contribution: State Roads at Various Scales
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Cowlitz County Public Works Department
Publication Date: Unknown
Title: Road Right-of-Way-Maps
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Kelso, WA.
Publisher: Cowlitz County Public Works Dept.
Type of Source Media: paper
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Single Date/Time:
Calendar Date: Unknown
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: Public Works Right-of-Way
Source Contribution: County Roads at Various Scales
Source Information:
Source Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: Department of Natural Resources
Publication Date: 1996
Title: POCA (Includes PLSS)
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: map
Publication Information:
Publication Place: Olympia, WA
Publisher: Department of Natural Resources
Source Scale Denominator: 24000
Type of Source Media: magnetic tape
Source Time Period of Content:
Time Period Information:
Single Date/Time:
Calendar Date: 1996
Source Currentness Reference: publication date
Source Citation Abbreviation: PLSS - DNR
Source Contribution: PLSS
Process Step:
Process Description:
(Cadastral Mapping-Vector Conversion) Utilizing coordinate geometry, the Cowlitz County GIS Department digitally converts subdivisions, short plats , road right of ways and those record of surveys that created lots or tracts from paper to a a series of CAD drawing files projected on the Washington South Zone NAD 83-1991 State Plane Coordinate System.. The finished CAD drawing files are converted to fully attributed ArcInfo coverages as a seamless map. The cadastral map is built according to the following steps:
1. Various monuments within a group of plats are strategically identified and surveyed using Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) (See Geodetic Control FGDC Standards).
2. With known points and positions these plats are then rotated and translated to the appropriate position on the grid plane.
3. In the outlying areas where plats and surveys are not abundant, the GIS staff runs legal descriptions of deeds and utilizes Records of Surveys in conjunction with digital orthophotography to decipher and position the various tracts/lots. The digital orthophotography is specified to meet the National Map Accuracy standards of 1"=100' (1:1200) and 1"=200' (1:2400) mapping
4. As the cadastral records are being converted, extensive meta data is developed to aid in the proper use of the GIS maps. This is accomplished by placing text on the CAD file for later conversion to ARC tables as well as directly placing meta data into a linked Access database.
5. As a last stage of this cadastral conversion process, GIS converts the separate CAD drawings, extracts the associated meta data records and builds a series of fully attributed ArcInfo coverages that builds the foundation of a fully integrated, multi purpose enterprise GIS to high standards.

(Cadastral Mapping-Raster Conversion)

Initially more than 1100 hand drafted Assessor’s plats and maps were scanned as images in a CalsGrp4 .format and indexed for use with SourceView(R), an relational image based tool.. To be compliant with SourceView, each plat image is temporally registered and scaled to x, y coordinates of the PLSS acquired from the Department of Natural Resources. For Cowlitz County, the PLSS points were often projected, not surveyed section corner monuments that yielded mapping accuracy that conform to the USGS 1:24000 scale maps..

As a group, the 1100+ images represent the complete set of cadastral maps for the county. As the GIS department rebuilds each map sheet in vector format, an accurately registered raster image is generated from the CAD drawing and the corresponding hand drafted image is replaced. In such a way a complete set of cadastral maps are available countywide that incrementally are being upgraded.

(Maintenance Procedures-Vector/Scanned)
For those portions of the county where GIS built cadastral maps have replaced hand drafted scanned versions, the CAD vector file is updated and a new raster image is created. Translations are made to update the ArcInfo database. For those portions of the county where original scanned images are not yet rebuilt, the raster image is being directly updated as changes to the cadastre occur.

Process Date: 1992 to present

Spatial Data Organization Information

Indirect Spatial Reference: Cowlitz County, WA
Direct Spatial Reference Method: Vector
Point and Vector Object Information:
SDTS Terms Description:
SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Entity point
SDTS Terms Description:
SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: GT-polygon composed of rings
SDTS Terms Description:
SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Network chain, nonplanar graph
SDTS Terms Description:
SDTS Point and Vector Object Type: Network chain, planar graph

Spatial Reference Information

Horizontal Coordinate System Definition:
Planar:
Grid Coordinate System:
Grid Coordinate System Name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983
State Plane Coordinate System:
SPCS Zone Identifier: 4602
Lambert Conformal Conic:
Standard Parallel: 45.8333333333
Standard Parallel: 47.3333333333
Longitude of Central Meridian: -120.5
Latitude of Projection Origin: 45.3333333333
False Easting: 500000
False Northing: 0
Planar Coordinate Information:
Planar Coordinate Encoding Method: Coordinate Pair
Coordinate Representation:
Abscissa Resolution: 0.001
Ordinate Resolution: 0.001
Planar Distance Units: U.S. survey feet

Entity and Attribute Information

Overview Description:
Entity and Attribute Overview:
Attributes for the cadastral map coverages consists of . 1. System type attributes associated with the ArcInfo Coverages
2. Auditor Fee Number Associated with the Auditor’s Deeds (Paper and images)
2. Tax Parcel Number associated with the Assessor’s Tax Roles (External Database)
3. Meta Data attributes associated with Platted Parcels (External Database) that contain:
a. Reference Information
b. Survey Information
c. Technical remarks and comments
4.Meta Data Associated with the Non Platted Parcels (legal lots).
To ultimately build the tax parcel layer in non platted parcels in CAD, the GIS department first builds a "GIS legal lot layer" that comprises deeds lines that define the boundaries of each recorded deed. Conflicts in the legal record are shown. On top of this "GIS legal lot", the GIS then interprets a tax parcel (polygon coverage) to build a seamless map. Meta Data is associated with both the GIS Legal lot and the Tax Parcel coverages to help flag where further research is needed and to help ensure proper use and confidence in the shared cadastral layers of the enterprise GIS. Meta Data Associated with the "GIS Legal Lot" are:
a. Meta Data defining the "source" from which the deed line was drawn. The meta data attribute is associated with each individual "GIS legal lot line". The purpose of this meta data is to classify each deed line as either 1. surveyed line 2.deed line 3. ambiguous deed call 4.photo derived line or 5. public works road/right of way plan line.

b. Meta data classifying the GIS legal lot according to a measure of the quality and accuracy of the deeds. The purpose of this meta data is to flag areas for further research. Lots are ranked according to a rating scheme where the highest ranking (a) would mean that the deed clearly described the boundary of the lot while the lowest ranking (e) indicates that the descriptions was ambiguous and could not be interpreted accurately.

Meta Data Associated with the "Tax Parcel" are:
a. Meta data indicating the match of the Tax parcel to the underlying legal lot according to a 3 tier ranking scheme where (1) indicates no apparent problems ( the tax parcel matches perfectly the legal lot boundary) and (3) a complete mismatch. A ranking of three would require a resurvey for resolution.

Entity and Attribute Detail Citation:
1. Cowlitz County GIS Department Physical Database Design 2. Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office (Deeds)
3. Cowlitz County Central Services Department (Tax Assessment Roles)
4. Cowlitz County GIS Department Database Records (Meta data records)

Distribution Information

Distributor:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: Chris Schaefer
Contact Organization: Cowlitz County GIS Department
Contact Position: GIS Manager
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing address
Address: 207 4th Ave.,North
City: Kelso
State or Province: WA
Postal Code: 98626
Contact Voice Telephone: (360) 577-3025
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 360 423-9986
Contact Electronic Mail Address: SchaeferC@Co.Cowlitz.Wa.US
Hours of Service: 8-5 WST
Contact Instructions: Additional contact persons: George Bradford, PLS (GIS Surveyor) or Doug Willoughby (GIS Deputy Manager); Phone (360) 577-3025
Distribution Liability:
The data was created for use by the Cowlitz County GIS Department as part of the mapping effort to create a comprehensive GIS. Although Cowlitz County promotes the use of this data for various mapping tasks, any use/application of this data for non-county department purposes is the responsibility of the user and such use/application is at the user’s own risk. Cowlitz County diclaims all liability regarding fitness of the information for any use other than Cowlitz County business.
Standard Order Process:
Digital Form:
Digital Transfer Information:
Format Name: ARCE
Format Information Content: Arc/Info export format containing vector and attribute data.
Digital Transfer Option:
Offline Option:
Offline Media: CD-ROM
Recording Capacity:
Recording Density: 650
Recording Density Units: Megabytes
Recording Format: DOS/NT copy
Digital Form:
Digital Transfer Information:
Format Name: DXF
Format Information Content: Vector data
Digital Transfer Option:
Offline Option:
Offline Media: CD-ROM
Recording Capacity:
Recording Density: 650
Recording Density Units: Megabytes
Recording Format: DOS/NT copy
Fees:
$50 per hour labor reduced to $40.00 per hour for Cowlitz County "project partners" with signed data sharing agreements. CD charges are $12.00 per CD. Floppy disk charges are $2.00 per diskette. Delivery charges are extra.
Ordering Instructions: Order by telephone, or e-mail, or in person.
Custom Order Process:
Upon request, Cowlitz County GIS Department can produce custom plots of any or all GIS layers available to the public. Cowlitz County GIS Department can produce a wide range of hardcopy color plots (Inkjet A-E color output)on various media or alternatively transfer information digitally.
Technical Prerequisites: Software that can import .dxf files and/or Arc/Info Export files

Metadata Reference Information

Metadata Date: 19971007
Metadata Review Date: 19990515
Metadata Future Review Date: 20000401
Metadata Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Person Primary:
Contact Person: Chris Schaefer
Contact Organization: Cowlitz County GIS Department
Contact Position: GIS Manager
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing address
Address: 207 4th Ave.,North
City: Kelso
State or Province: WA
Postal Code: 98626
Contact Voice Telephone: (360) 577-3025
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 360 423-9986
Contact Electronic Mail Address: SchaeferC@Co.Cowlitz.Wa.US
Hours of Service: 8-5 WST
Contact Instructions: Additional contact persons: George Bradford, PLS (GIS Surveyor) or Doug Willoughby (GIS Deputy Manager); Phone (360) 577-3025
Metadata Standard Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata Standard Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998