LANDSAT 8: Path 27, Row 39.

North Williamson County, TX

Date of Image: 08 August 2013
NLCD 2006 Class Value
11 (bright blue polygons)

Susan T. Williams
NLCD 2006 Class Description
Open Water: areas of open water, generally with less than 25% cover of vegetation or
soil.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows Lake Georgetown in Williamson County, Texas. It is very
easy to distinguish the open water from the surrounding land and vegetation, as the
water is a distinctive blue tone and very smooth in texture whereas the vegetation is
green and varies in texture roughness. The unusual shape is also indicative of a water
body.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone and texture of Lake Georgetown stands out in clear contrast against the infrared
landscape in this 5-4-3 Color Infrared Band Combination. It is even easier to distinguish
the open water from the surrounding land and vegetation, as the water is a distinctive
blue tone and very smooth in texture in contrast to the red tones of the vegetation. The
unusual shape is also indicative of a water body.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Land/Water Band Combination of 5-6-4
The tone and texture of Lake Georgetown also stands out in clear contrast against the
landscape in this 5-6-4 Land/Water Band Combination. This band combination also makes
it easy to distinguish the blue toned and smooth texture of open water from the green
and brown tones and rougher textures of the surrounding land and vegetation. Again, the
unusual shape is also indicative of a water body.

NLCD 2006 Class Value

42 (medium green polygons)

NLCD 2006 Class Description

Evergreen Forest: areas dominated by trees generally greater than 5 meters tall, and
greater than 20% of total vegetation cover. More than 75% of the tree species maintain
their leaves all year. Canopy is never without green foliage.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows some of the Evergreen Forests around Lake Georgetown
in Williamson County, Texas. The tone is dark green and the texture is quite rough,
making it fairly easy to distinguish these forests from less-dense vegetation classes such as
grasslands. However, the Evergreens may potentially be confused with deciduous forests
if the image is taken during a leaf-on period. Some adjacent areas of scrub/shrub
vegetation may be confused due to shadows from the forest trees.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone and texture of the Evergreen Forests are more obvious in this 5-4-3 Color
Infrared Band Combination. The evergreens (mostly cedar) show as red tones that are
darker than herbaceous/grassland and shrubby areas and rougher in texture, but may be
confused with deciduous forests if the image is taken during a leaf-on period. This band
combination makes it easier to spot the differences between the Evergreen Forests and
adjacent patches of scrub/shrub classes which are somewhat more obscure in the
previous basemap image.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Vegetation Band Combination of 5-6-2
The tone and texture of the Evergreen Forests are also somewhat obvious in this 5-6-2
Vegetation Band Combination. Similar to the color infrared image shown above, the
evergreens (mostly cedar) show as darker tones than lawns or grasslands and rougher in
texture. This band combination seems to differentiate between the evergreen and
deciduous forests fairly well, with an even greater difference in tone than shown in the
previous infrared image.

NLCD 2006 Class Value

71 (yellow-beige polygons)

NLCD 2006 Class Description

Grassland/Herbaceous - areas dominated by gramanoid or herbaceous vegetation,
generally greater than 80% of total vegetation. These areas are not subject to intensive
management such as tilling, but can be utilized for grazing.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows some of the Grassland/Herbaceous areas around Lake
Georgetown in Williamson County, Texas. The tone is brighter than most other
vegetation classes and the texture is smoother, but some of these areas may be confused
with cultivated crops.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone and texture of the Grasslands/Herbaceous areas are somewhat more obvious in
this 5-4-3 Color Infrared Band Combination. Though the tone is not strictly uniform, the
grasslands do appear as lighter-colored red areas with a much smoother texture than the
forests or shrubby areas.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Vegetation Band Combination of 5-6-2
The tone and texture of the Grasslands/Herbaceous areas are also somewhat obvious in
this 5-6-2 Vegetation Band Combination. Similar to the color infrared image shown
above, the grasslands/herbaceous areas show as lighter tones than forests or shrubby
areas and with a smoother texture. This band combination seems to display a slightly
more uniform texture for the grasslands than that of the 5-4-3 Infrared Combination. This
5-6-2 Combination also seems to differentiate quite well between the grasslands and
cultivated crops, which can be seen as very bright, smooth patches adjacent to the
grasslands polygon in the southwest corner.

NLCD 2006 Class Value

82 (brown polygons)

NLCD 2006 Class Description

Cultivated Crops - areas used for the production of annual crops, such as corn,
soybeans, vegetables, tobacco, and cotton, and also perennial woody crops such as
orchards and vineyards. Crop vegetation accounts for greater than 20% of total
vegetation. This class also includes all land being actively tilled.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows some of the Cultivated Crop areas near Lake Georgetown
in Williamson County, Texas. The tone is brighter than most other vegetation classes and
the texture is smoother, but some of these areas may be confused with grasslands.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone, texture and shape of the Cultivated Crop areas are somewhat more distinct in
this 5-4-3 Color Infrared Band Combination. Although the adjacent areas seen in the
basemap all appear to be possible crop locales, this band combination reveals that some
are actually slightly different in tone and texture close, but subtle enough to be
categorized differently. These areas can sometimes be confused for grasslands or
pasture/hay areas, but have a slightly smoother texture than either of those two
classifications.
Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery
Vegetation Band Combination of 5-6-2
The tone, texture, and shape of the Cultivated Crop areas are even more distinct in this 65-2 Agriculture Band Combination. Again, although Cultivated Crops can at times be
confused with Grasslands/Herbaceous areas, the Crops appear as brighter tones with a
smoother texture. The shape of the area can also be a rough indicator, as most croplands
are larger than a typical lot size, tend to cluster together, and are never round or oval in
shape.

NLCD 2006 Class Value

21 (pale pink polygons)

NLCD 2006 Class Description

Developed, Open Space - areas with a mixture of some constructed
materials, but mostly vegetation in the form of lawn grasses. Impervious
surfaces account for less than 20% of total cover. These areas most commonly
include large-lot single-family housing units, parks, golf courses, and vegetation
planted in developed settings for recreation, erosion control, or aesthetic
purposes.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows some of the Developed, Open Space
areas near Lake Georgetown in Williamson County, Texas. Although the
texture is slightly smoother than forest classes yet rougher than crops
and grasslands, some areas may be confused with Scrub/Shrub classes.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone and texture of the Developed, Open Space areas are shown in
pale pink polygons in this 5-4-3 Color Infrared Band Combination. The
tone is lighter than the Forest class but darker than the Crops or
Grasslands classes, while the texture is smoother than the Forest class
and rougher than the Crops or Grasslands classes.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Natural-Like with Atmospheric Removal Band Combination of 7-5-3
The tone and texture of the Developed, Open Space areas are shown in
pale pink polygons in this 7-5-3 Natural-Like With Atmospheric Removal
Band Combination. It is slightly easier to pick out the lighter tone and
texture of the Developed, Open Space areas in comparison to the
Forests, and the green color is easier to spot among the more brownhued Grasslands and Scrub/Shrub areas. Roads appear as very bright
green tones in this image and, although they may make up a small
amount a Developed, Open Space classification, they will not cover more

NLCD 2006 Class Value

24 (red polygons)

than 20% of it.

NLCD 2006 Class Description
Developed High Intensity - highly developed areas where people
reside or work in high numbers. Examples include apartment
complexes, row houses and commercial/industrial. Impervious surfaces
account for 80% to 100% of the total cover.

ESRI World Imagery With Labels Basemap

This ESRI basemap image shows some of the Developed High Intensity
areas to the east of Lake Georgetown in Williamson County, Texas. The
light-colored tone is brighter than almost all of the vegetation, and the
texture is smoother than most shrub and forest classes.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

Color Infrared Band Combination of 5-4-3
The tone, texture, and shape of the Developed High Intensity areas are
shown in bright yellow polygons for better contrast in this 5-4-3 Color
Infrared Band Combination. The bright white and gray colors of the
building stand out against the red-toned vegetation and are smoother in
texture.

Landsat 8 30-m resolution imagery

False-Color Band Combination of 7-6-4
The tone, texture, and shape of the Developed High Intensity areas are
shown in red polygons in this 7-6-4 False Color Band Combination. This
urban band combination clearly shows the bright white and gray color
of buildings. Urban development contains manmade geometric shapes
that are not random enough to be natural. Association is also somewhat
important as high-intensity development is generally located near major
roadways.