USGS Announces Elevation and Hydrography Data Acquisition Partnership Awards, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
The U.S. Geological Survey has selected 21 projects in 18 states to receive funding for the collection of elevation and hydrography data through the new 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
These new partnerships are made possible through $6 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, with additional federal funding provided by USDA through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Production and Conservation Business Center and by the USGS.
Current and accurate 3D elevation and hydrography data aid critical decision-making that protects people, property and the environment, including flood-risk management, agriculture, infrastructure projects, and natural hazards risk management. The benefit to the American public of these USGS programs has been estimated at approximately $8.6 billion annually.
Responding to the ever-greater need for high-quality, three-dimensional elevation data, the USGS created the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) with the goal of providing the first-ever publicly accessible baseline of consistent, high-resolution topographic elevation data for the Nation. Using those data, the USGS’s 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) is also working to completely refresh information and models on the Nation’s hydrography that can improve discovery and sharing of water-related data.
The 21 new partnerships announced today are expected to add more than 72,000 square miles of lidar data to 3DEP data holdings and more than 97,000 square miles of terrestrial hydrography data to 3DHP data holdings.
"We are thrilled with the number of proposals submitted through the new 3DNTM DCA process, confirming interest in the future of 3DEP and 3DHP,” said Darcee Killpack, USGS Acting Associate Director for Core Science Systems. “It is inspiring to see the variety of landscapes and user applications the data will support. We are also grateful for the inclusion of Inflation Reduction Act funds to accelerate our goal of acquiring nationwide coverage of 3D data.”
The 3DNTM DCA is an open process for finding and selecting partnership opportunities. Federal agencies, state and local governments, Tribes, academic institutions, and the private sector are eligible to submit project proposals. The DCA presents an annual opportunity to leverage the expertise and capacity of private-sector mapping firms that acquire high-quality, three-dimensional elevation data of the United States.
More information about 3DNTM, 3DEP and 3DHP, including selected DCA projects and updates on current and future partnership opportunities, is available at www.usgs.gov/3d-national-topography-model
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