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PROJECT REPORT
PROJECT 2 LAKE MURRAY HISTORICAL

THEORETICAL CONTEXT

My project aims to create a comprehensive historical map of the Lake Murray region in South
Carolina, depicting the area both before and after the construction of the dam. One of my key
objectives is to practice the process of georeferencing a raster data model. This involves aligning the
map image to a known coordinate system, which is crucial for displaying, analyzing, and working
with geographical data. My primary focus is to determine the types of buildings that were impacted
by the flooding caused by the dam. Additionally, this study seeks to understand the changes in the
environment, such as the disappearance of wetlands and the alteration of coastlines, as well as the
impact of urban expansion on the terrain over time. To accomplish georeferencing, I place control
points at the intersections of the raster image and the reference map.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT

My focus was on the state of South Carolina, located on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.
The state capital, Columbia, can be found in close proximity to the geographical center of the state.
The state is characterized by an abundance of wetlands and a vast network of rivers and creeks.
Additionally, at least four large lakes in South Carolina were created artificially in the 1940s for the
purpose of generating hydroelectric power. However, the flooding caused by these man-made
reservoirs resulted in the disappearance of many land masses. Through the use of historical photos
and other data, I was able to gain a sense of the area that was once submerged. The area south of the
lake, particularly near Lexington, is home to a mix of developed rural and urban communities. The
construction of these lakes also sparked a rush to acquire land, which remains valuable today even if
it is located outside of the city proper, as many people prefer suburban or rural lifestyles.

GIS METHODS USED

• To set the coordinate reference system (CRS) of NAD83/UTM Zone 17N, EPSG:26917, I
navigated to Project > Properties > Coordinate Reference System > Filter > 26917 > Named
Project > Save.

• The data used in the project included the "SC lake murray" (shapefile) vector layer for Lake
Murray and the "Columbia 904" (raster) file, which depicted a historical map from 1904. The
data was sourced from the ZIP folder mapping veneto, which was stored on the CORSO DI
LAUREA MAGISTRALE IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT - Home page on the Moodle
platform.
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• The attribute table for the lake murray layer had one element and five fields (attribute, wtland
ty, acres, shaoe leng, Shape area). The GCP table associated with the georeferenced raster
map had nine fields, with the ninth displaying the residual error, which can be expressed in
meters or pixels. For this project, the residual error was 5.83876 pixels.

• To begin the georeferencing procedure, I opened the georeferenced tool, where I managed the
raster, georeferenced it, and added control points. I specified the transformation type, the
coordinate system to use, and the output file's location. I added Open Street Map (OSM) and
positioned a control point on the diagonal, with the first control point near Columbia, on the
western side of the River Drive Bridge, the second control point at Little Mountain (in the
south west area of the map, north of the lake), the third control point at Old Lexington Road
and rock creek road (in the south west corner of the map, east of Dupler and south of the lake),
and the fourth control point near Littleton, on the Railroad and country boundary (the
conjunction between the broad river and the little river).

• To finalize the georeferencing, I corrected the image and saved it as a .tif file. I then made
two new layers and dropped the georeferenced file onto them, naming the first "old map" and
the second "current map." From there, I developed the project's layout, modified the map's
proportions, and added the title, author's name, date range, north arrow, scale, images, and a
key to the legend. I saved the map as a .jpeg file after making all necessary adjustments and
placing the features in the appropriate locations.

RESULTS

The plan illustrates the loss of various significant structures to the sea between 1904 and 2021, as the
river shifted its course and now occupies the former bed of Lake Murray. Although not all sections
of the lake are submerged, certain areas that have managed to remain above water likely sit on higher
ground compared to the rest of the lake. This is the reason why several cities, such as Warren Ferry
and Countsville, and highways' ferries (six in total) have been flooded. The southern shore of the lake
now appears more lush and thriving, thanks to the construction of modern roads and the growth of
verdant spaces, in contrast to the northern shore.

REFLECTION

The realm of Geographic Information Systems is vast and offers endless opportunities for exploration.
There are a multitude of ways to achieve the same tasks using different Windows tools and features.
As a result, it is essential to continuously learn and experiment with new innovations to stay current
in the field. I am particularly interested in understanding the inner workings of new tools that I
encounter in my work. Each time I tackle similar projects, I have the opportunity to acquire new skills
and discover novel ways to utilize the tools available to us.
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GIS CARTOGRAPHICAL ELABORATION