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GIS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Director: Vacant


Phone: (406) 497-6260
Fax: (406) 497-6328
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Began in 1990-91 under the Superfund program with a grant from Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), the Butte-Silver Bow Geographic Information System (GIS) Department is charged with providing timely and accurate GIS information to all Butte-Silver Bow Local Government departments, as well as various state, federal, and private entities. A large part of the information provided is in the form of hard copy maps, which are generated using ARCInfo GIS software then plotted on an inkjet plotter. In answering the often asked question, "What is GIS?", the textbook definition of GIS according to the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), (the company that created ArcInfo), is as follows:

"An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information."

Data or information used to plot maps are derived from a variety of sources. Various scale plan metrics (or topology) for features such as roads, streams, railroads, building roof prints, contours, transmission lines, etc., are produced from aerial photography, which has been photogrammetrically processed by various commercial vendors or by state or federal government mapping agencies.

Political and administrative boundaries such as fire districts, legislative boundaries, precinct boundaries, and commissioner districts are created by digitizing the original hard copy maps and using the recorded legal boundary descriptions for reference.

At the heart of Butte-Silver Bow, lies the ownership or land records data. Land records data, known also as the cadastral or ownership base, have long been generated using existing Montana Department of Revenue parcel base maps, mining claims maps, and property legal descriptions. Information about each parcel is contained in the Montana Department of Revenue's Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal System (CAMA or CAMA) data, which is updated on a regular basis. The CAMA data provides owner name, address, property type, building information, and much more. To download the data for Butte-Silver Bow, follow this link to the State, choose DATA, then choose CAMA. You will see a directory of counties in Montana. Choose Silverbow. State CAMA data.

In combination with the CAMA data described above, the land records data is used for both mapping purposes showing information and for producing reports listing information, such as ownership, addresses, assessed valuation, building information, zoning, and so on. Acquisition of this data was driven by the necessity for Butte-Silver Bow, along with ARCO and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to be able to identify properties affected by or affecting Superfund sites. BSB GIS has completed digital land records for all the urban area and a good share of the neighboring communities and rural areas in Silver Bow County as well as for the Anaconda-Opportunity-Warm Springs Superfund area in Deer Lodge County.

 

Partial List of Data Available from GIS:

All of the data listed above carries with it relevant attributes or information in database format; thus the data can be extracted and/or spatially analyzed for display purposes and/or for supplying a digital or hard copy report. In addition, BSB GIS has a Global Positioning System (GPS) with which the location of any feature(s) on the ground can be collected and entered into the GIS, and ultimately mapped and/or analyzed.

 

Other Data Map Sources for Butte-Silver Bow:

 

Please visit our MAPS page to see a list of maps available on our web site.

Butte-Silver Bow GIS is located in Room 112 on the main floor of the Courthouse (155 West Granite Street). Please feel free to contact us via Email or Telephone (406) 497-6261.