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MSL-USDA NRCS Natural Resources Data Partnership Elevation and Imagery

LIDAR Data

  • Montana LiDAR Inventory - High resolution LiDAR elevation data has been collected for portions of Montana with additional collections in progress. The LiDAR Inventory web application allows online viewing of LiDAR data availability and planned acquisitions and is designed to promote collaboration and coordination of future lidar acquisitions.
    • The LiDAR Inventory also provides web maps and printable maps depicting completed and planned LiDAR acquisitions. Missing lidar project footprints for known projects not currently in the inventory can be submitted through a simple questionnaire. The on-line map also includes an edit tool allowing lidar data users to draw priority areas of interest for future LiDAR acquisitions.
    • Recently acquired LiDAR data has been post processed to a suite of derivatives and is available for viewing and download through this on-line interactive map.
  • The Montana Elevation Working Group is actively engaged in supporting the USGS 3DEP program and coordinating the acquisition of statewide LiDAR.

Statewide Elevation Data

The 10 meter National Elevation Data (NED) is currently the only available statewide elevation data for Montana. Subsets of the statewide ten meter NED elevation rasters, slopes, slopes classified for rangeland planning, and 40 foot contour data have been created for Montana NRCS management areas and can be downloaded here.

National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP)

The NAIP data for the state of Montana is available for the following collection periods: 2023, 2021, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, and 2005. Data resolution for the 2021, 2019, and 2017 collections is 60 cm. The 2015-2016 images are one meter resolution. All collections include 4-bands, 3 natural color and 1 near infrared. Due to variable weather conditions during the collection period gaps may occur in the NAIP tiles. View the Aerial Photo page for links to the image services, photo dates, tile indexes, and links to download the county mosaics. 

Historic Imagery (Mid 20th Century)

This image service is a mosaic of black and white historical aerial images from the USGS Single Frame Archive creating a continuous orthoimage for Montana. The imagery spans the 1940s to the 1970s. Additional information can be obtained from the Metadata Record. Web services of the Image Dates and Tile Index are also available for reference.