Wisconsin and Landsat

Abstract

Wisconsin could be called a State of icons, and many of the icons can trace their roots to the abundant resources within its four borders. Big beer companies in Milwaukee that began in the 1800s made their beer from water from nearby lakes and rivers, kept it cool with ice from those same sources, and stored it in containers made of harvested wood from State forests. Dairy and cheese factories rely on milk from dairy farms with fields and pastures and generate billions in revenue for the State’s economy. The Wisconsin Dells, Door County, and the Northwoods draw tourists with their natural beauty and recreation opportunities. Wisconsin contains more than 17 million acres of hardwood and coniferous forest, much of it on land reforested since the large-scale timber cutting of the 1800s and early 1900s. The Badger State boasts nearly 15,000 lakes within its borders and touches two Great Lakes—a bit of Lake Superior and a considerable length of western Lake Michigan. Wisconsin ranks second in the Nation for milk production, but it ranks first for cheese, cranberries, snap beans, and milk goats. Data and imagery from Landsat Earth observation systems assist agencies and land managers in monitoring these resources and planning for future management. Here are several ways Landsat benefits Wisconsin.