KyFromAbove on AWS

The KyFromAbove on AWS initiative focuses on creating and maintaining a comprehensive basemap for Kentucky, serving diverse user needs across state, federal, local, and regional levels. This common basemap, which includes current color leaf-off aerial photography and elevation data (LiDAR), aims to reduce the costs associated with GIS application development, foster data sharing, and enhance efficiency in various business processes. All basemap data acquired through this effort is released into the public domain.

KyFromAbove acquires aerial imagery and LiDAR during leaf-off conditions throughout the Commonwealth. The imagery typically ranges from 6-inch to 3-inch resolution and is available in Cloud Optimized GeoTiff format from an Amazon S3 bucket. LiDAR data acquired by the program meets USGS Quality Level 2 (QL2) standards. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) at a 2-foot resolution, point cloud data in LAS format, and spot elevations and contours in GeoPackage format are also accessible from the S3 bucket.

KyFromAbove LiDAR and imagery data resources are managed within a Kentucky-specific 5000x5000 foot grid (FIPS:1600) (EPSG:3089). Data updates occur annually, with portions of the state acquired each year, leading to an overall update cycle of every three to four years. This catalog currently includes imagery and LiDAR data from 2010 through 2024 for most products.