Currently, the best source for nationwide LiDAR availability from public sources is the United States Interagency Elevation Inventory (USIEI). The USIEI is a collaborative effort of NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey, with contributions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service. The inventory displays high-accuracy topographic and bathymetric data for the US, and it is intended to be a comprehensive, nationwide listing of known high-accuracy topographic data, including lidar. The inventory is updated semi-annually. Note, however, that getting access to the data is often less than straightforward in the current implementation.
History: In the United States, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was the lead agency coordinating efforts across multiple agencies towards a National LIDAR Dataset. The first meeting, a National LIDAR Initiative Strategy Meeting, was held at USGS headquarters in Reston, Virginia in February 2007. In May 2008 a second meeting was held, co-sponsored by USGS, NASA, and the Association of American State Geologists. In 2009, several sessions at the annual American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing meeting were devoted to this initiative.
The USGS website remains a central source for information about the national initiative, and it includes presentation materials from the various meetings about the subject. This site also discusses how the USGS incorporates LIDAR data into the National Elevation Dataset. In addition to USGS and NASA, numerous government agencies have indicated their interest in such a project, including National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), US Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, and NRCS.
While there is consensus at a federal level supporting the creation of a National LIDAR Dataset, key aspects remain unresolved, including funding, data specifications, and the delineation of agency roles and responsibilities. While these issues are pending, the following states are among those moving forward with their own statewide LIDAR datasets:
State Dataset Status Source Alaska Partial Alaska DGGS Elevation Portal Connecticut Complete (med-res) CT Lidar 10' DEM; see also this news Delaware Complete Delaware Spatial Data Framework Florida Partial LiDAR and Digital Elevation Data - Florida Disaster Idaho Partial Idaho LiDAR Consortium Illinois Partial Illinois Height Modernization (ILHMP): LiDAR Data Indiana Completed Indiana Spatial Data Portal Iowa Complete IA GeoTree Lidar Mapping Project Kansas Partial Kansas GIS/DASC Kentucky Partial Metadata, Grid and 5ft DEMs Louisiana ~Complete Louisiana Atlas Maryland Partial MD iMap, MD DNR LiDAR, or NOAA Massachusetts Partial - Boston area only Available for purchase from MassGIS Minnesota Complete MN Lidar Status New Hampshire Partial GRANIT/Coastal data New Jersey Partial NJ Lidar Status New York Partial NYS Lidar Coverage, or NYS Orthos North Carolina Complete NC Floodmapping ProgramNCDOT Elevation Data North Dakota Partial ND LIDAR Dissemination Mapservice Ohio Complete Ohio Statewide Imagery Program Oregon Partial Oregon Lidar Consortium Pennsylvania Complete PAMAP Program LiDAR South Carolina Partial SC Lidar Consortium Tennessee Partial GIS Data Texas Partial Elevation – Lidar - Texas Geographic Information Office Utah Partial UT Lidar datasets Vermont Partial VCGI Virginia Partial Virginia GIS Clearinghouse Apps & Maps - VGIN Washington Washington Lidar Portal West Virginia Partial WV Elevation and LIDAR Download Tool Wisconsin In progress WI: 14 counties Wyoming In progressWyoming Statewide LIDAR Effort
Regardless of the degree of state coordination, some counties choose to handle (and control) high-resolution LiDAR acquisition and distribution on their own. Such counties include:
State County Arkansas Benton · Washington California Los Angeles · Marin · Orange · Sonoma Florida Brevard · Broward · Clay · Escambia · Gulf · Holmes · Indian River · Jefferson · Lee · Leon · Okaloosa · Putnam · St. Johns · St Johns GIS · Santa Rosa · Wakulla · Walton Georgia Baldwin · Barrow · Burke · Clarke · Columbia · Cook · Fayette · Floyd · Fulton · Glynn · Hancock · Lincoln · Madison · Morgan · Oconee · Oglethorpe · Paulding · Polk · Putnam · Richmond · Tift · White Hawaii Oahu Illinois Macon · McLean · Ogle Indiana Delaware · Kosciusko Iowa Scott Kansas Douglas · Harvey · Jefferson · Johnson · Shawnee Kentucky Bullitt · Jefferson · Oldham Maryland Baltimore · Montgomery Michigan Dickison · Livingston · Macomb · Monroe · Oakland · Ottawa · St Clair · Washtenaw · Wayne Minnesota Dakota · Dodge · Fillmore · Freeborn · Goodhue · Houston · Hubbard · McLeod · Mower · Ramsey · Olmsted · Rice · Steele · Wabasha · Winona · Wright Missouri Carroll · Cass · Chariton · Clay · Greene · Jackson · Lafayette · Linn · Montgomery · Platte · Saline · Scott · St Charles · Stone · Taney Mississippi Pearl River · Pearl River GIS Nevada Douglas New Jersey Cape May · Cumberland · Gloucester · Hunterdon· Kent · Middlesex · Morris · New Castle · Somerset New York Broome · Cayuga · Monroe · Ontario Oregon Coos · Josephine Tennessee Hamilton · Rutherford Texas Brazoria · Collins · Denton · Harris · Kaufman · Nueces · Travis · Williamson Vermont Essex · Chittenden Washington Clark · Kitsap · King · Mason · See Puget Sound LIDAR Consortium for additional counties West Virginia Gilmer · Jefferson · Wyoming Wisconsin Door · Milwaukee · Ozaukee · Washington
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