FAQ: US Survey Foot Use Deprecation


What is Happening?

Beginning January 1, 2023, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will deprecate the use of the U.S. Survey Foot (1200/3937 meters), and solely use the International Foot (0.3048 meters) moving forward.  

What does this mean for my datasets in Propeller?

Propeller will continue to support all existing Propeller datasets that use the U.S. Survey Foot for their units. Users can still upload new datasets to existing sites and use the US Survey Foot measurement.  

When will I need to start using International Feet?  

The NGS released a new coordinate system and vertical datum based on the International Foot. Once available, the new coordinate systems and vertical datum will be incorporated into Propeller, and users will be able to create new sites using them. If you create a new site in Propeller with one of the new coordinate systems and vertical datum, the International Foot will be the only non-metric unit available.  

What if I want to begin using International Feet for Processing? 

If you want to begin using International Feet before the release of the new coordinate systems and vertical datum, please create a new site that uses International Feet for the units, and contact your Customer Success Engineer for best practices, as it relates to data processing using the new units.  

When will the new coordinate systems and vertical datum be released?  

No specific date has been provided at this point. However, the Propeller Team is tracking any developments so that we can incorporate them as quickly as possible into the platform following their release. 

How will I know of any changes made by Propeller?

Propeller will notify all users once the new coordinate system and vertical datum are supported and of any resulting changes to workflows within the Propeller Platform.

Is there anything I need to do?  

Presently, we recommend users ensure they are aware of US Survey Foot's deprecation and how it may affect their future work. Additionally, please read future communications from Propeller regarding any workflow changes related to the deprecation.


I still can't do it!

We wrote these articles to equip you with everything you need to get the job done on your own, but we understand that sometimes this isn't sufficient.

If you're stuck, you can connect with our support team by clicking the support button on the top right corner of your user portal.

Related to