Texas GIS Forum

Session Description:

This presentation will explore Cloud Native Geospatial file formats, particularly parquet and pmtiles, cloud optimized geotiff (COG), and cloud optimized point cloud (COPC). We will (at least partially) answer the following questions: 1. Why is cloud native geospatial important? 2. Who is using cloud native geospatial? 3. How do I use cloud native geospatial? 4. What are some potential barriers to adoption?

Session Description:

With a rapidly growing population, the ever-present threat of drought, and the growing risk of climate change, Texas is constantly struggling with water availability and its scarcity. Water budgets are useful tools for understanding where water is coming from and where it’s going to better manage water supplies. Several water budgets for the state and the hydroclimatological regions of the state have been developed in the past, the most recent in 2011, but none include budgets that align with the state’s regional water planning areas. Furthermore, new research in groundwater recharge and discharge volumes is substantially different than those included in previous budgets. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop an updated state-wide water budget that includes more accurate groundwater numbers and can be used to define water budgets for the state’s 16 regional water planning areas. Our water budgets are based on experimental and numerical investigations and evidence based on temporally and spatially variable factors, including precipitation, evapotranspiration, evaporation from rivers and lakes, runoff, groundwater recharge, groundwater discharge, water use and return flows, interstate flows, and flows to the Gulf of Mexico. These water budgets will help water planners, managers, and others better understand how local water resources fit into the overall water budget for their planning area and state. These water budgets will also provide water planners, managers, and others more accurate information on the role of groundwater in the context of precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and water use.

Session Description:

The Texas Demographic Center produces population projections for the state and its counties, broken down by age, race, and sex. In this presentation, we demonstrate how we use GIS StoryMap to integrate various visualization tools, offering users a comprehensive platform to explore our methodology, review findings, and conduct customized analyses through interactive maps and visualizations.

Session Description:

Compost Bin Buddy was an independent, GIS-based project that grew out of Austin Resource Recovery's Zero Waste Block Leader program. Using basic, free GIS tools and web services, it connected and helped coordinate residents served and yet unserved by the City of Austin's compost collection program in order to divert even more organic waste from the landfill to advance the city's Zero Waste by 2040 goal. This presentation will detail the initiative's origin, tools & methods used, and its impact on the community.

Session Description:

While GIS support at large universities often centers on proprietary software like ArcGIS and ENVI, the growing popularity of open source tools such as QGIS and Python libraries (e.g., GeoPandas, Rasterio) creates a pressing need for dedicated support. Open source options offer flexibility, increased collaborative potential, and cost-effectiveness, yet their adoption can be hampered by fragmented support, varying user skill levels, and a lack of centralized resources. This presentation details the strategy and initial implementation of dedicated open source GIS programming and user support through the University of Texas at Austin’s newly established Open Source Program Office (OSPO). We will outline how our OSPO framework – designed to foster support and community via a participation pathway model – is being specifically leveraged to address the needs of the campus GIS community. Key discussion points include developing targeted training and documentation, establishing consultation services, fostering a community of practice, and addressing software sustainability and compliance within the university context. We will share how education and support are tailored throughout the participation pathway and emphasize how focusing on fundamental geospatial concepts across different software equips users with transferable skills applicable within and beyond academia.

Session Description:

This presentation covers the efforts of Smith County IT-GIS to create and maintain an elections dashboard to aid the Elections Administration office and for Smith County citizens to quickly and easily access information about voting precincts and voting locations using a web-based interactive map. GIS principles, process and practice were essential and successful for delivering a product to meet the charge of safe, accurate, legal, and transparent election data. In prior elections Smith County informed the public of voting precincts and voting locations through a series of static lists and PDF maps accessed through the Elections Administration web page. Elections Administration staff and the Communications Office would also field phone calls from the public inquiring about what is their specific voting precinct as well as when the polls are open and where the polls are located. The process, though effective, was cumbersome and constrained, whereas there was a desire to increase the dissemination and usability of election information directly to citizens via web-based and social media platforms. The Elections Dashboard project is a collaborative effort among Smith County Information Technology, County Judge, Elections Administration, Communications Office, and the Civil District Attorney to readily provide accurate and accessible information to the citizens of Smith County on voting precincts and voting locations. The interactive map was built with Esri GIS products of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online to create data layers, facilitate map production, and to build a web-based platform for delivering interactive map-based election information for both desktop computer and mobile device formats. Data integrity is of paramount importance and much of the project’s work was spent ensuring all election district boundaries were correct and up-to-date for Smith County GIS data. After completing testing begun in January 2024 the project received its initial public rollout just in time for the 2024 Primary Election beginning February 20th where the interactive map is included as a link from the “Current Election Information” page on the County’s website (www.smith-county.com). Users can navigate through the map by zooming and panning to get to an area of interest and click on the map to return a table/pop-up window of the precinct number and the individual districts in that part of the precinct; much like what appears on a voter registration card. The individual districts are for U.S. Representative, State Senator, State Representative, Commissioner Precinct, City, Tyler Council District, School District, Tyler School District, Municipal Utility District, Community College, Emergency Service District, Justice of the Peace/Constable Precinct, State Board of Education District, and single member Emergency Service District. Users can also enter an address using a search tool and, if the address is a valid one, the application zooms to the address location. Clicking on the location will call a popup window of the address and the precinct number and its respective districts. When a user clicks on a Voting Location symbol, a pop-up window appears with the name and address of the selected voting location along with the days and times that site is open for voting. Mobile versions of the dashboard carry the same functionality and information as a desktop version; however, it is in a format more conducive to a mobile device. Smith County citizens directly benefited from the application when using either the desktop or mobile version themselves. Citizens that are not computer savvy indirectly benefited from the application when calling for precinct information and Election workers used the desktop version to quickly retrieve the needed information. The Smith County Elections Dashboard project demonstrates the effective use of available county resources to quickly and efficiently increase the dissemination and usability of election information directly to citizens and Elections Administration staff via interactive maps on web-based and social media platforms.

Session Description:

Over the past several years, we’ve charted new territory and grown our GIS training program into a vital part of our organization’s success. Join us as we reflect on the evolution of our agency’s GIS program—from laying a solid foundation to scaling operations, refining strategies, and sustaining long-term impact. We'll share key lessons learned, highlight milestones along the way, and introduce a new public training resource as one of several initiatives supporting our growing GIS community.

Session Description:

This session will focus on GIS data needs for the evolving Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) landscape from the national level and what impacts there may be on state and local government GIS data development. This session will also highlight future indoor mapping and 3D building considerations for NG911 and public safety.

Session Description:

ESRI is deprecating the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript widgets. This will require major changes in your pattern of development for building custom geospatial operations. This talk will discuss the ESRI widget library and how the evolution to components is going to require some big changes if you are using simple html, css and scripting to create your applications. I will show a simple temple to get you started and contrast it with 'old way' of coding with this technology.

Session Description:

TxDOT has navigated a multi-year effort to delineate Right of Way (ROW) boundaries on all TxDOT-managed roadways across the state. Initial footprints were collected through internal crowdsourcing with a custom, browser-based application that presented users with randomized locations for digitizing based on current imagery. Recent post-processing efforts have focused on integrating the data into an SDE environment, building district-based datasets, and implementing automation for quality control and data management. This presentation outlines the end-to-end workflow—including tools developed in Python and FME—that support reviewer assignment, topology validation, and production publishing in a scalable and sustainable GIS framework.

Session Description:

Austin Resource Recovery serves over 200,000 residential customers with diverse solid waste services amidst complex operational challenges. How does their small GIS team manage over 1000 maps, complex customer and route data, web applications, and other systems? How are they approaching automation and innovation? How did they prioritize and execute the massive response to almost 40,000 brush pickup requests (170,000+ tons) post-Winter Storm Mara? Discover how in this presentation!

Session Description:

The Hays County Flood Monitoring and Response Viewer project aims to enhance the county's ability to monitor and respond to flood events through a comprehensive GIS web-based system. Key features include the identification of trigger elevations for flood events, the generation of flood risk area compilations, and the enhancement of the existing flood monitoring web map with additional gages and floodplain data. The project also involves upgrading the software and web mapping system to ensure compatibility with current standards and improving the database to reduce security risks. Learn how GIS development played a vital role in improving the county's flood monitoring capabilities and providing valuable data for emergency response and planning.

Session Description:

Being good stewards of taxpayer dollars is essential for government institutions engaged in disaster recovery and mitigation. This presentation examines how the integration of particular technologies with evolving regulatory policy needs drives innovation in disaster recovery and mitigation enterprises. It highlights how the Texas General Land Office has transformed processes through innovation strategies—leveraging leadership’s commitment to development and the careful selection of tools to streamline efficiency and enhance fiscal stewardship.

Session Description:

Administering geospatial datasets for an organization can be both challenging and time-consuming. Manually downloading authoritative data and keeping up with varying update schedules can hinder the availability of the most up-to-date datasets within an organization and introduce human error. Data management issues, combined with the rapidly changing landscape of how GIS users access and use data, highlight the importance of shifting towards consuming web-based services whenever possible. At the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), we have embraced this approach to enhance user access to GIS data via desktop and web platforms by moving away from the need to regularly update static datasets. We will discuss our journey as the administrative GIS Team, which includes establishing an understanding of data governance and exploring how to improve data updates using available technology and user feedback.

Session Description:

This presentation outlines a GIS-based site suitability analysis for water well drilling in Patzún and Patzicía, Guatemala, conducted in collaboration with Living Waters International. Building on fieldwork and resistivity surveys conducted in 2020, the project uses geospatial data, Python, and validation against well logs to evaluate optimal drilling locations based on water potential, slope, and proximity to streams.

Session Description:

Learn about five of the most common map data visualization mistakes and understand how to avoid them. The focus is on static print maps, and you can apply these ideas to any info graphic.

Session Description:

Deep East Texas is one of the most rural and economically disadvantaged regions in Texas and the United States. Sanborn is partnering with the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) through a USDA Broadband Technical Assistance grant to strategize on improving broadband infrastructure to increase the availability and quality of internet service in the region and close the digital divide. This presentation will focus on the mapping and analysis of the existing broadband infrastructure and identifying gaps to plan strategies for build-out. We will share the advantages of using open-source scripting tools to develop a comprehensive broadband data stack for a region which will in turn significantly improve local data. Part of the analysis includes identifying mischaracterized broadband serviceable locations by using imagery, parcels, building footprints and address data; standardizing attribution; and feeding it into a single data pipeline to determine key characteristics. The presentation will also highlight how the improved data can be used by a variety of local agencies e.g. 911.

Session Description:

More information coming soon.

Session Description:

Since 2014, Austin Community College has contributed to ESRI’s Community Maps program. What began as a simple effort to enhance map visualization has evolved into a valuable resource that is saving the college time and money. In this presentation, we’ll share how we got started, the enhancements we’ve made over time, and how the data is now being used by multiple departments--from Campus Planning, to Police, to Marketing--to support asset management, streamline operations, and improve wayfinding throughout the ACC campus system.

Session Description:

Population estimation methods usually employ observed data and hypotheses of demographic change when data are incomplete. Therefore, a method and data-specific geographic estimation requires comparing with other alternative data and method-based estimates to identify odd cases and revise the result and method. In this respect, this study explored the applicability of Nighttime Light (NTL) data as an ancillary tool to estimate the County and Place level total population in Texas for comparison purposes with the results derived by the conventional methods. We used NASA's yearly moonlight-adjusted NTL and applied the Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression (GWPR) to estimate Texas's County and two Places' (Lewis Ville and The Colony City) population. Overall, the model performs better in estimating population for densely populated Counties than sparsely populated ones. Our study concludes that NTL data are applicable for estimating the total population in high-density areas and regions where most of the population resides in urban and semi-urban settings. In conjunction with residential address, NTL works better in estimating the population at the County and place level using the census tract based GWPR model.

Session Description:

This presentation walks through a Python-based workflow for auditing downstream dependencies in ArcGIS Online. Starting with hosted feature layers, the script maps out which web maps they appear in, and which apps use those maps. The goal is to make it easier to manage shared content, reduce surprises during updates, and support better decision-making around deprecations. It’s a lightweight, notebook-driven tool built to bring more clarity and accountability to AGOL environments.

Session Description:

During the 86th Legislature, Senate Bill 500 was passed which allocated funds from the floodplain management account in the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund to the TWDB in order to develop and update flood risk maps in the state using current data and technology standards. Additionally, these funds were used to support the development of a state flood plan and to provide up to date flood hazard information for the state. Considering this new legislation and the need for improved flood risk mapping and leveraging the available statewide coverage of LiDAR elevation data, the TWDB has chosen the Base Level Engineering (BLE) approach as a key path forward for Texas. BLE is an efficient approach that FEMA and its partners have developed to complement the traditional floodplain mapping approach. BLE aims to provide technically credible flood hazard data at various geographic scales such as community, county, watershed, and/or state level. This data is meant to complement the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) data but not replace it. For areas where no flood hazard data exists, the BLE dataset may be the only source of flood risk data.

Session Description:

The Mars 2020 Mission Tracker is a 3D web-map application that tracks the progress of Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity Helicopter on the surface of Mars.

Session Description:

Rayburn Electric Cooperative (Rayburn) is a not-for-profit generation and transmission electric cooperative that serves our member-owned distribution electric cooperatives. Rayburn uses ServiceNow for work order management to support operational field maintenance and management. Given the significance of situational awareness and visualization to the process, Rayburn worked to integrate ArcGIS Enterprise with ServiceNow. Our presentation highlights the technical approach and resulting business benefits we realized.

Session Description:

With the rapid growth Texas has experienced over the past decade and the increasing number of disaster declarations, there is an increasing need to enhance and expand the state’s geospatial data infrastructure. This project provided AECOM with the opportunity to take a comprehensive look at the production and maintenance of a new statewide building footprint dataset, building upon the existing TxGIO dataset. The work began with a literature review of building footprint datasets developed by other entities, followed by a gap analysis of the current TWDB/TxGIO dataset to identify areas for improvement. Based on these findings and in collaboration with TWDB and key stakeholders, the team designed a new database schema tailored to the unique needs of Texas. To test the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a pilot study was conducted in selected communities across the state, allowing the team to refine workflows and validate the overall methodology. This presentation will provide valuable insights for professionals involved in building footprint projects or those interested in the development and implementation of statewide geospatial datasets.

Session Description:

Transportation agencies face increasing pressure to maintain accurate 3D documentation of roadway infrastructure while managing limited resources and staff time. This presentation explores a workflow combining consumer-grade 360-degree cameras, automated drone flights, and emerging Gaussian Splatting technology to create detailed 3D bridge models more efficiently than traditional photogrammetric methods. While existing workflows often require extensive manual processing and specialized equipment, our approach leverages recent advances in neural 3D reconstruction, and open-source software to reduce both field collection time and post-processing requirements. The methodology demonstrates how to collect roadway infrastructure with an Insta360 camera mounted on a drone or handheld, and one avenue to process the data. This setup enables rapid data collection while maintaining the image overlap and viewing angles necessary for creating a gaussian splat. The captured imagery is then processed using Gaussian Splatting, a new computational approach that represents 3D structures as a collection of oriented points in space. Unlike traditional photogrammetry or Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs), Gaussian Splatting enables real-time visualization of the resulting models and faster processing times, making it particularly suitable for transportation applications. This presentation will provide attendees with practical guidance for implementing this workflow, including equipment, collection requirements and processing steps. The target audience includes GIS analysts, engineers, and drone program managers interested in improving their infrastructure documentation processes.

Session Description:

TPWD has used ArcGIS Online for over a decade and has continually added users who have progressively adopted more workflows in AGO, thus TPWD is experiencing a long arc of storage bloat. This is typical for most organizations. User accounts, feature classes, and document repositories exhibit this phenomenon. Unchecked, storage bloat may cause user confusion, leading to a loss in productivity and/or an unexpected storage deficit, manifesting as a year-end surcharge from ESRI. Causes of AGO storage bloat: 1. Attachments, 2. New records, 3. Change tracking (adds/deletes/updates), 4. Stale content and old projects, 5. Content duplication and tests, 6. Non-geographic files and data, 7. Lack of content governance/unrestricted publishing rights. There are multiple ways and means to offload AGO data. One method is to manually investigate, export, and download each item. A more polished strategy is to use Python to export and download the items. The ultimate use of the content, including the destination, should be considered before proceeding. Content offloading methods evaluated by TPWD: 1. Export compressed file geodatabase to read-only repository 2. Load data to file geodatabases on a shared drive a. Can publish layers for map services b. Maximal service performance here 3. Load items in SDE geodatabases for multi-user data collection a. Publish feature classes to consume and collect data in mobile apps b. Consume these feature services in AGO and other web apps 4. In ArcGIS Enterprise Portal Datastore a. Hosted feature services b. Non-geographic items (PDFs, images, Excel and Word documents) This presentation will discuss common scenarios causing AGO storage increases and ways of identifying items experiencing unchecked bloating. Strategies for offloading content into appropriate media will be explored. Python scripts to identify, offload, and process items will be demonstrated. Using ArcGIS Online Assistant, a process for programmatically updating AGO web apps to point to new data sources will be detailed.

Session Description:

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has developed an innovative, statewide intersection inventory to meet federal requirements for enhanced safety analysis, contributing to improved traffic flow and reduced accidents. While several paid solutions were available, TxDOT chose to take on the challenge in-house—an approach that not only saved millions of dollars but also ensured the creation of a more manageable and tailored solution. This presentation will detail our two-year effort to develop an automated process for generating intersections and interchanges across Texas's roadway network using FME and SQL. The result is a reliable, consistent network of points that forms the backbone of our statewide intersection inventory. We will demonstrate how our team developed a repeatable, automated process for maintaining intersections and interchanges, as well as a custom web map for curating results. This effort highlights the innovation, expertise, and resourcefulness of TxDOT’s in-house team—showcasing a commitment to leveraging internal talent and expertise rather than resorting to costly external solutions.

Session Description:

CityView is a homegrown, web-based GIS application developed by the City of Round Rock and used by both internal staff and the public. Originally built over a decade ago, CityView has continually evolved to keep pace with advancing web technologies, user expectations, and the expanding capabilities of Esri’s ArcGIS platform. This presentation explores the journey of CityView—from its early days to its current implementation using the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript and the Calcite Design System. Attendees will learn how the application has adapted to serve a diverse audience and support modern frameworks and UI/UX standards. We’ll dive into the app’s technical foundation, including key design decisions, performance enhancements, and lessons learned from managing a long-term public-facing GIS product. Whether you're maintaining a legacy app or building something new, this session will provide insights into sustaining a successful GIS web application over time.

Session Description:

The Railroad Commission of Texas continues to improve information technology and GIS applications to regulate oil, gas, pipelines, critical infrastructure, carbon transportation and storage, geothermal injection wells, brine mining and hydrogen production. To ensure commonality and consistency of the data and processes, the agency uses software and applications available to all employees, specifically Esri’s ArcGIS Pro and Microsoft Office’s 365 software suite. The agency partners with the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) for the TexNet Seismic Monitoring and Seismology Research Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Information and application associated with TexNet are used for regulatory monitoring and compliance activities, with the Drilling Insight and Casing Estimator (DICE) being the featured online application that is used by the agency’s Geologic Advisory Unit (GAU) and other stakeholders. The agency also uses TexNet’s GIS capabilities for earthquake monitoring as it relates to seismic response areas. The proliferation of GIS and Office 365 are improving regulatory activities without increasing costs and requiring additional personnel or resources for the agency. The agency has embarked on a GIS server upgrade, additional software applications, and a new training program. This will provide the requisite GIS skills for permitting and compliance processes that address all aspects of current and future regulatory responsibilities and requirements. Learning Objectives: Understanding how current applications in Esri's ArcGIS Software and Microsoft Office 365 can enhance the management of energy-related regulatory requirements at the state level.