These data provide an accurate high-resolution shoreline compiled from imagery of NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI . This vector shoreline data is based on an office interpretation of imagery that may be suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. This metadata describes information for both the line and point shapefiles. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute...

This hosted feature layer has been published in RI State Plane Feet NAD 83 Eelgrass beds, estuarine and marine wetlands in Narragansett Bay delineated from 1999 true color aerial photography and coded according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and T. Laroe. 1979.(Reprinted 1992). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington DC. FWS/OBS-79/31. 103 pp." ) Planning for critical habitat protection, inventory of eelgrass beds and coastal wetlands Target minimum polygonal mapping unit was 0.5 acre for eelgrass beds, 0.25 acre for discrete coastal wetlands, and 3 to 5 acres for internal polygons.

These data were automated to provide an accurate high-resolution historical shoreline of Narragansett Bay suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. These data are derived from shoreline maps that were produced by the NOAA National Ocean Service including its predecessor agencies which were based on an office interpretation of imagery and/or field survey. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute Source Table (C-COAST)' was developed to conform the attribution of various sources of shoreline data into one attribution catalog. C-COAST is not a recognized standard, but was influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 Object-Attribute standard so the data would be more accurately translated into S-57. This resource is a member of https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39808

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents all coastal waters and the coastline of Rhode Island and portions of coastline in neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts, divided into thirteen sections of NBEP’s study areas according to all available information and the most common delineations of NBEP’s study areas. It includes the estuaries, the salt ponds, and estuarine tributaries. Sections are generally made up of several bay segments, grouped according to flow and connectivity between bay segments as well as areas considered unique for planning and/or management purposes. The boundaries of NBEP estuarine waters correspond to delineations by researchers studying the Bay. The Estuary Program compiled all available information and used the most common delineations to define estuarine waters. The upper boundaries of the estuarine waters correspond to the limits of tidal waters defined by: (1) the presence of existing dams (as of 2016) and (2) the extent of estuarine waters as defined and delineated by the states to assess water quality and shellfishing areas. The outer boundary of Narragansett Bay spans Point Judith and Sakonnet Point. See below for a full listing of data sources. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

These data were automated to provide an accurate high-resolution historical shoreline of Narragansett Bay-East Passage, RI suitable as a geographic information system (GIS) data layer. These data are derived from shoreline maps that were produced by the NOAA National Ocean Service including its predecessor agencies which were based on an office interpretation of imagery and/or field survey. The NGS attribution scheme 'Coastal Cartographic Object Attribute Source Table (C-COAST)' was developed to conform the attribution of various sources of shoreline data into one attribution catalog. C-COAST is not a recognized standard, but was influenced by the International Hydrographic Organization's S-57 Object-Attribute standard so the data would be more accurately translated into S-57. This resource is a member of https://inport.nmfs.noaa.gov/inport/item/39808

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents the drainage areas of the major rivers that flow into NBEP’s estuarine study areas. The four river basins in Narragansett Bay are defined as the area of the landscape that drains into the Taunton, Blackstone, and Pawtuxet Rivers and their tributaries as well as the drainage area for Coastal Narragansett Bay, which encompasses all land that drains directly into Narragansett Bay. The areal extents of river basins in Narragansett Bay were delineated based on grouping Watershed Planning Areas (WPAs) according to major rivers and their tributaries (for more information about the development of WPAs, see WPA_NBEP2017). River basins were not derived from the U.S. Geological Survey hierarchical system of hydrologic units, but WPA groupings were informed by MassGIS Major Watersheds (2000) and USGS HUC10 boundaries (2015). The Little Narragansett Bay and the Southwest Coastal Ponds drainage areas were not segmented further into river basins (for more information about the boundary of the Little Narragansett Bay watershed, see STUDYAREAS_NBEP2017). River basin coastlines were updated with NBEP’s estuarine coastline delineation (for details about NBEP’s coastline delineation, see metadata for BAYS_NBEP2019). This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents the areas of landscape that drain into NBEP’s estuarine study areas, divided by state boundaries. Detailed state boundaries from state sources were merged to a seamless dataset and coastal boundaries were updated with NBEP’s estuarine coastline delineation (for details about NBEP’s coastline delineation, see metadata for BAYS_NBEP2019). This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Extent (in acres) of seagrasses in Narragansett Bay in 2006. Data are from the Rhode Island Eelgrass Task Force, which developed a standard set of mapping and monitoring protocols to survey seagrass. This dataset was created for the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org). It is intended for general planning, graphic display, and GIS analysis.

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents the 12-digit hydrologic units (HUC12) that drain, directly and indirectly, to the three estuaries. HUC12 drainage areas were sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) which contains a nested, hierarchical system of hydrologic units. Hydrologic units define the boundaries of surface water drainage to a given set of outlet points or a dendritic stream network. The boundaries are determined by topographic, hydrologic, and other relevant landscape characteristics. Within the Little Narragansett Bay watershed, NBEP delineated the drainage area for the western portion of Little Narragansett Bay. This area, “Part of Southeast Coastal-Pawcatuck River to Eastern Point,” drains to a smaller outlet than any hydrologic unit available in the WBD. All coastal watershed boundaries were updated with NBEP’s estuarine coastline delineation (for details about NBEP’s coastline delineation, see metadata for BAYS_NBEP2019). This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

This hosted feature layer has been published in RI State Plane Feet NAD 83 A trend analysis of estuarine and marine wetlands in Narragansett Bay and their 500-foot upland buffer delineated from 1990s era true color aerial photography and 1950s era black and white aerial photography and coded according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and T. Laroe. 1979.(Reprinted 1992). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington DC. FWS/OBS-79/31. 103 pp." ) and Anderson, J.R., E.E. Hardy, J.T. Roach and R.E. Witmer. 1976. A Land Use and Land Cover Classification System for Use with Remote Sensor Data. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 96A. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 28ppThese data identify coastal wetland and buffer zone trends including losses, gains and changes in classification in the Rhode Island portion of the Narragansett Bay Estuary and to identify these same trends in 6 pilot areas including 1930s to 1950s trends. Planning for the protection and restoration of coastal wetland and buffer zone restoration. Target minimum polygonal mapping unit was 0.25 acre for discrete coastal wetlands

This vector dataset contains water quality classifications for 2014 in the rivers and streams of Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and Southwest Coastal ponds watersheds. Water quality classifications were based on Massachusetts and Rhode Island Assessment Databases for 2014 (MassDEP 2015, RIDEM 2015). This assessment specifically focuses on causes of water quality impairment that are detrimental to aquatic life with an emphasis on nutrient enrichment and low dissolved oxygen. The Estuary Program re-classified water quality in four categories. The first, “Acceptable” includes waters that fully support aquatic life, equivalent to a “fully supporting” determination by the states. Acceptable waters are generally not tested for all parameters that may affect aquatic life use. Information about the testing completed for each waterway was unavailable. As a result, waters classified as “Acceptable” may not have been tested for nutrient concentrations or dissolved oxygen levels, and thus are not a direct proxy for those parameters. The second category, “Impacted by Nutrients/DO,” includes waters that are “not supporting” of aquatic life due to nutrient enrichment or depleted oxygen. To determine water quality conditions for aquatic life, the states also test many other parameters, such as toxins, that are unrelated to nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Thus, the third category included waters “Impacted by Other,” i.e., waters that were “not supporting” of aquatic life due to parameters other than nutrient enrichment or oxygen depletion. The fourth category, “Unassessed for Aquatic Life Use,” includes waters that are assessed by the states for other uses (e.g., Recreational Use), but not for Aquatic Life Use. River and stream lengths are calculated in miles. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and graphic display at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the Integrated List reporting from Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP). This dataset represents all coastal waters and the coastline of Rhode Island and portions of coastline in neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts, segmented according to all available information and the most common delineations of NBEP’s study areas. It includes the estuaries, the salt ponds, and estuarine tributaries. Segments are the smallest divisions of the Bay used for analysis in the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org). The boundaries of NBEP estuarine waters correspond to delineations by researchers studying the Bay. The Estuary Program compiled all available information and used the most common delineations to define estuarine waters. The upper boundaries of the estuarine waters correspond to the limits of tidal waters defined by: (1) the presence of existing dams (as of 2016) and (2) the extent of estuarine waters as defined and delineated by the states to assess water quality and shellfishing areas. The outer boundary of Narragansett Bay spans Point Judith and Sakonnet Point. See below for a full listing of data sources. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

This hosted feature layer has been published in RI State Plane Feet NAD 83.Hardened shorelines in Narragansett Bay delineated from 1996 true color aerial photography and coded according to classifications developed by NRAG and USFWS. For use in planning purposes for critical habitat protection and wetland protection.

This hosted feature layer has been published in RI State Plane Feet NAD 83 Landuse / landcover classification of uplands in the 500 foot buffer zone of coastal wetlands, delineated from 1996 true color aerial photography and coded according to a modified Anderson (1976) classification. Intended for use in planning for critical habitat protection, wetland restoration. For features with a minimum .5 acre resolution within 500 feet of Narragansett Bay and adjacent waters.

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents Watershed Protection Areas (WPAs) that drain, directly and indirectly, into NBEP’s estuarine study areas. WPAs represent watershed management focal areas that are nested within NBEP river basins. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) defined WPAs for the purpose of developing watershed management plans. Each WPA encompasses one or more HUC12 subwatersheds, but some WPAs are not consistent with HUC12 drainage boundaries (e.g., Aquidneck Island). RIDEM and MassDEP have developed approaches to support watershed management plans that consider the geographical location, in some cases at varying scales, and the work conducted by different partners within the watershed. In the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org), indicator results are reported for WPAs to provide information that supports these efforts. The Estuary Program merged RIDEM’s WPAs and HUC12 subwatersheds in Massachusetts (this scale is comparable with RIDEM’s definition of WPAs). Based on early input by partners across the watershed, certain WPAs in Massachusetts were defined by grouping or dividing out HUC12 subwatersheds to capture special areas of interest for various watershed groups, for example, the Segreganset River watershed and Mill River watershed in Massachusetts. Coastal WPAs were updated with NBEP’s estuarine coastline delineation (for details about NBEP’s coastline delineation, see metadata for BAYS_NBEP2019). This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents the 10-digit hydrologic units (HUC10) that drain, directly and indirectly, to the three estuaries. HUC10 drainage areas were sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) which contains a nested, hierarchical system of hydrologic units. Hydrologic units define the boundaries of surface water drainage to a given set of outlet points or a dendritic stream network. The boundaries are determined by topographic, hydrologic, and other relevant landscape characteristics. Within the Little Narragansett Bay watershed, NBEP delineated the drainage area for the western portion of Little Narragansett Bay. This area, “Part of Southeast Coastal-Pawcatuck River to Eastern Point,” drains to a smaller outlet than any hydrologic unit available in the WBD. All coastal watershed boundaries were updated with NBEP’s estuarine coastline delineation (for details about NBEP’s coastline delineation, see metadata for BAYS_NBEP2019). This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents all coastal waters and the coastline of Rhode Island and portions of coastline in neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts. It includes the estuaries, the salt ponds, and estuarine tributaries. The boundaries of NBEP estuarine waters correspond to delineations by researchers studying the Bay. The Estuary Program compiled all available information and used the most common delineations to define estuarine waters. The upper boundaries of the estuarine waters correspond to the limits of tidal waters defined by: (1) the presence of existing dams (as of 2016) and (2) the extent of estuarine waters as defined and delineated by the states to assess water quality and shellfishing areas. The outer boundary of Narragansett Bay spans Point Judith and Sakonnet Point. See below for a full listing of data sources. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org) or contact Julia.twichell@nbep.org.

Population density in 1990 within the boundaries of the Narragansett Bay watershed, the Southwest Coastal Ponds watershed, and the Little Narragansett Bay watershed. The methods for analyzing population were developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency ORD Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division in collaboration with the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program and other partners. Population rasters were generated using the USGS dasymetric mapping tool (see http://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/dasymetric/index.htm) which uses land use data to distribute population data more accurately than simply within a census mapping unit. The 1990 10m cell population density raster was produced using Rhode Island 1988 state land use data, Massachusetts 1985 state land use, Connecticut 1992 NLCD land use data, and U.S. Census data (1990). To generate a population estimate (number of persons) for any given area within the boundaries of this raster, use the Zonal Statistics as Table tool to sum the 10m cell density values within your zone dataset (e.g., watershed polygon layer). For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).

Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and the Southwest Coastal Ponds are the three estuarine study areas under the purview of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. This dataset represents all coastal waters and the coastline of Rhode Island and portions of coastline in neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts, divided into seven regions of NBEP’s study areas according to all available information and the most common delineations of NBEP’s study areas. It includes the estuaries, the salt ponds, and estuarine tributaries. Regions are made up of several bay segments, grouped primarily according to shellfish management approaches. The boundaries of NBEP estuarine waters correspond to delineations by researchers studying the Bay. The Estuary Program compiled all available information and used the most common delineations to define estuarine waters. The upper boundaries of the estuarine waters correspond to the limits of tidal waters defined by: (1) the presence of existing dams (as of 2016) and (2) the extent of estuarine waters as defined and delineated by the states to assess water quality and shellfishing areas. The outer boundary of Narragansett Bay spans Point Judith and Sakonnet Point. See below for a full listing of data sources. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and mapping at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org) or contact Julia.twichell@nbep.org.

This vector dataset contains estuarine water quality classifications for 2014 in the Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay, and Southwest Coastal ponds. Water quality classifications were based on Massachusetts and Rhode Island Assessment Databases for 2014 (MassDEP 2015, RIDEM 2015). This assessment specifically focuses on causes of water quality impairment that are detrimental to aquatic life with an emphasis on nutrient enrichment and low dissolved oxygen. The Estuary Program re-classified water quality in four categories. The first, “Acceptable,” includes waters that fully support aquatic life, equivalent to a “fully supporting” determination by the states. Acceptable waters are generally not tested for all parameters that may affect aquatic life use. Information about the testing completed for each waterbody was unavailable. As a result, waters classified as “Acceptable” may not have been tested for nutrient concentrations or dissolved oxygen levels, and thus are not a direct proxy for those parameters. The second category, “Impacted by Nutrients/DO,” includes waters that are “not supporting” of aquatic life due to nutrient enrichment or depleted oxygen. To determine water quality conditions for aquatic life, the states also test many other parameters, such as toxins, that are unrelated to nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Thus, the third category included waters “Impacted by Other,” i.e., waters that were “not supporting” of aquatic life due to parameters other than nutrient enrichment or oxygen depletion. The fourth category was “Unassessed for Aquatic Life Use” which includes waters that are assessed by the states for other uses (e.g., Recreational Use), but not for Aquatic Life Use. Area is calculated in square miles. This dataset is intended for use in general planning, GIS analysis, and graphic display at watershed and subwatershed scales. For more information, please reference the Integrated List reporting for Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay & Its Watershed Technical Report (nbep.org).