The Tar Creek Superfund and Flood Map: A Case Study in the Equitable Co‐Production of Maps for Storytelling, Environmental Activism, and Education

Abstract Case studies on co‐production and geographic information systems have reported on the utility and value of community members contributing local knowledge for and providing feedback on maps in ways that can increase the accuracy and usability of the map. However, how the concept for and goals of the map are co‐produced and how the maps are then used by the community is understudied. This paper uses a co‐operative inquiry approach to assess equity in co‐production throughout the process of building and using the Tar Creek Superfund and Flood map for storytelling, environmental activism, and education. The project team designed and built an interactive flood map demonstrating that floodwaters flow through the Tar Creek Superfund site, potentially carrying and distributing mining waste throughout the community, further exacerbating the environmental harm the community has experienced as a result of mining. The team was formed through the Thriving Earth Exchange, which brings community leaders, volunteer scientists, and technical experts together to work on community‐driven projects. The purpose of this project was to both make—and use—the map dynamically within the community in pursuit of education and environmental activism goals. Equity is measured by assessing roles and labor not only within making the map but also within its various uses by community members.