Intersect output contains unexpected number of features in ArcGIS Pro

Description

In ArcGIS Pro, intersecting a polygon feature class with a zone feature class using the Intersect tool returns more output features than the number of input features in the attribute table, as shown in the example below.

Cause

• The zone feature class contains overlapping features resulting in multiple intersected outputs for the same area.
• The zone feature class contains invalid geometry errors such as slivers and unclosed rings, which can lead to unexpected splits.

Solution or Workaround

Depending on the suitability, use one of the following workarounds.

Use the Pairwise Intersect tool

Use the Pairwise Intersect tool instead of the Intersect tool to compute intersections for the features in pairs. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: How Pairwise Intersect works for more information.

Create a geodatabase topology and edit the boundaries

1. In ArcGIS Pro, open the project.
2. On the Analysis tab, in the Geoprocessing group, click Tools.
3. In the Geoprocessing pane, search for and click the Create Feature Dataset (Data Management Tools) tool.
4. Use the Create Feature Dataset tool to create a feature dataset.
5. In the Create Feature Dataset pane, click Back.
6. In the Geoprocessing pane, search for and click the Feature Class To Geodatabase (Conversion Tools) tool.
7. Use the Feature Class To Geodatabase tool to import the zone feature class into the feature dataset.
8. In the Catalog pane, under Databases, right-click the feature dataset and click New > Topology.

1. In the Create Topology wizard, under Feature Classes, check the feature class check box and click Next.

2. Under Rules, for Feature Class 1, select the feature class.
3. For Rule, select Must Not Overlap (Area) from the drop-down menu.
4. Click Finish.

9. In the Catalog pane, under Databases, right-click the newly created geodatabase topology and click Validate.

10. In the Catalog pane, under Databases, right-click the geodatabase topology and click Add To Current Map.

Note:
Alternatively, use the Count Overlapping Features tool or apply feature blending to the layer to identify the overlapping features.

11. On the Edit tab, in the Tools group, use the Reshape or Edit Vertices tools to remove overlaps by editing the boundaries of the features.
12. In the Catalog pane, under Databases, right-click the geodatabase topology and click Validate.

Use the Check Geometry and Repair Geometry tools

Use the Check Geometry tool to identify the geometry errors in the zone features before fixing the errors using the Repair Geometry tool.

The attribute table below shows the Intersect tool returns the expected output based on the spatial relationships between the input and zone features.