These vector contour lines are derived from the 3D Elevation Program using automated and semi-automated processes. They were created to support 1:24,000-scale CONUS and Hawaii, 1:25,000-scale Alaska, and 1:20,000-scale Puerto Rico / US Virgin Island topographic map products, but are also published in this GIS vector format. Contour intervals are assigned by 7.5-minute quadrangle, so this vector dataset is not visually seamless across quadrangle boundaries. The vector lines have elevation attributes (in feet above mean sea level on NAVD88), but this dataset does not carry line symbols or annotation.

Lidar Data Products for the Minot, ND collection area. ESRI Multipoints and Terrain created from Bare Earth lidar points, Boundary, Hydrolines and Waterbody Breaklines, 5ft DEM, 5ft DEM Hillshade, and 1ft Contour tiles. Horizontal datum is NAD83; vertical datum is NGVD29

The Bare Earth DTM was developed from LAS points and breaklines collected from a LiDAR flight flown in the Spring of 2013, as part of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2013 Project. The DTM is used to develop a TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network). One-foot contours meeting National Map Accuracy Standards were generated from the TIN.

The project established topographic mapping to 1-foot interval contours using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is comprised of the City of Bismarck, City of Mandan, City of Lincoln, and portions of Burleigh and Morton Counties in North Dakota. The LiDAR data was collected on 20160326 through 20130328 using the Orion Optech H300 sensor. Nominal point spacing for the raw (unprocessed) LiDAR point cloud is approximately 0.7-meter, resulting in a nominal point density of 2 points per square meter. Aerial LiDAR survey data acquisition was conducted with the ground is free of snow, and with the atmospheric conditions between the aircraft and the ground free of clouds and fog. Aerial LiDAR survey data acquisition is flown with an average of 30% overlap between swaths.

The Bismarck lidar project area covers approximately 395 square miles which includes a 100 meter buffer around the county boundary. The lidar data was acquired at a nominal point spacing (NPS) of 0.7 meters and a single swath nominal point density (NPD) of 2.0. Project specifications are based on Bismarck requirements and on the U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program LiDAR Base Specification, Version 2.1. The data was developed based on a horizontal projection/datum of NAD83(HARN) / North Dakota South (Feet Intl), and vertical datum of NAVD88 - Geoid12A (Feet). LiDAR data was acquired using a Leica ALS 80 sensor with serial number 8239 from April 15, 2020 to April 17, 2020 in 4 total lifts. Acquisition occurred with leaves absent from deciduous trees, when no snow was present on the ground, and with rivers at or below normal levels.