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Home > Maps, Publications, and Online Data > Digital Significant Aquifers Maps

Digital Data for Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps

The Maine Geological Survey uses a geographic information system (GIS) in the production of its maps. The GIS data used in the production of Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps is available for download. The GIS data is in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) shapefile format.

This digital significant aquifers data is current through 7/7/09. The digital data may not include information from the most recently published significant aquifers and surficial materials maps. This data will be updated periodically but may be out of step briefly with published maps.

The user should check the source attributes associated with the significant aquifers data (points/lines/polygons) and verify that the digital data reflects the current published map for the quadrangle. The user can view the most recently published maps or check the source for the cited open-file map in the Bibliography of Maine Geology by searching for the open-file number (e.g. 04-93) in the keyword search source field.

Instructions for Downloading Digital Significant Aquifer Contacts and Polygons

Two files are needed for this data set - AQUIFER_CONTACTS and AQUIFER_POLYGONS. Data for all areas of the State that have been mapped to date are provided in these two shapefiles.

To obtain the data:

  1. Using a web browser, go to http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
  2. From the right-hand column, select AQUIFER_CONTACTS to move to the data layer page.
  3. Check the boxes next to aquifer_contacts and aquifer_polygons.
  4. Scroll to the top of the page and click on "Show Data" to move to the download page.
  5. Download the two ZIP files aquifer_contactss.zip and aquifer_polygonss.zip.
  6. Unzip the contents of the files to a directory on your local computer. The shapefiles are now ready to be used in appropriate GIS software.
  7. Attribute descriptions for the contacts and polygons are included in the appropriate metadata. Note that the metadata for the two layers is included as text files. To associate the metadata with the shapefiles, use ESRI ArcCatalog 9.x, browse to the directory where you unzipped the files, select a shapefile (either aquifer_contacts or aquifer_polygons), and from the Metadata tab import the appropriate metadata text file.

Instructions for Downloading Digital Significant Aquifers Point Data

The Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps utilize a subset of the surficial materials data set. A single file is needed for this data set - SURFICIAL_MATERIALS_POINTS. Data for all areas of the State that have been mapped to date are provided in the shapefile.

To obtain the data:

  1. Using a web browser, go to http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
  2. From the right-hand column, select SURFICIAL_MATERIALS_POINTS to move to the data layer page.
  3. Check the box next to surficial_materials_points.
  4. Scroll to the top of the page and click on "Show Data" to move to the download page.
  5. Download the ZIP file surficial_materials_pointss.zip.
  6. Unzip the contents of the file to a directory on your local computer. The shapefile is now ready to be used in appropriate GIS software.
  7. Attribute descriptions for the materials point data are included in the metadata. Note that the metadata for the layer is included as a text file. To associate the metadata with the shapefile, use ESRI ArcCatalog 9.x, browse to the directory where you unzipped the files, select the shapefile surficial_materials_points, and from the Metadata tab import the metadata text file.

Instructions for Downloading Digital Seismic Line Data

The Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps utilize a subset of the seismic line data set. A single file is needed for this data set of single channel and 12-channel seismic lines shown on the maps - SEISMIC_LINES. Data for all areas of the State that have been mapped to date are provided in the shapefile.

To obtain the data:

  1. Using a web browser, go to http://megis.maine.gov/catalog/
  2. From the right-hand column, select SEISMIC_LINES to move to the data layer page.
  3. Check the box next to seismic_lines.
  4. Scroll to the top of the page and click on "Show Data" to move to the download page.
  5. Download the ZIP file seismic_liness.zip.
  6. Unzip the contents of the file to a directory on your local computer. The shapefile is now ready to be used in appropriate GIS software.
  7. Attribute descriptions for the seismic line data are included in the metadata. Note that the metadata for the layer is included as a text file. To associate the metadata with the shapefile, use ESRI ArcCatalog 9.x, browse to the directory where you unzipped the files, select the shapefile seismic_lines, and from the Metadata tab import the metadata text file.

Last updated on October 13, 2010