2011 Governor's Commendation

A Minnesota Governor's Geospatial Commendation award will be presented at the GIS/LIS Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, October 6, 2011 to:
 

The International Water Institute -- Red River Basin Mapping Initiative

The International Water Institute (IWI), under the direction of Chuck Fritz, is recognized for its sustained effort in planning and implementing a vast multijurisdictional project to collect and deliver seamless, high-resolution elevation data for the Minnesota and North Dakota portions of the Red River Basin. The data was collected using LiDAR technology and is essential to improving disaster preparedness, protecting existing infrastructure, planning flood and drought damage mitigation projects, enhancing agricultural production, and strengthening decision-making capacity at all levels of government.

The majority of the data acquisition cost was through Federal agencies with relatively low cost to local units of government; the data is publicly available for viewing and download at no charge. IWI has provided on-going support for technical assistance and training. The success of this effort has led to continued expansion of LiDAR and high resolution elevation data across Minnesota available at no cost to the public.

IWI is affiliated with North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the Tri-College University system (NDSU, Concordia College, and Minnesota State University Moorhead).