How to Use the VLAWMO GIS Viewer
VLAWMO's interactive GIS Viewer is a mapping tool that gives residents and stakeholders access to a variety of watershed, property, floodplain, and lake data. Read our orientation or watch the tutorial videos below to get the most out of this tool.
Getting to know the map layers
The layers panel is first to appear on the right side of the map. Explore the map with various check box selections to find one or several layers that match your needs. The most commonly used layers include various ditch and flood layers, the national wetland inventory, property parcels, two-foot contours, easements, and historical aerial imagery.
Wetland layers are provided for a general reference and are not a substitute for an official wetland delineation. Tip: turn on the most recent aerial image first, allowing all other layers to be expressed with a familiar reference map.
Design and customization:
Measure, draw, and print icons can be found on the upper right panel. These tools can aid in project design or be used to learn more about your property and how it connects to the larger watershed. Common uses for these tools include:
- Measuring the square footage of project areas to inform topsoil, mulch, or plant orders.
- Measuring the distance between two points.
- Measuring the square footage of rooftops to estimate the amount of runoff coming off the roof. This can inform stormwater improvements such as rain gardens and swales.
- Using shapes and drawing tools to create a project plan and communicate a vision with landscapers, nurseries, or other contractors. Project plans can be enhanced with two-foot contour lines, parcel, and aerial imagery layers expressed as "on."
- Creating custom PDFs for future reference. Tip: to fine tune a final custom map or design, try multiple "prints" in the print panel before proceeding to download.