Coastal wetlands of the Blackwater region, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Dates
Publication Date
2021-05-18
Citation
Ackerman, K.V., Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2021, Coastal wetlands of the Blackwater region, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9M7H6XG.
Summary
Note: The 2022 data release "Geospatial Characterization of Salt Marshes in Chesapeake Bay" incorporates the Blackwater region salt marsh dataset. (https://doi.org/10.5066/P997EJYB) This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of Blackwater, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and others, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a digital elevation model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence wetland health. The U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands with the intent of providing Federal, [...]
Summary
Note: The 2022 data release "Geospatial Characterization of Salt Marshes in Chesapeake Bay" incorporates the Blackwater region salt marsh dataset. (https://doi.org/10.5066/P997EJYB)
This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the geographic region of Blackwater, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Metrics for resiliency, including unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, and others, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a digital elevation model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence wetland health. The U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services.
Click on title to download individual files attached to this item.
BW_Browse.png “Location of the Blackwater region, Chesapeake Bay, MD”
6.04 MB
image/png
Purpose
These polygons were created to be used in evaluating the spatial variation of the response and resiliency of the salt marsh complex based on consistently defined marsh units while facilitating a better understanding of the relative importance of the processes involved. The salt marsh complex of the Blackwater region was delineated to smaller, conceptual marsh units by the geoprocessing of surface elevation data. Flow accumulation based on the relative elevation of each location is used to determine the ridge lines that separate each marsh unit while the surface slope is used to automatically assign each unit a drainage point, where water is expected to drain through.
Preview Image
Location of the Blackwater region, Chesapeake Bay, MD