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National DEM
Reliable spatial data are critical to achieving sustainable development. This proposal concerns the development of complete, high resolution and quality Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) for all of Canada except the far north. In the far north only 1:250,000 topographic data are available and DEMs for these areas are complete. Digital Elevation Models are computer-based, grid-mesh representations of the topography of an area. DEMs have a wide and growing range of hydrological, geological, ecological, environmental science and telecommunications applications. Thus topographic data and DEMs in particular are key primary data that are increasingly used by all levels of government and many industrial sectors to provide an accurate digital description of the land-base they are working on.A previous agreement between the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and the Centre for Topographic lnformation (CTI) created a DEM of Canada from the National Topographic 1:250,000 scale database. That project was very successful and has resulted in a large number of sales and applications for federal, provincial and industrial. There is however a clear need for higher resolution DEM. Higher precision data is required to support applications in all the sectors mentioned above. The 1:250,000 DEM is too coarse for many operational needs. High resolution DEMs will provide accurate elevation data on roughly a 25 meter grid (1 arc second). DEMs are created by processing digital topographic data through specialized computer software. The project involves a partnership with Dr. Michael Hutchinson of the Australian National University, the creator of ANUDEM, the widely acknowledged leading methodology for rapid, high quality DEMs. An important distinguishing feature of this approach is the fact that it includes the identification and correction of mislabelled contour data and provides a properly flowing connected streamline hydrology. Given the growing concern over the country's water resources, such a high-resolution stream network, will be invaluable for water quantity and quality assessments. This output and other terrain analyses will also become part of the National Topographic Database and be available through CGDI.
Primary Partner:
Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service
Sault Ste. Marie,
Ontario;
Partners: Centre for Topographic Information, Ottawa; Some provincial governments;
Funding From GeoConnections: $965,000.00 ( 56.76 %)
Estimated Inception Date: October , 2000
Estimated Completion Date: March, 2005
Deliverables from this project benefitted the following provinces: All provinces