Geographic Information System (GIS)

Responsibilities

County governments are increasingly required to streamline business practices while adhering to complex political or regulatory requirements. To do so, they must digest an immense amount of information to perform their duties in a fair and sound manner. Almost all of this information is in some way tied to a geographic element such as an address, parcel, postal code, Census block, or some other component.

GIS technology provides a flexible set of tools to perform the diverse functions of government by giving us the data management tools to help accomplish the gargantuan task of managing all this geographic-based information. More important, GIS technology makes data sharing among departments easy, so that the government can work as a single enterprise.

Clay County GIS is responsible for providing current accurate geospatial information to all county departments. The primary goal of Clay County GIS is to reduce duplication, increase productivity and provide public access to data.

Disclaimer

The material on this site is made available as a public service. Maps and data are to be used for reference purposes only and Clay County, Minnesota, is not responsible for any inaccuracies herein contained.

No responsibility is assumed for damages or other liabilities due to the accuracy, availability, use or misuse of the information herein provided. Information on this site is in the public domain and may be copied without permission; citation of the source is appreciated.

Attribute Data

All attribute data displayed comes directly from the county's Government Revenue Management™ (GRM™) tax solution by Manatron, Inc. A routine is run nightly, which automatically updates the appropriate data files.

Data Sharing

All Clay County GIS data is available, free-of-charge (PDF) via our FTP site and our online services. Through the use of data sharing, we are achieving our goals of reducing duplication while providing additional services. Free exchange of information is the key to making efficient use of the investment in GIS development.

Adopted in 1994, the Land Base Data Sharing Agreement (PDF) formalizes the exchange of GIS data between the local government entities in the Fargo-Moorhead (F-M) metropolitan area. This arrangement was updated in 2000 with the adoption of the F-M Advanced Metropolitan GIS Plan.

Resolution Regarding GIS Data

Free and Open GIS Data Resolution (PDF)

Map Data

All of the maps available from Clay County GIS are in Clay County coordinates.

Positional accuracy for maps varies from +/- 2 feet in urban areas to +/- 40 feet in rural areas. Quarter section control is used to maintain positional accuracy in urban areas. In the rural areas, the published Public Land Survey System (PLSS) along with Global Positioning System (GPS) data are used to provide control.

Property parcel lines are depicted from legal descriptions on record in the Clay County Courthouse.