topic Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data??? in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:14:45 GMT

Hi, all,

Does anyone remember using a National Land Cover Dataset in the form of a shapefile or layer, as opposed to an image file? There are some gorgeous imagery layers for Land Cover now - but I can't query them.

I used to have a shapefile layer for land cover, and I could separate out different categories, calculate areas, conduct queries to see how different categories intersect with other layers, etc.

I cannot find anything of the kind available anymore. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about or know where something like this is available now?

Thank you!!!

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:33:41 GMT

Why not just add the NLCD raster from the Living Atlas to ArcGIS Pro and convert it to a polygon?

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:34:20 GMT

Because I didn't know that was possible. But it won't include field-specific info, will it? I'll try it.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:44:21 GMT

Yes it includes field specific info.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:48:09 GMT

This is what you need to add in Pro

Then use the tool `Raster to Polygon` and choose Land Cover under field if you are interested in land cover types/classes

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

SteveCole — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:57:21 GMT

You can also bypass the Living Atlas and go here and download the data for whatever years you're interested in.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Thanks, Ed! Well I tried it, and the shapefile just came up with one category. There's no field in the raster attribute table for Class, or Land Cover, which is what I need. It does show up in the Legend or symbology for the raster, so it has to be there somewhere, but there's nothing like that in the raster attribute table, so there's no way for it to convert to usable info for the shapefile either. ??

Well, thanks for giving me the tip on conversion anyway, I'll see if I can figure something out that allows me to have usable attributes and fields.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:01:42 GMT

Thanks, Steve. Yes, I already downloaded several files from that site. I still have the same problem of converting to shapefile. Everything I've found on there is raster.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:24:21 GMT

I don't know how you tried it here I have a sample converted polygon as shown below with different types of land cover types.

Here are the steps I followed to get a polygon NLCD for a specific area

1. Add the raster from the Living Atlas.

2. Right click on it and go to Data > Export Raster > under clipping geometry I selected the study area polygon.

3. Then use raster to polygon to convert the raster you get from step 2 it to a polygon feature class and select ClassName if you are interested in Land Cover Types.

You can then export it as a shapefile if need be

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:16:14 GMT

Ah ok .. Thank you!!!!! I tried just using the Raster to Polygon tool, I'll try the Export route. In any case, I appreciate you setting me on the right path!! I didn't know this was possible.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:23:16 GMT

No worries and good luck 👍 and if it works for you then kindly click on Accept as solution, cheers 🙂

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:43:25 GMT

Arg! It won't allow me to export it to a large enough area to be useful for my project. : (

I did find a place where I can download shapefiles by state so I guess I will have to resort to that. I've had trouble trying to cobble those kind of things together in the past because the symbology never matches up, but I'll give it a try.

Anyway, still appreciate your help and direction, there's a lot I don't know, that I don't know about!

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 19:40:51 GMT

Darn. I keep breaking it down into smaller and smaller sections to export, and I keep getting an error that the raster exceeds the size limitations. The smallest size so far I have chosen is Kentucky, but I need this to cover several states together, at least, so if I have to break it down smaller than that it's really not practical. So..... I'm not sure there is a solution to this. Break it down into counties, and piece 20+ pieces together for each state, and then piece 8 of those together? I guess I could if I have to ..

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Ed_ — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 20:06:28 GMT

yes, there's a constraint on the raster output size, you would have to break them into counties and then merge them together in the end using the Append tool.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

Anonymous User — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:47:57 GMT

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

AvaFarouche — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 04:15:09 GMT

Hi, there. The reason is because I'm basically self-taught and I learn by googling and posting here as a last resort. I have used shapefiles for these in the past so that's what I was looking for. But thanks for bringing it up, I'll look into it.

Re: Land Cover Shapefile Data???

kronezone — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 22:14:00 GMT

What is the place you found that allows you to export shapefiles by state?