New UW Online Portal Opens Access to Statewide LiDAR Data

The Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) at the University of Wyoming has launched the Wyoming LiDAR (light detection and ranging) Data Portal, providing unprecedented public access to high-resolution elevation and contour data across the state.

The portal was unveiled last week at the Wyoming Geospatial Organization spring 2025 conference in Casper by WyGISC, a unit of UW’s School of Computing.

Available at https://lidar.wygisc.org/, the portal is a free, public resource designed to make advanced geospatial data easily accessible to communities, agencies, researchers and everyday users across Wyoming.

“This is a major step forward in public access to high-resolution elevation data for the state of Wyoming,” says Shawn Lanning, a geospatial specialist with WyGISC, who helped develop the portal alongside project leader Jeff Hamerlinck and colleague Shannon Albeke. “With just a few clicks, users can now explore and download elevation and contour data for any area of the state.”

The Wyoming LiDAR Data Portal offers:

-- Statewide digital terrain models and 2-foot contour data created using high-resolution LiDAR data.

-- Centralized access to Wyoming-specific LiDAR datasets and derivative products.

-- Tools for data visualization, download and exploration, all through an intuitive interface.

This effort was made possible through a one-time legislative appropriation of $2 million in 2023, which funded the development of 2-foot contours, supporting digital terrain models and the portal itself. WyGISC led the project in collaboration with Woolpert, a geospatial engineering firm.

The portal is intended for anyone in Wyoming who needs reliable elevation and topographic data, including:

-- Landowners and planners evaluating development or agricultural projects.

-- Researchers and students conducting environmental or geological studies.

-- Emergency management teams preparing for or responding to natural disasters.

-- Outdoor enthusiasts and drone operators needing terrain-aware tools.

-- Local and state agencies supporting infrastructure and natural resource planning.

Phase 2 of the project is already in development and will involve further collaboration with stakeholders statewide to expand available datasets and improve user tools.

For more information, email wygisc@uwyo.edu.

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