The following instructions are not intended to be a comprehensive complete reference to the Mapserver application, but as a guide to quickly and effectively help you use the tool to find the information you need. Highly technical and designatedly complete information can be found on the University of Minnesota Mapserver website. (link will open in a new window) Also note that as needs arise, the District plans on adding more features and enhanced functionality to make this a more effective tool; if you have a suggestion or recommendation, please email us!

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Getting Started

1. From the main Mapserver page, click the Initialize button to start the application, which will appear similar to the basic layout is shown at right.
2. Beginning at the upper right and working your way down the Mapserver Control Panel, click on the appropriate checkboxes of features that you would like to appear on your map. Map initialization (from #1) will include all geographic features turned on.
3. Next, select whether you want the map to:
   • zoom in or out (and by how much magnification) OR
   • recenter itself
   to the new location that you click on the map.
4. Then you must determine what you want Mapserver to do upon clicking on the map. There are three options:
• Browse Map: implies that clicking anywhere on the map will redraw it centered around the point at which you clicked on the image
• Get Permit OR Sampling Data: by clicking a parcel (for Permit information) or test location (for Water Quality information), the next screen will display the contents of either database based on the clicked location
• Get Permit AND Sampling Data: by clicking any location on the map, the next screen will display the contents (if any) of both databases based on the clicked location. This tool is available for your use, but rarely are a permit location and water testing site coincidental on the map.
5. Click the Redraw Map button to redraw the map at the current centered location (plus any layer/feature and zoom modifications you made in steps 2 & 3).
   Otherwise click somewhere on the map to redraw it or to get information from the database at a specific location.

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Querying Features

When in the mode where you are accessing Permit and/or Water Quality information, i.e. when you wish to obtain information about anything from a particular point on the map, a new browser window will launch the description of the location as well as any particular database contents, i.e. permit information or water quality test results.