Welcome to GIS Services

• Floodplain Reviews - Prior to issuing any building grading or development permits, the property must be reviewed to determine if it contains some identifiable flood or wetlands area. If so, special documentation must be completed and reviewed.
• Addressing and Road Naming - This program provides a comprehensive and uniform system of permanent road addresses for all residences and businesses throughout Richland County. All new construction, mobile home, or modular home must have an address before a building or manufactured housing permit can be obtained.
• GIS Division - This division provides support to staff by using a powerful GIS system as a tool to query, analyze, and map data in support of the decision making process also map the results and any accompanying reports.

• GIS combines layers of information about a place to give you a better understanding of that place. What layers of information you combine depends on your purpose - finding the best location for a new fire station, analyzing flood prone areas, mapping zoning changes, detecting growth patterns, tracking building permits, redistricting of council districts, and so on. GIS is also used to map the changes in an area in order to anticipate future conditions, decide on a course of action, and to evaluate the results of an action or policy.
• This division's primary function is not Map-making. We are not a print shop. The maps we print show the results of queries and analysis we have created.
• Improve Organizational Integration by sharing ideas and data.
• Gives the department the advantage of making better decisions.
• Generate maps and reports of those decisions
• Provide support to council and administration as well.
• The Richland County Floodplain Management staff reviews all plans prior to development to assure that proposed development is at minimal risk of flooding in order to prevent or mitigate unwise development of the floodplain. This process helps Richland County in the preservation, protection and enhancement of the natural resources of floodplains.

• GIS (Geographic Information Systems) - A computerized database system which allows for the capture, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial or geographic data with the ability to produce and manipulate the graphic elements of a map. Within the context of county government, GIS refers to a collection of technologies including computer hardware, software, and data that are combined to capture, store, update, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced features. GIS uses feature location to relate otherwise disparate elements while providing a systematic framework for managing location-based data.
• TMS Number (Tax Map Sequence Number) - Also known as a PID number, it is a reference number containing information necessary to identify and locate a particular property parcel.

1. Q:  What is GIS?
   
   A:  Simply put, a GIS combines layers of information about a place to give you a better understanding of that place. What layers of information you combine depends on your purpose, i.e. finding the best location for a new store, analyzing environmental damage, viewing similar crimes in a city to detect a pattern, and so on
   
   
2. Q:  Can tax map information be layered over aerial photographs?
   
   A:  Yes, tax map parcel lines can be overlaid over aerial photographs.
   
   
3. Q:  Can I order Richland County data online?
   
   A:  Yes
   
   
4. Q:  Are aerial photographs available for purchase?
   
   A:  Yes
   
   
5. Q:  Is there a charge for custom maps?
   
   A:  Yes, $65 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours
   
   
6. Q:  Where can I find out about GIS projects within Richland County?
   
   A:  www.richlandmaps.com
   
   
7. Q:  Is GIS used on the county's website?
   
   A:  Yes
   
   
8. Q:  What layers are available for purchase?
   
   A:  Layers available for purchase are listed on the county's website at www.richlandmaps.com. They include road centerlines, topos and many more.
   
   
9. Q:  Can I print a map from the website?
   
   A:  Yes
   
   
10. Q:  What is a Flood?
    
    A:  Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters - except fire. Most communities in the United States can experience some kind of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms, or winter snow thaws. Floods can be slow, or fast rising but generally develop over a period of days.
    
    Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure is usually the result of neglect, poor design, or structural damage caused by a major event such as an earthquake. When a dam fails, a gigantic quantity of water is suddenly let loose downstream, destroying anything in its path.
    
    
11. Q:  What is a Flash Flood?
    
    A:  Flash floods usually result from intense storms dropping large amounts of rain within a brief period. Flash floods occur with little or no warning and can reach full peak in only a few minutes.