Aurora, CO USA - Merrick & Company, a world leader in LiDAR, digital ortho imaging, photogrammetry and GIS mapping, is pleased to announce a $431,000 contract with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to provide color digital orthophotography at a 6-inch pixel resolution and a horizontal accuracy of +/-2-feet for more than 1,000 square miles covering urbanized areas in the California counties of Sacramento, Yolo and Placer. In addition, Merrick will provide enhanced LiDAR data collection and delivery for nearly 90 square miles in the same area that will support 2-foot contour generation. Ultimately, more than 400 gigabytes of data will be delivered in fall 2006 for use in ArcSDE geographic information system deployments.

According to Joe Concannon, GIS coordinator for SACOG, "The project is cooperatively funded by ten local, regional and federal agencies. Our region is rapidly growing and the different levels of government will use this data in various capacities to serve the public interest."

Gary Outlaw, Merrick's vice president of business development, GeoSpatial Solutions states, "Merrick's first geospatial endeavor in the Sacramento area dates back to 1991. We are pleased to continue our support for the region in this collaborative effort."

Major issues in the region include flood planning and mitigation, general planning for rapid growth and homeland security. Concannon concludes, "The SACOG region has the highest risk of flooding in the United States, second only to New Orleans."

Visit SACOG's Mapping Center online at www.sacog.org/mapping/index.cfm.

About Merrick & Company

Founded in Denver in 1955, Merrick & Company is a world-leading multidisciplinary engineering, architectural, geospatial solutions, and construction management firm. The employee-owned company provides these services to municipal, state, federal, and private-sector clients. With approximately 400 employees, Merrick has offices in Aurora and Colorado Springs, CO; Los Alamos and Albuquerque, NM; and Atlanta, GA.