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The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Tennessee’s Economy

Fact Sheet 2025-3037
National Geospatial Program
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20253037

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Introduction 

The State of Tennessee has an area of approximately 42,100 square miles and includes six physiographic regions: Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateaus, Highland Rim, Nashville Basin, and the Gulf Coastal Plains. Up-to-date elevation data support key activities across the State, such as economic development, infrastructure and construction management, agriculture and precision farming, forest resources management, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, emergency management, and urban and regional planning. The State experiences frequent landslides affecting major roadways. High-resolution elevation data can help identify potential landslide-prone areas. Critical applications that meet the State’s management needs depend on light detection and ranging (lidar) data that provide a highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth’s surface and aboveground features.

The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP; refer to sidebar) is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with Federal, State, Tribal, U.S. territorial, and local agencies to acquire consistent lidar coverage at qual-ity level 2 or better to meet the many needs of the Nation and Tennessee. The status of available and in-progress 3DEP baseline lidar data in Tennessee is shown in figure 1. 3DEP baseline lidar data include quality level 2 or better, 1-meter or better digital elevation models, and lidar point clouds, and must meet the Lidar Base Specification version 1.2 (https://www.usgs.gov/3dep/lidarspec) or newer requirements. The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment identified user requirements and conservatively estimated that availability of lidar data would result in at least $6.32 million in new benefits annually to the State. The top 10 Tennessee business uses for 3D elevation data, which are based on the estimated annual conservative benefits of 3DEP, are shown in table 2.

Suggested Citation

Heleine, G., 2025, The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Tennessee’s economy: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2025–3037, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20253037.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Status of 3DEP in Tennessee
  • Agriculture and Precision Farming
  • Natural Resources Conservation
  • Flood Risk Management
  • Geologic Resource Assessment and Hazard Mitigation
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title The 3D Elevation Program—Supporting Tennessee’s economy
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2025-3037
DOI 10.3133/fs20253037
Publication Date July 30, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) National Geospatial Program
Description 2 p.
Country United States
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Additional publication details