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 Louisiana Spatial Reference CenterLSRC was founded in 2001 with a grant from NOAA to establish a network of high precision GPS reference stations throughout Louisiana. This network termed GULFNET, is the continuous operation reference stations (CORS). In 2005 it will grow again to 40 stations across Louisiana. Subsidence is the underlying culprit behind Louisiana's greatest environmental problem, the continuing loss of our coast. In addition to being a world-class scientific topic, coastal land loss robs the State of 25-35 square miles per year due to both natural and man-made causes. Subsidence has also had the serious effect of disturbing the system of reference markers we use for surveying the elevations of levees, evacuation routes, coastal restoration efforts, etc. To address these problems, the Center for GeoInformatics at Louisiana State University, in cooperation with NGS, has created the Louisiana Spatial Reference Center (LSRC). LSRC is building a state-wide network of high precision Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, termed GULFNET, that will re-establish the official federal reference system within the state. This state-wide positional infrastructure will be the backbone for surveying in Louisiana, as well as supporting all GIS development, detailed topographic mapping, precision farming, navigation, and other geospatial applications. The system will also be focused on pinpointing the location of subsidence and measuring exactly how fast the coast is sinking. This will provide the needed information to support future coastal restoration efforts. LSU's GULFNET helps the National Geodetic Survey helps define and manage the Louisiana coordinate system. This network, a part of NGS' national Spatial Reference System (NSRS), provides the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a multitude of scientific and engineering applications in Louisiana. Committed to making transportation and navigation safer, LSRC assists NGS in conducting aerial photography surveys and elevation surveys of Hurricane Evacuation routes. LSRC also assists NGS in mapping the coastal regions of Louisiana and provides data for navigational charts. Subsidence in Louisiana makes the roads more likely to flood. LSRC's efforts in Height Modernization help to predict how much certain areas will flood before a storm begins. Accurate heights alert safety planners to storm evacuation routes that are slowly sinking and susceptible to storm surges. Accurate heights also provide ships with safe under-keel and overhead clearance to avoid dangerous collisions. NGS State Geodetic Advisor Dennis J. Riordan, Jr. Office: (225) 578-5260 |