1998 Coverage
The National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) conducted flights over Wisconsin in spring of 1998. Unfortunately the results were a mixed success, especially compared to the excellent coverage acquired during Wisconsin's first NAPP flights in 1992. Contractors were limited by cloudy days, mechanical problems, and delays caused by weather problems in the southerly states where they also were working. In addition, once the persistent cloudy streak ended, we had a sudden warm-up that brought leaves out quickly.
Statewide, NAPP acquired about 60% of the photos for the entire state in 1998. Wisconsin has four NAPP contract areas, each extending from the south to the north edge of the state. One of these areas, between 90 and 91 degrees longitude, had only 20% acquired. The other three project areas had 53%, 78%, and 91% acquired. Generally, more Wisconsin coverage was acquired in the north than the south. For details on a county basis, consult the Wisconsin Catalog of Aerial Photography .
1999 Coverage
In the spring of 1999 there were more flights to photograph the areas that were not covered in 1998. These flights were more successful, and between the 1998 and 1999 flights 98% of Wisconsin was photographed. The areas still lacking were parts of the north central counties of Bayfield, Sawyer, Ashland and Iron.
For areas in Wisconsin near the Minnesota border, which were not covered by NAPP in 1998 or 1999, there are photographs available from a project done in Minnesota during the summer of 1996. Because they were taken in the summer, these are leaf-on photographs.
How to order?
Prints, enlargements and other NAPP products are sold through the USDA Aerial Photo Field Office in Salt Lake City, or the USGS EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD. At this time there is no sales site within the state for the 1998-1999 NAPP photos. For site specific information on roll and frame numbers, you can consult the Photo Finder.
Wisconsin's NAPP photographs are collected with the following parameters:
- Panchromatic (black & white film), leaf-off conditions.
- 1:40,000 scale or 1 inch = 3,333 feet.
- Photos exposed at a height of nearly 4 miles.
- Each photo covers approximately 5.5 x 5.5 miles.
- North-south flight lines every 3.75 minutes of longitude
- Every other photo centered on a quarter-quad