Mobile Workshops

Coastal Inundation GIS Mapping Workshop (2/29-3/1)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center (LAGIC) - Offered by NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, this two-day instructor-led course offers a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises to give students a better understanding of coastal inundation issues and mapping methods using a geographic information system (GIS).

Overview

This two-day instructor-led course offers a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises to give students a better understanding of coastal inundation issues and mapping methods using a geographic information system (GIS). The course is designed for certified floodplain managers and county, state, and municipal officials, including planners, emergency managers, and coastal resource managers. Lecture topics include the different types of coastal inundation, the applications and limitations of various types of inundation products, elevation data sets and datums, and the spatial methods used to map flood areas in coastal environments. In hands-on GIS exercises, students connect to Web map services, access elevation data, convert between vertical datums, create and manage digital elevation models, map inundation model output, develop inundation zones, and map sea level rise using modeled tidal surfaces.

This training also offers 16 hours of continuing education credits for the GIS Professional (GISP), American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), and Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) professional certifications.

What You Will Learn

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the different types of coastal inundation
• Learn about mapping products and terminology
• Access topographic and bathymetric data
• Perform datum conversions
• Understand interpolation methods and create digital elevation models
• Explore water level data
• Map coastal inundation using a GIS

Participant Requirements

• Basic GIS skills (minimum six months to one year)

Around da Bayou Tour: Terrebonne Parish Comprehensive Plan Vision 2030 Implementation Highlights (March 2)

Overview of Terrebonne Parish Comprehensive Plan & Terrebonne Parish-Implementation For The Future | Join Chris Pulaski, Terrebonne Parish Planning and Zoning Director, and other officials for a tour of the Houma-Terrebonne region highlighting the implementation of the Vision 2030 Comprehensive Master Plan, recipient of the 2015 APA LA Award for Excellence in a Plan. See and hear about the Parish’s strategies, successes and works in progress. 2.25 CMs

Up da Bayou Tour (March 3)

No need to paddle up the bayou!  Join us for a mobile tour from Houma up the bayou to Thibodaux and back to the conference hotel along some of the major growth corridors in both Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. As residents and business look for higher ground in which to invest and build, many former agricultural and rural uses make way for increased development. US Hwy 90 has been designated as the future I-49 corridor which also serves to attract big business and transportation opportunities. See how communities like Houma and Thibodaux have addressed these concerns and anticipated future growth. 2.75 CMs

Stops along the tour will include:

• Bayou Country Club: lush green golf courses and areas for family fun events are located within miles of downtown Houma.
• Acadia Plantation: dense residential neighborhoods of this new subdivision make new again the forgotten principles of land use and urban design – smaller lots, narrower streets and amenities to build a walkable community.
• Shriever Railroad Crossing: a former AMTRAK station that has been reduced to a flag stop – see and hear how local officials and Amtrak and BNSF executives have been discussing means to improve the frequency and facilities. Suggested improvements include incorporating multi-modal opportunities such as regional public transit and Greyhound bus service.

Down da Bayou Tour (March 3)

We goin down da bayou!  This mobile workshop will take attendees from the conference hotel, through downtown Houma, past Chauvin along LA Highway 56, across the inland marsh near Cocodrie and back thru Dulac along LA Hwy 57.  Communities along these highways indeed do live on the edge – the water’s edge, among the numerous bayous and small inlets of the Gulf of Mexico.  Balancing economic development and survival with issues of flooding and salt water intrusion has been a way of life for these communities for generations.  Along Hwy 56, the sights and stops relate to structural stormwater protection and coastal restoration, while along Hwy 57, the attention is concentrated on non-structural protection projects.  Inter-twined with all this is the need for improved infrastructure and continued economic growth.2.75 CMs

Stops along the tour will include:

• Boudreaux Canal Floodgate: be one of the few people who get the opportunity to stand on the lock structure itself as the Levee District opens and closes the lock system!
• LUMCON facility: take a short tour of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and learn about LUMCON’s efforts in the education and research of Louisiana’s coastal restoration efforts.
• Cecil Lapeyrouse Grocery: need a fishing license? Or a quick snack? You can get both at this quaint and historic grocery store, not only the one of its kind in the area, but the ONLY grocery store for the community.