Napa Valley Historical Aerial Photomosaic Image from 1940-42

Author:

Thomas Burns

This historical aerial photography mosaic was used to develop a reconstruction of the historical landscape and prevailing conditions of Napa Valley. The early aerial photography from 1940 and 1942 was one of several data sources used to determine conditions prior to Euro-American modification. A small portion of one image from 1953 was used near St. Helena. The mosaic consists of early black and white aerial photography. 82 photographic prints covering the project area were obtained from the Napa County Resource Conservation District/Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Type of Data:

GIS imagery/raster

Programs and Focus Areas:

Resilient Landscapes Program

Historical Ecology

Location Information

General Project Location(s) (Optional):

Napa Valley

Project Location(s):

Data Availability

Please Cite This Dataset as:

Burns, Thomas and San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). 2008. "Napa Valley Historical Aerial Photomosaic 1940 to 42". Accessed [date retrieved]. http://www.sfei.org/content/napa-valley-historical-aerial-photomosaic-im...

Given the challenges of historical data, accuracy varies in different parts of the image, and in some places horizontal displacement may be as high as 80 meters. For this reason, we recommend that the imagery be used at a coarse scale. Caution should be used when comparing this imagery to more spatially accurate contemporay sources.

Data may be subject to change without prior notification. If this data is modified, changes should be documented in a metadata record that should accompany all redistributed data. If data is transmitted or provided in any form to another user, the data must be accompanied by a copy of this disclaimer and all documentation provided with the original data set, including the full metadata record. SFEI-ASC requests that the use of these data in any map, publication, or report should cite this study or the direct data source(s) used and give proper attribution and credit to the originators of the data.

For more detail refer to the Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas.

Data URL:

Napa_Valley_historical_aerial_photomosaic_1940-42.zip

Contact:

eigis@sfei.org

Related Projects

Napa Valley Historical Ecology Study (Project)

Friends of the Napa River, the Napa County Resource Conservation District, and SFEI have carried out investigations into the historical Napa Valley landscape. This research provides baseline information about local landscape conditions and potential future restoration scenarios on the valley floor.

This collaborative effort culminated in the richly illustrated Napa Historical Ecology Atlas, published by UC Press in 2012.

Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas (Project)

The Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas takes readers on a richly illustrated tour of the iconic Napa Valley landscape from 200 years ago to the present and future.

Using the pioneering SFEI Historical Ecology approach, the Atlas challenges many preconceived notions about the nature of California landscapes, and suggests strategies to increase the health and resilience of local watersheds based on an understanding of how natural systems function. The Atlas is designed to support a broad range of local efforts for ecological restoration and watershed stewardship in Napa Valley, while providing a new and accessible model for historical ecology studies in other regions.