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Geographic Information System Division


The GIS Division provides services and support to all divisions in the Planning and Parks Department as well as other Washington County Departments. The GIS mission is to create and maintain a countywide framework of shared geographic information that conforms to standards enabling data sharing and collaborative decision-making. The GIS division actively maintains parcels, roads, address points, shoreland zoning, surface water, and election data.

Planning and Parks Department Home

Any of the mapping data created and maintained by the Geographic Information System (GIS) Division of the Planning and Parks Department can be acquired for a fee. Prices are based on the geographic extent and number of different data layers being requested. An additional file conversion fee is charged for data requests in file formats Washington County considers non-native. See the price list for more information.

Specialized GIS or CAD (Computer Aided Design) software is required to use the raw GIS data. This software frequently costs in excess of $1000 and would not come installed on a typical computer purchased for home use. Following the link below for the data of interest will give alternate ways to acquire this information for the casual user.

Available data:

Historic Aerial Photography
Hydrography and Shoreland/Floodplain/Wetland Zoning
Orthophotography
Parcel Maps
Road Centerlines/Address Points
Topographic/Planimetric Mapping

Standard Vector Formats

  • ESRI Shape file
  • ESRI Personal GeoDatabase (v9.3)
  • Bentley Microstation Design File (v8)

Standard Raster Formats

  • tiff or MrSID depending on the year

Ordering Instructions: Contact the GIS division with the list of desired products to confirm price, availability and delivery method. Orders can be picked up during normal business hours in the Planning and Parks Department or mailed via USPS. Payment must be received prior to data being mailed. Washington County is unable to accept credit cards at this time. Checks should be made payable to Washington County Planning and Parks Department.

Frequently Requested Data Not Available From Washington County:

  • Environmental Corridors - The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) maintains environmental corridors for the Southeast region including Washington County. Contact the commission directly to acquire this data.
  • General Zoning - Although Washington County maintains Shoreland Zoning Data for unincorporated areas in Washington County, the County does not maintain any general zoning information. General zoning is enforced and maintained by each of the 20 municipalities in Washington County.
  • Assessment Data - Assessment values and classes are included with the parcel data available from Washington County. Because Washington County has local assessment, detailed assessment information is maintained by and should be accessed from the appropriate Municipality or their Assessor.
  • Soils - Washington County uses the soils data that are developed and maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). This data can be accessed from the Soil Data Mart.

Metadata

Product and Price List

For more information contact:
Washington County GIS Division
Planning and Parks Department
333 E Washington St. Suite 2300
PO Box 2003
West Bend, WI 53095-2003

(262) 335-4445


The following lists include major new initiatives in the GIS Division of the Planning and Parks Department and projects from other Departments using Land Information funds.

NOTE: Land Information funds are generated by a state authorized fee that is applied to every real estate document recorded by the Register of Deeds. Expenditures must be for Land Records Modernization and Integration and consistent with the County Land Information Plan

Current Projects

2010 Orthophotography Lead Department/Division: GIS
Updated orthophotography for Washington County will be acquired with imagery from a spring 2010 flight. The primary deliverable is 6" pixel, true color, leaf-off orthophotography prepared to meet National Map Accuracy Standards for one-inch-equals-100-feet mapping. This project is being completed through a regional consortium and managed by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Major funding for this project will be provided by a grant obtained by SEWRPC from the U.S Geological Survey and by Federal transportation planning funds.
Estimated Completion Date: 2010 Q4



2010 Preventative Monument Maintenance Program Lead Department/Division: County Surveyor
The current project is a continuation of the monument maintenance program initiated in 2006. In phase one all monuments were inspected and a condition report developed that includes the existence and condition of the monument and associated ties and reference benchmarks. The second phase, currently underway, will bring all monuments found to be deficient into compliance with Washington County standards. In 2010 the described work is being completed for T9N R18E (Town of Erin). If the program continues and one township is inspected each year, it will take 12 years to inspect all monuments in Washington County. The County Surveyor is completing some of the work with the bulk contracted to a qualified surveying/engineering firm.
Completed Date Phase 1: 2010 Q3
Estimated Completion Date Phase 2: 2010 Q4



Interactive Mapping Website Update Lead Department/Division: GIS
The GIS Interactive Mapping website will be updated to take advantage of advances in web mapping software. The update will include few new features, but will improve existing functionality and make the application faster. The update also provides administrative benefits. As before, nearly all data layers developed and maintained by the GIS Division are accessible through the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application. The application was originally developed to provide more convenient access for internal staff, land information professionals, and the general public requiring access to land information.
Estimated Completion Date: 2010 Q4



Land-Use Division Data/Application Upgrade Lead Department/Division: Land Use and GIS
The Land Use Division, with the assistance of GIS, is implementing a new system to administer the Private On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) maintenance program. A key benefit to the new system will be the integration of POWTS information with the GIS and other land information. This integration will provide improved spatial analysis and reporting. Maintenance information will be more accessible and the option to submit pumping records on-line will be offered.
Estimated Completion Date: 2010 Q4



Register of Deeds Document Scanning Lead Department/Division: Register of Deeds
Over the past five years the Register of Deeds has completed numerous projects to scan historic real estate documents and modernize their indexes. Consequently, all documents and a digital grantor/grantee index are available from 1945 to the present (a digital tract index is available for 1998 to the present). The intent of the current project is to scan all remaining real estate documents (1944 and older). This project will provide a back-up to these important records, decrease wear and tear on the paper books, and provide more convenient access. All digital real estate records are available on-line through LandShark.
Estimated Completion Date: 2010 Q4



Rubicon River Floodplain Mapping Lead Department/Division: GIS
The quality of floodplain mapping in Washington County is inconsistent. The mapping in some areas includes detailed studies supported by large-scale topographic mapping. Other areas are unstudied and the floodplains are approximate. Based on sub-watershed, 12 floodplain improvement projects have been identified. The current Rubicon River project is the first in what could be a series of projects to improve floodplain mapping countywide. When complete the revised floodplain data will be incorporated in county zoning and FEMA maps. The remaining 11 projects would be completed as time and funding permits. The work is being completed with the assistance of the SEWRPC.
Estimated Completion Date: 2012 Q1



FEMA Floodplain Map Modernization Lead Department/Division: Land Use and GIS
The US Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency is undertaking a national initiative to modernize the floodplain data used to administer the National Flood Insurance Program. Work in Washington County is underway with local support being provided by the Land Use and GIS Divisions of the Washington County Planning and Parks Department as well as various Washington County municipalities. Additional program coordination is coming from SEWRPC and the Wisconsin DNR. Washington County anticipates incorporating the revised floodplain data into the County Shoreland/floodplain/wetland zonings maps when it becomes available. More information on the Floodplain Map Modernization Program is available from FEMA and the Wisconsin DNR.
Estimated Completion Date: Dependent on FEMA

Recently Completed Projects

2009 Preventative Monument Maintenance Program Lead Department/Division: County Surveyor
The current project is a continuation of the monument maintenance program initiated in 2006. In phase one all monuments were inspected and a condition report developed that includes the existence and condition of the monument and associated ties and reference benchmarks. The second phase, currently underway, will bring all monuments found to be deficient into compliance with Washington County standards. In 2009 the described work is being completed for T10N R19E (Town of Polk and portions of Village of Jackson and Village of Slinger). If the program continues and one township is inspected each year, it will take 12 years to inspect all monuments in Washington County. The County Surveyor is completing some of the work with the bulk contracted to a qualified surveying/engineering firm.
Completed Date Phase 1: 2009 Q2
Completed Date Phase 2: 2010 Q3



Get Moving Washington County Website Lead Department/Division: Planning and Healthy People Project
A website created by the Planning Division of the Planning and Parks department in partnership with the Healthy People Project of Washington County. The website was developed to mobilize action toward improving physical activity, the health of our community and provide detailed information on all public parks and open spaces throughout Washington County. An interactive mapping component, supported by the GIS Division, is included.
Completed Date: 2010 Q2



Topographic Mapping Lead Department/Division: GIS
In 2007 Washington County completed a project to acquire classified LiDAR data for the entire county and process that data to produce a digital terrain model and contour mapping for roughly half of the county. The 2010 project processed data collected in December 2006 to update contour mapping for approximately 60 ¾ sections. The included areas are those where existing data is the oldest; Town of Erin (previous data from 1995), 10 sections around the Village of Slinger (1997) and a14 ¾ section ring around the City of West Bend (1999). The data resulting from this project can be purchased following standard procedures or viewed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
Completed Date: 2010 Q2



2008 Preventative Monument Maintenance Program Lead Department/Division: County Surveyor
This project is a continuation of the monument maintenance program initiated in 2006. In phase one all monuments were inspected and a report developed that includes the existence and condition of the monument and associated ties and reference benchmarks. In phase two the work required to bring all monuments into compliance with Washington County standards was completed. In 2008 the described work was completed for T11N R19E (Town of West Bend, South half Town of Barton, and portions of the City of West Bend). If the program continues and one township is inspected each year, it will take 12 years to inspect all monuments in Washington County. The County Surveyor completed some of the work with the bulk contracted to a qualified surveying/engineering firm.
Completed Date Phase 1: 2008 Q2
Completed Date Phase 2: 2010 Q2



Surveyor File Scanning Lead Department/Division: County Surveyor, Real Property Lister
All land surveys completed in Washington County are required by state statute to be filed with the County Surveyor. These files are located in the Real Property Lister office and are frequently used by surveyors, title searchers, and the public. The nearly 30,000 surveys in this collection were scanned and indexed. The project was completed for disaster recovery purposes and to make the records more readily accessible. The documents scanned as part of this project are accessible through the Washington County On-Line Survey Application.
Completed Date: 2009 Q2



GIS Mapping Website Upgrade Lead Department/Division: GIS
The GIS Interactive Mapping website was upgraded to include new tools/data and support for more Internet browsers. Nearly all data layers developed and maintained by the GIS are accessible through the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application. The application was originally developed to provide more convenient access for internal and professional users and the general public requiring access to land information.
Completed Date: 2009 Q2



Historic Aerial Photography Archiving Lead Department/Division: GIS
This project scanned the negatives from historic aerial photographs. The individual images were mosiaced into a single image, edge matched, dodge, and manually edited for consistency to clean up seam lines and other issues. The resulting datasets are georeferenced, but are not true orthophotographs. The goal of the project is to acquire one dataset per decade. This project used negatives from two sources; 1990, 1980, 1970, and 1963 were obtained from the SEWRPC and 1950 and 1941 were obtained from the National Archives. The data resulting from this project can be purchased following standard procedures or viewed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
Completed Date: 2009 Q1



Document Scanning Lead Department/Division: Register of Deeds
Previously the digital grantor/grantee index in the Register of Deeds had a start date of February 1, 1992. Previous projects back-scanned all documents to this same date. This project digitized hand written Grantor/Grantee indexes from 1945 to February 1, 1992 and scanned all associated images. The year 1945 was chosen because this would guaranty all documents required in a 60 year search, common among title searchers, were scanned. The project will reduce further degradation to existing paper and aperture card records, simplify searching and document retrieval, and create a back-up of critical records - some of which are currently irreplaceable. The index and images are accessible through Washington County's On-line Register of Deeds Portal (Landshark)
Completed Date: 2008 Q4



Sheriff Incident Mapping Lead Department/Division: Sheriff
A mapping software package was purchased and installed to work in conjunction with the existing incident database/software used by the Sheriff department. The new tool will allow for spatial analysis and display of all incidents where the Sheriff department responds. Without this software, spatial analysis was difficult and reports were all tabular. The new software is compatible with the enterprise GIS.
Completed Date: 2008 Q3



2007 Preventative Monument Maintenance Program Lead Department/Division: County Surveyor
This project is a continuation of the monument maintenance program initiated in 2006. In phase one a report was developed that included the existence and condition of the monument and associated ties and reference benchmarks. In phase two the repair work required to bring all monuments into compliance with Washington County standards was completed. In 2007 the described work was completed for T11N R20E (Town of Trenton). If the program continues and one township is inspected each year, it will take 12 years to inspect all monuments in Washington County. The County Surveyor completed some of the work with the bulk contracted to a qualified surveying/engineering firm.
Completed Date Phase 1: 2007 Q3
Completed Date Phase 2: 2008 Q3



Historic aerial photography is a valuable resource used to determine previous and changes in land-use patterns. Hardcopy versions of older aerial photography is available, but can be faded, worn, are difficult to share, are located in only one county department (if at all), and are difficult to use with related land information.

In 2007 Washington County initiated a project to improve access to and the usability of historic aerial photography. To get the best product possible, the film negatives were used as the data source. Negatives from 1990, 1980, 1970, and 1963 flights were obtained from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and negatives from 1950 and 1941 flights were obtained from the National Archives Records Administration. For each year, the individual scanned images were mosaicked, edge matched, dodge and manually edited for consistency to clean up seam lines and other issues. The images were acquired during leaf-off condition. The resulting datasets are georeferenced, but are not true orthophotographs. Some edge matching and positional accuracy issues, most prominently in the older datasets, exist.

Orthophotography from 1995, 2000, and 2005 is also available. See the orthophotography page for additional information.

    The historic aerial photography was created for use in a variety of county functions. Washington County does not guaranty the fitness of this data for any other use. The historic aerial photography should not be used for legal, survey, engineering, financial, tax or other professional advice. If specific or precise information is required, you should always use the original recorded documents, surveys, plats, flood insurance studies, or other official means. Washington County specifically disclaims liability for damages of any kind resulting from the misuse or misrepresentation of any information contained herein.

More information about the availability of aerial photography in Wisconsin can be found in the Wisconsin Catalog of Aerial Photography produced by the Wisconsin State Cartographer's office.

Methods to Access Historic Aerial Imagery

  • Prints - Aerial image prints are available from the GIS Division for $15 per page. Sheets are roughly 3' by 3' and can be printed at either 1"=200' (1 section per page) or 1"=400' (4 sections per page). Indicate the flight year on the Aerial print order form.
  • Internet - Aerial images can be viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata


The Washington County Interactive Map Service includes:
  • Parcels
  • Tax Information
  • Recorded Plats
  • Roads
  • Surface Water and Wetlands
  • Topographic Mapping
  • Shoreland Zoning
  • Soils
  • Aerial Photography

System Requirements:
Screen Resolution of 1024 x 768 or greater
Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (version 6 recommended)
Must allow pop-ups

Enter the Interactive Mapping Application


To participate in the Wisconsin Land Information Program, each county must establish a Land Information Office and prepare a Land Information Plan. With an approved plan, a county may retain $8 of the recording fee for each real estate document recorded by the the Register of Deeds. These retained funds are required by 59.72(5)(b)(3) of Wis. State Statute to fund the local land information program and must be solely used to implement activities identified in the Land Information Plan.

Plan Summary

This plan is the third update to the original Washington County Land Records Modernization Plan completed in 1992. The original plan and its 1998 and 2003 updates documented previous GIS/LIS goals and objectives and established the framework for initial and future program development

This plan was prepared in accordance to the "Uniform Instructions for Preparing County Land Information Plans" dated December 2004 and describes general goals and objectives for the 2005-2009 time period. This plan is a living document and will be modified as needed to reflect changes in funding, data/application priorities, and technology. The emphasis of this plan is to 1) maintain and enhance the infrastructure and data acquired under the previous plans, 2) continue to collect and efficiently disseminate quality data to all Washington County Departments, other levels of government and the general public, and 3) expand the use and integration of land information and GIS throughout Washington County.

Reviewed and approved:

3/17/2005 Washington County Land Information Advisory Committee
4/27/2005 Washington County Planning, Conservation, and Parks Committee
10/24/2005 Wisconsin Department of Administration

Washington County Land Information Plan: 2005-2009

2010 Land Information Plan Update

Washington County, along with all other counties in the state, is required to update its Land Information Plan. The deadline to submit updated plans to the Wisconsin Department of Administration is Oct 1, 2010.

In early 2010 the Washington County Land Information Advisory Commission began the process of updating the Washington County plan. On 5/28/2010 the Land Information Advisory Commission completed its work with the recommendation of a 2010 plan amendment. The Planning, Conservation and Parks Committee is scheduled to review the recommended plan on September 8, 2010.

Washington County Land Inforamtion Plan: 2010 Update Draft 4


Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, or MABAS, is a voluntary mutual aid organization used for deploying fire, rescue and emergency medical services personnel in a multi-agency response. Please see the MABAS Wisconsin website for more information about the role of MABAS in Wisconsin.

The Geographic Information Systems Division of the Washington County Planning and Parks Department worked cooperatively with the fire departments serving Washington County to develop the mapping component needed to implement MABAS in the County. Those maps are included below for the benefit of the emergency service providers serving Washington County and anyone else with an interest in the location of MABAS boxes.

Map Last Update
Countywide Map* Feb 15, 2010
Allenton Fire Feb 17, 2010
Boltonville Fire Feb 17, 2010
Fillmore Fire Feb 17, 2010
Germantown Fire Feb 17, 2010
Hartford Fire* Feb 17, 2010
Hartford Fire and EMS* Feb 17, 2010
Jackson Fire Feb 17, 2010
Kewaskum Fire Feb 17, 2010
Kohlsville Fire Feb 17, 2010
Newburg Fire Feb 17, 2010
Richfield Fire Feb 17, 2010
Slinger Fire Feb 17, 2010
St. Lawrence Fire Feb 17, 2010
West Bend Fire* Feb 17, 2010
* Oversized page (not 11x17)

Below is a sampling of maps that have been produced by the Geographic Information Systems Division of the Planning and Parks Department.

County Road Map (2.3 MB)

Includes all roads, County Parks, major surface water features and municipal boundaries

A printed version of this oversized map (36" x 48") is available in the Washington County Planning and Parks Department for $12.00.

Map originally produced to be hung in various meeting rooms throughout the Washington County Government campus. This map is frequently updated to include the newest roads.


Supervisor Districts with Wards (1.53 MB)

Includes Washington County Supervisor District Boundaries with municipal wards. This map also includes roads and municipal boundaries.

A printed version of this oversized map (36" x 48") is available in the Washington County Planning and Parks Department for $12.00.

Map originally produced for the Washington County Clerk. This map is updated frequently to include the most current ward data.

County Supervisor District Maps

Printable maps created for the County Clerk. Includes municpal boundaries and labels for roads that define districts.

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6
District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 District 11 District 12
District 13 District 14 District 15 District 16 District 17 District 18
District 19 District 20 District 21 District 22 District 23 District 24
District 25 District 26 District 27 District 28 District 29 District 30

Washington County Park and Trail Map

Created through a partnership between the Washington County Planning and Parks Department, the Healthy People Project of Washington County, and local municipalities, this map includes the location, amenities and general information about parks and trails throughout Washington County.

A lower resolution version of the front (2.48 MB) and back (3.63 MB) of the map are available in .pdf format.

Printed versions are free and can be picked up at the Washington County Planning and Parks Department and other locations throughout the county.


Washington County Land Information On-Line Resources

The following list highlights resources Washington County developed to distribute land information over the Internet. These resources are provided as a convenience to those requiring access to land information in Washington County. The information included is public records as set forth in Chapter 19 of the Wisconsin Statutes. See the land information internet privacy policy and internet disclaimer for additional information.

Interactive Mapping Application

The interactive mapping application is maintained by the Geographic Information Systems Division of the Planning and Parks Department. The data contained within is maintained by the GIS Division with the assistance of many Washington County Departments.

The application will return attributes for specific identified features. A link to the specific tax inquiry report is one option when a parcel is selected. The application includes various search and query functions to locate the area of interest. Tools to print, measure distances/areas, return coordinates, etc... are also available.

The interactive mapping website is one means where the data maintained by the GIS Division is made available to the public. The application is offered free of charge. The parcel searches are available in a text-only version for those only interested in the tax reports and do not want the added overhead of the map. The County application does not include parcel mapping for the City of West Bend. See the City's interactive mapping application for West Bend parcel information.


Tax Inquiry

This website was created by the Washington County Treasurer with help from the Geographic Information Systems Division and the Real Property Lister.

Search for information by tax key. Information returned for the searched parcel includes:

  • Owner, mailing address, and physical address
  • Land, improvement, total, and market values
  • Taxes for current and previous years
  • Tax receipting information
  • Short legal description
  • Taxing districts (fire, school, technical college, etc…)
  • Assessment classes
  • Images of tax bills
  • Delinquent tax calculator

The searches, reports, and tax bills are available at no charge.

The tax inquiry is available as a stand-alone application, but is also accessible through the Interactive Mapping Application. Querying or selecting a parcel on the interactive map provides a link to the tax inquiry information for that parcel.


Recorded Real Estate Records (LandShark)

This website is maintained by the Washington County Register of Deeds. LandShark is a web-based tool for the location and retrieval of land record documents recorded by the Register of Deeds. Land Shark provides for two types of users:

    Occasional Users: the document number index and images of real estate documents from January of 1945 to the present and the computer tract index of legal descriptions from March 16, 1998 to the present are available. Searching using the tract index (legal description) or document number index is at no charge (registration required). There is a cost ($2 for the first page and $1 for each additional page) to view the scanned documents. Fees are payable by credit card or deducted from an established escrow account.
    Daily Users: Includes access to the grantor/grantee index search in addition to all 'occasional user' functionality. Daily users are required to sign an agreement and pay a subscription fee.


Plats of Survey

This website was created by the Washington County Surveyor (part of the Planning and Parks Department, Land and Water Conservation Division) with help from the Geographic Information Systems Division and Real Property Lister.

Registered land surveyors are required by state statute to provide a copy of all completed surveys to the County Surveyor. In Washington County this repository is located in the Real Property Lister Office. The nearly 30,000 surveys in this collection have been scanned, indexed, and made available on-line.

Lists of surveys are returned by quarter section. Users can search by quarter section or by entering an address or tax key. The searches, as well as the scanned documents, are available at no charge.


Highway Plans

This resource was created by the Highway Department with help from the Washington County Surveyor (part of the Planning and Parks Department, Land and Water Conservation Division) and the Geographic Information Systems Division.

This listing contains all digital plans available in the Highway Department archives. For County Highways the list is believed to be complete. While we provide some Federal and State Highway and Local Road plans, we only have those available that were provided to us. For State or Local projects, your primary resource should be the governing entity for the project.


Get Moving Washington County

This website was created by the Planning Division of the Planning and Parks Department in partnership with the Healthy People Project of Washington County. The Geographic Information Systems Division of the Planning and Parks Department provided mapping support.

Our vision for Get Moving Washington County is to develop a culture of healthy and active lifestyles for all ages and abilities.

  • Opportunity for the Active
  • Inspiration for the Inactive
  • Awareness for All

Get moving and get active. Use this site to connect to trails, walking and biking routes, parks and other physical activity events throughout Washington County. Active living is a way of life!

The Get Moving Washington County website includes an interactive mapping component.



Related Land Information On-Line Resources

In addition to the applications produced by Washington County, related applications have been produced by other units over government, utilities, and commercial providers. Two applications that fill particular gaps in what the County provides are detailed below. The GIS Division links page provides a listing of additional resources.

Public Land Survey System Documents

This website was created and is hosted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC).

Search for records of U.S. Public Land Survey System (USPLSS) control stations (commonly identified as dossier sheets) containing information about the monumented corners of the Public Land Survey System in the Southeastern Wisconsin Region.

Also search for Control Survey Summary Diagrams (CSSDs) containing information collated and summarized from high-order horizontal and vertical control surveys conducted for much of the Southeastern Wisconsin Region.

Washington County contributes dossier sheets to this clearinghouse when created.


City of West Bend Interactive Mapping Application (Paragon Map Service)

This website was created and is hosted by the City of West Bend Community Development Department.

The City of West Bend, with a mature GIS, maintains their own parcel mapping and many other data layers. Like the County, the City has put most of their GIS data on a freely available Interactive Mapping website. Although in some cases the displayed data differs, the functionality of the city interactive mapping application is similar to what is found in the county application. In general, if working in the City of West Bend, use the City's interactive mapping application. If working elsewhere in the county, use the county interactive mapping application.




Washington County currently has three digital orthophotography datasets. An orthophotograph is a perspective aerial photograph from which distortions owing to camera tilt and ground relief have been removed (Dictionary of GIS Terminology, ESRI Press, 2001). All three projects were completed as part of regional projects coordinated by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). The images were acquired during the spring of the year in leaf off condition.

2005 - True color photography with a 1 foot pixel resolution. Derived black and white photos are also available. Standard paper product printed at 1 inch equals 200 ft (1 section per E-size sheet).

2000 - Black and white photography with a 1 foot pixel resolution. Standard paper product printed at 1 inch equals 200 ft (1 section per E-size sheet).

1995 - Black and white photography with a 2 foot pixel resolution. Standard paper product printed at 1 inch equals 400 ft (4 sections per E-size sheet).

Subject to budget approval, Washington County intends to acquire a true color, 1 foot pixel resolution orthophotography update in 2010.

Historic aerial photography from 1941, 1950, 1963, 1970, 1980, and 1990 is also available. See the historic aerial photography page for additional information.

Methods to Access Orthophotography

  • Photocopies - Imagery for some years are available in the Real Property Lister Office where photocopies can be made.
  • Prints - Aerial Image prints are available from the GIS Division for $15 per page. Sheets are roughly 3' by 3' and are printed at either 1"=200' (1 section per page) or 1"=400' (4 sections per page). Aerial print order form.
  • Internet - Aerial images can be viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata


There are currently over 59,500 tax parcels in Washington County. The GIS Division of the Planning and Parks Department, working with the Real Property Lister Division, is responsible for maintaining approximately 48,500 parcels covering all communities in Washington County except the City of West Bend. The City of West Bend Community Development Department maintains the remaining 11,000 parcels covering that City.

The parcels are part of a larger cadastral dataset that also includes:

  • Public Land Survey System Monuments
  • Public Land Survey System Sections and Quarter Sections
  • Subdivisions, Condominiums and Certified Survey Maps (CSM)
  • Subdivision blocks
  • Subdivision/CSM Lots
  • Rights of Way
  • Managed Forest
  • Tax Key labels
  • Parcel Dimension and Acreage Labels
  • Subdivision/Condominium and Certified Survey Map Labels
  • Right of Way Name Labels
  • Public Land Survey System Labels

The cadastral dataset is created from a variety of sources. The public land survey system framework was created by entering in all monuments using their published Northing and Easting. Sections and Quarter Sections were constructed by connecting the public land survey system monuments. The remaining features were entered using coordinate geometry primarily using documents recorded in the Register of Deeds. Those documents include subdivisions, condominiums, certified survey maps and deeds. The recorded documents were supplemented with right of way plats and other non-recorded surveys. In most cases, lake and river boundaries were identified using orthophotography. Apparent gaps and overlaps greater then 2.5 ft are mapped.

    The cadastral information should not be used for legal, survey, engineering, financial, tax or other professional advice. If specific or precise information is required, you should always use the original recorded documents, surveys, plats, flood insurance studies, or other official means. Washington County specifically disclaims liability for damages of any kind resulting from the misuse or misrepresentation of any information contained herein.

Methods to Access Parcel Data

  • Photocopies - Tax maps are printed yearly. These maps can be viewed in the Real Property Lister Office where photocopies can be made.
  • Internet - Parcel data can be viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata


There are over 1700 miles of road and 50,000 address points in Washington County. The City of West Bend Community Development Department is responsible for the maintenance of road and address data within the City of West Bend. The Washington County Geographic Information Systems Division maintains road and address information for the remainder of the County. The County and City work together in an effort to create a seamless coverage when the data are combined.

Washington County is not responsible for assigning addresses for any of the 20 Municipalities in Washington County. Each community is responsible for their own address administration. The address information maintained by Washington County is the compilation of known information from the municipalities, utilities, and other sources.

    The road and address information is maintained for use in a variety of county functions. Washington County does not guaranty the fitness of this data for any other use. The road and address information should not be used for legal, survey, engineering, financial, tax or other professional advice. If specific or precise information is required, you should always use the original recorded documents, surveys, plats, flood insurance studies, or other official means. Washington County specifically disclaims liability for damages of any kind resulting from the misuse or misrepresentation of any information contained herein.

Methods to Access Road/Address Data

  • Internet - Road data can be viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • County Road Map - Washington County produces a 36" x 48" county road map (2.3 MB). This map includes all roads, county parks, major surface water features and municipal boundaries. A printed version is available in the Washington County Planning and Parks Department for $12.00. This map is updated perodicially.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata


Road/Air Photo Atlas
Now Available!

A Washington County Road/Air Photo Atlas is now available through the Geographic Information Systems Division. Each page of this new product features a map of a 3 mile x 3 mile area. Each tile is shown as both an aerial photo map (low resolution aerial photo sample) and terrain map (low resolution terrain sample). All maps are produced at 1:24,000 scale. The atlas includes:

  • Color Air Photos
  • Topography
  • Roads
  • Lat/Long Grid
  • Public Lands
  • Points of Interest
  • Parks
  • Lakes and Streams
  • Wetlands
  • Section/Town/Range
  • And More

Hunters, hikers, geocachers and anyone else engaging in outdoor activities may find this a valuable resource.

Washington County Road/Air Photo Atlases can be obtained from the Washington County Planning and Parks Department. The cost for the atlas is $25. Payment can be made by cash or check. The Planning and Parks Department is unable to accept credit cards at this time.

The Road/Air Photo atlas should not be confused with the plat book. The plat book is a separate product available from the Washington County Clerk. These two books are companion products, one is not a replacement for the other.


The Land Use Division of the Planning and Parks Department is responsible for Shoreland/Floodplain/Wetland Zoning code administration in the unincorporated areas of Washington County. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division, in conjunction with the Land Use Division, is responsible for maintaining the supporting map data.

The shoreland zoning is part of a larger dataset that also includes:

  • 100-year floodplain
  • Floodway
  • Cross Sections
  • Shoreland Zoning District
  • Non-Navigable Agricultural Zoning Area
  • Intermittent Zoning District
  • County Regulated Wetlands
  • Other Wetlands (Maybe regulated by the Wisconsin DNR or Army Corps. of Engineers)
  • Lakes and Ponds
  • Rivers and Streams

Although the surface water features are countywide, the zoning features (including floodplain) are only available for those areas where Washington County administers shoreland zoning (unincorporated areas).

    The Shoreland Zoning and Surface water features should not be used for legal, survey, engineering, financial, tax or other professional advice. If specific or precise information is required, you should always use the original recorded documents, surveys, plats, flood insurance studies, or other official means. Washington County specifically disclaims liability for damages of any kind resulting from the misuse or misrepresentation of any information contained herein.

Methods to Access Shoreland Zoning/Surface Water Data

  • Photocopies - Printed shoreland zoning maps are available for viewing in the Planning and Parks Department where black and white photocopies can be made.
  • Prints - Prints of the Shoreland Zoning maps are available from the GIS Division. Contact the GIS division for details.
  • Internet - Zoning and surface water features can viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata


Topographic mapping in Washington County is not consistent. The available data was acquired through a number of projects using differing technology. The project deliverables and data specifications also differ. Status map of Washington County topographic mapping. Contact the City of West Bend Community Development Department for topographic information acquired by the City of West Bend

Kewaskum Area - 1994 project acquired 1"=200' scale topographic and planimetric data for 12 sections around and including the Village of Kewaskum. No 3-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) was part of the project deliverables. Digital contours were delivered in 2-dimensional files. This area was remapped by the 2007 LiDAR project.

Town of Erin - 1995 project acquired 1"=200' scale topographic and planimetric data for all 36 sections in the Town of Erin. Project deliverables included a 3-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and 2-dimensional contour files.

Village of Slinger Area - 1997 project acquired 1"=100' scale topographic and planimetric data for 14 sections around and including the Village of Slinger. Project deliverables included a 3-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and 2-dimensional contour files.

Oconomowoc River Subwatershed Area - 2003 project acquired 1"=200' scale mapping for 5 sections in T10N R19E (Town of Polk) and 13 sections in T9N R19E (Village of Richfield). Project deliverables included a 3-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and 3-dimensional contour files.

2005 Project Area - 2005 project acquired 1"=200' scale topographic data for 111 sections. Areas included were 23 sections in T9N R19E (Village of Richfield), 16 sections in T10N R19E (Town of Polk), 25 sections in T11N R20E (Town of Trenton), 11 sections in T12N R19 (Towns of Kewaskum/Barton), and all 36 sections in T12N R20E (Town of Farmington). Project deliverables included a 3-dimensional Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and 3-dimensional contour files. Planimetric data were not captured as part of this project.

2007 Project Area - Unlike all previous projects that used photogrammetric methods to acquire topographic data, the 2007 project used LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging). This project acquired unprocessed LiDAR data for all 432 sections in Washington County. The project processed the raw LiDAR data to bare-earth model, generated a Digital Terrain Model, and generated large scale elevation mapping for 218 sections. The 218 sections where data was processed consists of 36 sections in T9N R20E (Town and Village of Germantown), 36 sections in T10N R18E (Town and City of Hartford), 2 sections in T10N R19E (Town of Polk), 35 sections in T10N R20E (Town and Village of Jackson), all 36 sections in T11N R18E (Town of Addison), 15 sections in T11N R19E (Towns of Barton/West Bend), all 36 sections in T12N R18E (Town of Wayne), and 22 sections in T12N R19E (Towns of Kewaskum/Barton). No planimetric data will be captured as part of this project.

City of West Bend Projects - The City of West Bend acquired topographic and planimetric data for 36 sections around and including the City of West Bend in 1999. Much of this area was updated in 2005. Contact the City of West Bend Community Development Department for details and data acquisition procedures.

When the products from County and City of West Bend projects are merged, 2' contours and a digital 3-dimensional surface model is available countywide.

    The topographic information should not be used for legal, survey, engineering, financial, tax or other professional advice. If specific or precise information is required, you should always use the original recorded documents, surveys, plats, flood insurance studies, or other official means. Washington County specifically disclaims liability for damages of any kind resulting from the misuse or misrepresentation of any information contained herein.

Methods to Access Topographic Data

  • Photocopies - With the exception of the 2007 Project Area and the City of West Bend Projects, all available topographic mapping is printed and can be viewed in the Real Property Lister Office where photocopies can be made.
  • Prints - Prints of the topographic maps are available from the GIS Division. Contact the GIS division for details.
  • Internet - Topographic maps can be viewed and printed on the Washington County Interactive Mapping Application.
  • Standardized Mapping Product - The GIS division offers a standardized mapping product that combines many of the commonly requested data layers into a single paper map. The maps are made individually to meet the data, scale and size requirements of the person requesting the data.
  • Digital GIS or CAD Data - Digital versions of this data can be purchased following standard procedures.

Metadata