Description: The boundaries featured here provide a way to visualize the Choptank Habitat Focus Area (HFA) within the larger Chesapeake Bay region, and to discern watersheds and tidal waterbodies within the HFA.
Description: Boundaries of the Choptank HFA, including watersheds and tidal waters, represented as a single polygon. Note that the boundaries do not exactly match the tributary watershed boundaries, which are based on USGS HUC-12s. Provided by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office.
Copyright Text: NOAA/NMFS/ National Chesapeake Bay Office
Description: Boundaries of the Harris Creek watershed within the Choptank Habitat Focus Area, including land and tidal waters, represented as a single polygon. Based on USGS HUC-12 (12 digit Hydrologic Unit Classification).
Copyright Text: US Geological Survey, Water Resources
Description: Boundaries of the Tred Avon River watershed within the Choptank Habitat Focus Area, including land and tidal waters, represented as a single polygon. Based on USGS HUC-12 (12 digit Hydrologic Unit Classification).
Copyright Text: US Geological Survey, Water Resources
Description: Boundaries of the Little Choptank River watershed within the Choptank Habitat Focus Area, including land and tidal waters, represented as a single polygon. Based on USGS HUC-12 (12 digit Hydrologic Unit Classification).
Copyright Text: US Geological Survey, Water Resources
Description: Watersheds and tidal waters of the Choptank HFA are classified as Upper, Middle, Lower, or Little Choptank, represented as polygons. Based on USGS HUC units.
Description: Watersheds (land portion) of the Choptank HFA are classified as Upper, Middle, Lower, or Little Choptank, represented as color-coded polygons. Used as units for water quality monitoring by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Description: Tidal waters of the Choptank HFA are classified as Upper, Middle, Lower, or Little Choptank, represented as polygons. Used as units for water quality monitoring by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Description: The Land Cover layers presented here are from NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). These nationally consistent, raster-based products provide individual dates of land cover inventories. Up to 25 classes of land cover are mapped. Data is based upon 30 meter Landsat imagery.
Description: We present a subset of the 2010 C-CAP land cover where the data are reclassified into 4 classes, defined as: Agriculture (Cultivated Crops and Pasture/Hay), Urban (Developed high, Medium and Low Intensities and Open Space), Water and Other Land Covers (include all the other classes).
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS/OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program
Description: The NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) produces a nationally standardized database of land cover and land change information for the coastal regions of the U.S. C-CAP products provide inventories of coastal intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands with the goal of monitoring these habitats by updating the land cover maps every five years. C-CAP products are developed using multiple years of 30-meter resolution Landsat imagery, and consist of raster-based land cover maps for each year of analysis. For the Choptank HFA land cover data is presented from 2010.
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS/OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program
Description: The NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) produces a nationally standardized database of land cover and land change information for the coastal regions of the U.S. C-CAP products provide inventories of coastal intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands with the goal of monitoring these habitats by updating the land cover maps every five years. C-CAP products are developed using multiple years of 30-meter resolution Landsat imagery, and consist of raster-based land cover maps for each year of analysis. For the Choptank HFA land cover data is presented from 2006.
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS/OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program
Description: The NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) produces a nationally standardized database of land cover and land change information for the coastal regions of the U.S. C-CAP products provide inventories of coastal intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands with the goal of monitoring these habitats by updating the land cover maps every five years. C-CAP products are developed using multiple years of 30-meter resolution Landsat imagery, and consist of raster-based land cover maps for each year of analysis. For the Choptank HFA land cover data is presented from 2001.
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS/OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program
Description: The NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) produces a nationally standardized database of land cover and land change information for the coastal regions of the U.S. C-CAP products provide inventories of coastal intertidal areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands with the goal of monitoring these habitats by updating the land cover maps every five years. C-CAP products are developed using multiple years of 30-meter resolution Landsat imagery, and consist of raster-based land cover maps for each year of analysis. For the Choptank HFA land cover data is presented from 1996.
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS/OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program
Description: These layers characterize the shoreline of tidal waters within the Choptank HFA from the Chesapeake Bay to the upper reaches of tidal influence. Typical natural shoreline components include wetlands, beaches, and vegetated banks. Typical man-made shoreline components include riprap, bulkheads, groin fields and marinas. There are two important datasets which describe the shoreline conditions of the Choptank watershed. The first is the Digital Shoreline Situation Report (SSR), which was produced by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program (CCI) in 2005 (Berman et. al., 2005). The second important data source for Choptank watershed shoreline information is the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) which is produced by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (NOAA-OR&R, 2007).
Description: The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Shoreline Classification is developed and produced by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration. It provides a detailed classification of shoreline composition. Generalized information is presented at broad scales (> 1:24,000).
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS Office of Response and Restoration
Description: The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Shoreline Classification is developed and produced by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration. It provides a detailed classification of shoreline composition. A detailed classification is presented when the viewer is zoomed in at finer scales (< 1: 24,000).
Copyright Text: NOAA/NOS Office of Response and Restoration
Description: The Shoreline Situation Report dataset was developed by the Virginia Institute for Marine Science, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program. Information is collected through in-situ surveys. This dataset provides greater details on man-made structures than the ESI. Generalized information is presented at broad scales (> 1:24,000).
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The Shoreline Situation Report dataset was developed by the Virginia Institute for Marine Science, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program. Information is collected through in-situ surveys. This dataset provides greater details on man-made structures than the ESI. A detailed classification is presented when the viewer is zoomed in at finer scales (< 1:24,000).
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These layers present information on selected water quality parameters within the Choptank Habitat Focus Area (HFA). Data are compiled from multiple sources, including the Chesapeake Bay Program, Midshore Riverkeepers Conservancy, NOAA’s CoastWatch Program, and Maryland Biological Stream Survey.
Copyright Text: Compiled by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Description: This data set contains information on water quality parameters (Salinity, Clarity, Surface Dissolved Oxygen, Summer Bottom Dissolved Oxygen, Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll A) for 52 sites in the Choptank HFA in 2014, represented as points. Data were acquired from the Midshore Riverkeepers Conservancy, plotted as points, and assessed based on established water quality criteria.
Description: This layer presents the spatial distribution of salinity regimes (Tidal Fresh, Oligohaline, and Mesohaline) of Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) monitoring stations in the Choptank HFA. Salinity regimes were based on the average for salinity records in part per thousand (ppt) for the year 2014 at each monitoring station.
Description: This layer presents the spatial distribution of the water clarity assessment of the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling sites in the Choptank HFA. The assessment was based on the established water quality criteria using the average SECCHI disk depth for 2014 at each sampling station.
Description: This layer presents an assessment of surface dissolved oxygen (mg/l) according to EPA criteria for the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling sites in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014.
Name: Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy Summer Bottom DO 2014
Display Field: River
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer presents an assessment of summer bottom dissolved oxygen (mg/l) according to EPA criteria for the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling Stations in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014.
Name: Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy Total Nitrogen 2014
Display Field: River
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer presents an assessment of total nitrogen (mg/l) according to established water quality criteria for the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling sites for surface water in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014.
Name: Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy Total Phosphorus 2014
Display Field: River
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer presents an assessment of total phosphorus (mg/l) according to established water quality criteria for the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling sites for surface water in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014.
Name: Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy Chlorophyll A 2014
Display Field: River
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer presents an assessment of chlorophyll a (ug/l) according to established water quality criteria for the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) sampling sites for surface water in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014.
Description: This layer depicts the locations of Mid-Shore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) monitoring stations in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014, represented as points.
Description: This layer depicts spatial framework of tidal waterbody segments used by the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) for water quality monitoring in the Choptank HFA, represented as polygons.
Description: Four raster layers show the seasonal (Spring, Summer Fall and Winter) concentration of Total Suspended Matter (or Total Suspended Solids) in milligrams per liter (mg/L) in surface water (approximately top 1 meter of surface water). Dataset was acquired from NOAA Coast Watch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/). The dataset represents 7-year seasonal average (2009-2015). Once-daily satellite overpasses for years 2009-2015 are averaged for spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. Spring: Mar., Apr., May; Summer: Jun, Jul., Aug.; Fall: Sep., Oct., Nov.; Winter: Dec.., Jan, Feb. Spatial Resolution: 250 meter satellite nadir resolution gridded to 70 meter grid.
Copyright Text: NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/)
Name: Concentration of Total Suspended Matter (Winter, 2009-2015)(mg/L)
Display Field:
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: This raster image shows the concentration of Total Suspended Matter (or Total Suspended Solids) in milligrams per liter (mg/L) for winter surface water (approximately top 1 meter of surface water). The dataset represents 7-year seasonal average (2009-2015). Once-daily satellite overpasses for years 2009-2015 are averaged for Winter (December, January and February). Spatial Resolution is 250-meter satellite nadir resolution gridded to 70 meter grid.
Copyright Text: NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/)
Name: Concentration of Total Suspended Matter (Spring, 2009-2015)(mg/L)
Display Field:
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: This raster image shows the concentration of Total Suspended Matter (or Total Suspended Solids) in milligrams per liter (mg/L) for spring surface water (approximately top 1 meter of surface water). The dataset represents 7-year seasonal average (2009-2015). Once-daily satellite overpasses for years 2009-2015 are averaged for spring (March, April and May). Spatial Resolution is 250-meter satellite nadir resolution gridded to 70-meter grid.
Copyright Text: NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/)
Name: Concentration of Total Suspended Matter (Summer, 2009-2015)(mg/L)
Display Field:
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: This raster image shows the concentration of Total Suspended Matter (or Total Suspended Solids) in milligrams per liter (mg/L) for summer surface water (approximately top 1 meter of surface water). The dataset represents 7-year seasonal average (2009-2015). Once-daily satellite overpasses for years 2009-2015 are averaged for summer (June, July and August). Spatial Resolution is 250-meter satellite nadir resolution gridded to 70-meter grid.
Copyright Text: NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/)
Name: Concentration of Total Suspended Matter (Fall, 2009-2015)(mg/L)
Display Field:
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: This raster image shows the concentration of Total Suspended Matter (or Total Suspended Solids) in milligrams per liter (mg/L) for fall surface water (approximately top 1 meter of surface water). The dataset represents 7-year seasonal average (2009-2015). Once-daily satellite overpasses for years 2009-2015 are averaged for fall (September, October and November). Spatial Resolution is 250-meter satellite nadir resolution gridded to 70-meter grid.
Copyright Text: NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node (http://eastcoast.coastwatch.noaa.gov/)
Description: This layer depicts the locations of Maryland Biological Stream Survey sampling stations within the Choptank HFA from 2000-2014, represented as points. Data were acquired from Maryland Biological Stream Survey Program.
Description: This layer depicts the locations of three major Waste Water Treatment Plants (Cambridge, Easton, and Denton) in the Choptank HFA, represented as points with text labels. Data were acquired from the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Name: Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Longterm Monitoring Stations
Display Field: Station
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer depicts the locations of long term six water quality monitoring stations used by the Chesapeake Bay Program, represented as points with text labels.
Description: The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), first developed for fish species by Karr (1981), is a measure of community health. It has since been adapted to evaluate benthic community condition in a variety of regions and water bodies, including freshwater streams in Tennessee (Kerans and Karr 1994), urban streams in the Puget Sound basin (Morley and Karr 2002), and the Chesapeake Bay (Weisburg et al. 1997). The B-IBI index is dependent on habitat, salinity, and season and integrates multiple parameters, such as total abundance/biomass, species diversity, and prevalence of pollution tolerant/sensitive taxa relative to reference communities/conditions. In the Choptank watershed, there are two monitoring programs, the Chesapeake Bay Program/Versar and the Maryland Biological Stream Survey, that measure B-IBI in tidal and non-tidal waters, respectively.
Description: Description: This layer includes tidal Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) data for fixed stations in the Choptank River (1984-2014). Data were collected by the Chesapeake Bay Program/Versar (http://www.versar.com/, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/data/downloads/baywide_benthic_database). At fixed stations, a 0.025 m2 hand operated box corer is used to sample benthic organisms in the nearshore shallow habitats, while a 0.0225 m2 Wildco box corer is used in the deepwater (>4 m) habitats (see Llansó et al., 2013 for more details). Multiple metrics are used in the calculation of the overall B-IBI, including Shannon-Weiner species diversity index, total species abundance, total species biomass, and others (Llansó, 2002). Summary statistics for each metric are scored on a ranking of 1, 3, or 5, with least disturbed sites receiving a 5 and severely degraded sites receiving a 1. The scoring is done by comparing observed metrics with established thresholds derived from reference data (Llansó, 2002). The overall B-IBI score is then calculated by averaging the scores for all individual 1-5 metrics. The Chesapeake Bay Benthic Monitoring Program classifies benthic community condition into four levels according to the following breakpoints: “meets restoration goals” (≥3.0), “marginally degraded” (2.7-2.9), “degraded” (2.1-2.6), and “severely degraded” (≤2.0) (CBP, 2012; Llansó, 2002). The mean ± standard error (SE) B-IBI was calculated for each fixed station and sampling date and values were coded for condition based on these criteria.
Description: This layer includes tidal Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) data for randomly selected stations in the Choptank River (1995-2014). Data were collected by the Chesapeake Bay Program/Versar (http://www.versar.com/, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/data/downloads/baywide_benthic_database). A probability based sampling component was added in 1994 to assess benthic community condition at randomly selected sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay mainstream and tributaries to assess bay-wide patterns and spatial variability. In each of ten strata, 25 randomly selected sites are allocated each year, with one sample collected at each site. This layer displays randomly selected stations that have been sampled within the Choptank by year.
Description: This layer includes tidal Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (BIBI) data for randomly selected stations in the Choptank River (1995-2014). Data were collected by the Chesapeake Bay Program/Versar (http://www.versar.com/, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/data/downloads/baywide_benthic_database). A probability based sampling component was added in 1994 to assess benthic community condition at randomly selected sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay mainstem and tributaries to assess bay-wide patterns and spatial variability. In each of ten strata, 25 randomly selected sites are allocated each year, with one sample collected at each site. Probability based samples of benthic organisms are collected with a 0.044 m2 surface area Young grab. Multiple metrics are used in the calculation of the overall B-IBI, including Shannon-Weiner species diversity index, total species abundance, total species biomass, and others (Llansó, 2002). Summary statistics for each metric are scored on a ranking of 1, 3, or 5, with least disturbed sites receiving a 5 and severely degraded sites receiving a 1. The scoring is done by comparing observed metrics with established thresholds derived from reference data (Llansó, 2002). The overall B-IBI score is then calculated by averaging the scores for all individual 1-5 metrics. The Chesapeake Bay Benthic Monitoring Program classifies benthic community condition into four levels according to the following breakpoints: “meets restoration goals” (≥3.0), “marginally degraded” (2.7-2.9), “degraded” (2.1-2.6), and “severely degraded” (≤2.0) (CBP, 2012; Llansó, 2002). The mean ± standard error (SE) B-IBI was calculated for each station and sampling date and values were coded for condition based on these criteria.
Description: This layer displays the location of the fixed Sentinel Site in the Choptank River (2000-2014), as surveyed by the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS, http://dnr.maryland.gov/streams/Pages/mbss.aspx). The goals of the MBSS, which began in 1995, are to assess current condition and changes in ecological resources of Maryland’s 1st through 4th order non-tidal streams, as well as provide an inventory of biodiversity and identify effects of stressors on the natural resources (Stranko et al., 2014). Sites in the Sentinel Site Network were chosen in areas with minimal human impacts and have been sampled annually since 2000. At each MBSS sampling location, benthic macroinvertebrates are sampled from a 20 ft2 area with a standard D-net (Stranko et al., 2014). Community composition data is used to calculate a suite of summary metrics that are included in the calculation of a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) for the Coastal Plain region (Southerland et al., 2005).
Description: This layer includes non-tidal Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) data (1996-2014) for randomly selected stations surveyed by the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS, http://dnr.maryland.gov/streams/Pages/mbss.aspx). The goals of the MBSS, which began in 1995, are to assess current condition and changes in ecological resources of Maryland’s 1st through 4th order non-tidal streams, as well as provide an inventory of biodiversity and identify effects of stressors on the natural resources (Stranko et al., 2014). The MBSS is a stratified random survey with a lattice design. Year and basin are included as strata and sampling is restricted each year to approximately one-third of the major drainage basins (Mercurio et al., 1999). At each MBSS sampling location, benthic macroinvertebrates are sampled from a 20 ft2 area with a standard D-net (Stranko et al., 2014). Community composition data is used to calculate a suite of summary metrics that are included in the calculation of a B-IBI for the Coastal Plain region (Southerland et al., 2005). This layer displays randomly selected MBSS stations that have been sampled within the Choptank by year.
Description: This layer includes non-tidal Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) data (1996-2014) for randomly selected stations surveyed by the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS, http://dnr.maryland.gov/streams/Pages/mbss.aspx). The goals of the MBSS, which began in 1995, are to assess current condition and changes in ecological resources of Maryland’s 1st through 4th order non-tidal streams, as well as provide an inventory of biodiversity and identify effects of stressors on the natural resources (Stranko et al., 2014). The MBSS is a stratified random survey with a lattice design. Year and basin are included as strata and sampling is restricted each year to approximately one-third of the major drainage basins (Mercurio et al., 1999). At each MBSS sampling location, benthic macroinvertebrates are sampled from a 20 ft2 area with a standard D-net (Stranko et al., 2014). Community composition data is used to calculate a suite of summary metrics that are included in the calculation of a B-IBI for the Coastal Plain region (Southerland et al., 2005). Established criteria are then used to score the metrics 1, 3, or 5, and the average of all individual metric scores represents the B-IBI (Stribling et al., 1998). The MBSS B-IBI scores can be further classified into four condition ranges: “Good “(≥4.0), “Fair” (3.0-3.9), “Poor” (2.0-2.9), and “Very Poor “(1.0-1.9). The B-IBI values for each station and sampling date were coded for condition based on these criteria.
Description: The distribution of the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank River for the year 2014. SAV distribution in the Choptank River is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping progam. This program uses a consistent aerial photography methodology to assess the extent of SAV growth throughout the Chesapeake Bay at a scale of 1:24,000. The imagery is scanned, analyzed and processed to create vector digital data from which GIS programs can calculate areal extents of SAV beds (Orth et al. 2015).
The 2014 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from 1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: This layer depicts the persistence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) over a five-year period from 2010 to 2014, represented as a raster (grid) surface. During this five-year period, persistence is ranked from “1 year” (i.e. SAV present in one year only) to “5 years” (i.e. SAV present in all five years). This layer is based on spatial analysis of annual SAV survey layers for 2010 to 2014.
Copyright Text: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2014. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2014”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2013. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2013”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2012. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2012”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2011. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2011”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2010. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2010”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2009. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2009”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2008. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2008”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2007. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2007”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2006. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2006”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: These individual layers depict the presence of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Choptank HFA for the year 2005. SAV distribution in the Chesapeake is currently measured on a yearly basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) SAV mapping program. SAV was mapped from1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) for individual years as “Maryland Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - SAV 2005”.
Copyright Text: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: This group of layers presents information on the current status of fish habitat distribution, fish monitoring programs, and fish populations in the Choptank Habitat Focus Area (HFA).
Copyright Text: Compiled by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Description: This layer includes dams characterized by the Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization project by The Nature Conservancy (TNC, http://maps.tnc.org/EROF_ChesapeakeFPP/), represented as points. Metrics encompassing five categories (connectivity status, connectivity improvement, watershed/local condition, ecological, and site/system type) were calculated for each dam, weighted, and combined to provide a ranking for each dam (Martin and Apse, 2013). for three scenarios (diadromous fish, resident fish, and brook trout). Dams were tiered into twenty 5% bins based on their potential to benefit each scenario if removed or passage is provided. For example, dams in Tier 1 would provide the greatest ecological benefit (high priority), while those in Tier 20 would provide the least (low priority). These results are intended to be a screening level tool to help managers determine fish passage priorities. Dams and their tiered ranks were obtained for diadromous fish scenario and were extracted for the Choptank HFA.
Percent_Natural_LC_in_ARA_of_US_Network
(
type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: Percent Natural LC in ARA of US Network
)
Percent_Impervious_LC_in_ARA_of_US_Network
(
type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: Percent Impervious LC in ARA of US Network
)
Gain_in_Size_Classes_Upstream
(
type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: Gain in Size Classes Upstream
)
Chesapeake_Bay_Program_Stream_Health_Score
(
type: esriFieldTypeString, alias: Chesapeake Bay Program Stream Health Score, length: 255
)
N_Diadromous_Species_Downstream_of_Dam_current
(
type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: N Diadromous Species Downstream of Dam Current
)
Presence_of_Anadromous_Species_Downstream_of_Dam_current_potenti
(
type: esriFieldTypeString, alias: Presence of Anadromous Species Downstream of Dam current potenti, length: 255
)
Culvert_Proxy_Density_of_Road_RR_Stream_Crossings
(
type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: Culvert Proxy Density of Road RR Stream Crossings
)
Description: This layer shows the locations of known barriers to fish migration, including dams, pipelines, and other features within the Choptank HFA, represented as points. Data were obtained from the State of Maryland iMap program (http://data.imap.maryland.gov/).
Copyright Text: The State of Maryland iMap program
Description: This layer includes non-tidal Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (F-IBI) data (1996-2014) for randomly selected stations surveyed by the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS, http://dnr.maryland.gov/streams/Pages/mbss.aspx), represented as points. The goals of the MBSS, which began in 1995, are to assess current condition and changes in ecological resources of Maryland’s 1st through 4th order non-tidal streams, as well as provide an inventory of biodiversity and identify effects of stressors on the natural resources (Stranko et al., 2014). The MBSS is a stratified random survey with a lattice design. Year and basin are included as strata and sampling has been restricted to approximately one-third of the major drainage basins each year (Mercurio et al., 1999). An electrofishing component is utilized to survey fish communities. Community composition data is used to calculate a suite of summary metrics that are included in the calculation of a F-IBI for the Coastal Plain region (Southerland et al., 2005). Established criteria are then used to score the metrics 1, 3, or 5, and the average of all individual metric scores represents the F-IBI (Stribling et al., 1998). The MBSS F-IBI scores can be further classified into four condition ranges: “Good“ (≥4.0), “Fair” (3.0-3.9), “Poor” (2.0-2.9), and “Very Poor“ (1.0-1.9). The F-IBI values for each station and sampling date were coded for condition based on these criteria.
Copyright Text: The Maryland Biological Stream Survey
Description: This group of layers contain information on several fish surveys in the Choptank River, including the MD DNR Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey, University of Maryland (UMD) menhaden gear comparison seine and trawl surveys, MD DNR Fisheries Habitat and Ecosystem Program’s (FHEP) estuarine fish community sampling in select Choptank tributaries, and the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) non-tidal freshwater stream fish community monitoring.
Copyright Text: Compiled by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Name: MD DNR-FHEP Estuarine Community Sampling - seine
Display Field: RIVER
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer contains data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Habitat and Ecosystem Program’s (FHEP) estuarine community sampling project (http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/FHEP/index.aspx), r. Fish community surveys were conducted in three tributaries of the Choptank River: Broad Creek (2012-2015), Harris Creek (2012-2015), and the Tred Avon River (2006-2015) (MD DNR, 2014). The objective of the study was to evaluate summer nursery and adult habitat for recreationally important finfish and evaluate the influence of watershed development on total finfish abundance, species richness, presence-absence, and abundance of target species. Sites were sampled every two weeks from July-September. Typically, four evenly spaced haul seine and bottom trawl sample sites were located in the upper two-thirds of each sub-estuary (to reduce influence of mainstream waters), with trawls conducted offshore but adjacent to seine sites (MD DNR, 2014). All fish were identified to species and counted. In addition, striped bass and yellow perch were separated into juveniles and adults, while white perch were separated into three size/life stage categories (juveniles, small adults, and harvestable size, i.e., >200 mm). This layer contains the location of seine surveys and fish counts from for each station and sample date, represented as points.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Name: MD DNR-FHEP Estuarine Community Sampling - trawl
Display Field: RIVER
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This layer contains data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Habitat and Ecosystem Program’s (FHEP) estuarine community sampling project (http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/FHEP/index.aspx). Fish community surveys were conducted in three tributaries of the Choptank River: Broad Creek (2012-2015), Harris Creek (2012-2015), and the Tred Avon River (2006-2015) (MD DNR, 2014). The objective of the study was to evaluate summer nursery and adult habitat for recreationally important finfish and evaluate the influence of watershed development on total finfish abundance, species richness, presence-absence, and abundance of target species. Sites were sampled every two weeks from July-September. Typically, four evenly spaced haul seine and bottom trawl sample sites were located in the upper two-thirds of each sub-estuary (to reduce influence of mainstream waters), with trawls conducted offshore but adjacent to seine sites (MD DNR, 2014). All fish were identified to species and counted. In addition, striped bass and yellow perch were separated into juveniles and adults, while white perch were separated into three size/life stage categories (juveniles, small adults, and harvestable size, i.e., >200 mm). This layer contains the location of trawl surveys and fish counts from for each station and sample date, represented as points.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This layer contains data collected by the University of Maryland conducted seine and trawl surveys in the Choptank River from 2010-2013 (Houde et al., 2014), with the majority of the sampling effort occurring in 2012 and 2013. The primary purpose of the study was to compare the catch efficiency of Atlantic menhaden using beach seine and midwater trawl methods. Six sites were designated in the Choptank River along a salinity gradient. At each site, seine hauls were conducted using the same protocol as MD DNR. Simultaneous mid-water trawls were conducted <0.5 km off shore of the beach seine locations. The duration of the trawl was 20 minutes, with the net fished from surface to bottom in two-minute step increments. All fish caught in the gear were identified to species and counted. This layer contains the location of seine and trawl surveys and fish counts from for each station and sample date, represented as points.
Description: This layer includes fish survey data from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey from 1996-2013 (MBSS, http://dnr.maryland.gov/streams/Pages/mbss.aspx). The goals of the MBSS, which began in 1995, are to assess current condition and changes in ecological resources of Maryland’s 1st through 4th order non-tidal streams, as well as provide an inventory of biodiversity and identify effects of stressors on the natural resources (Stranko et al., 2014). The MBSS is a stratified random survey with a lattice design. Year and basin are included as strata and sampling has been restricted to approximately one-third of the major drainage basins each year (Mercurio et al., 1999). An electrofishing component is utilized to survey fish communities. This layer contains the location of surveys in the Choptank and fish counts from for each station and sample date, represented as points..
Description: This layer contains data from Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (MDDNR) Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey (http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/striped-bass/juvenile-index.aspx). The annual survey documents year-class success for young-of-the-year striped bass and relative abundance of other fish species. Sampling is conducted monthly from July-September at 22 fixed stations per year, although the frequency of sampling and locations of some stations has changed over time. During each round of sampling, replicate seine hauls are taken at each site. In addition, auxiliary stations are occasionally sampled to enhance spatial coverage, although these are not included in survey indices. A 30.5 x1.24 m bagless beach seine with 6.4 mm bar mesh is laid out perpendicular to the beach and swept with the current for a target sample area of 729 m2. All finfish are identified to species and counted, with striped bass and other select species measured and identified as age 0 or age +1. This layer contains species counts and sizes at all stations and dates sampled in the Choptank from 1959-2014, represented as points.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This layer contains information on river herring (alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis) spawning habitat surveys conducted by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Bay (M. Ogburn, SERC, unpublished data). Surveys were conducted at 27 sites in the Choptank River and its tributaries from March-May 2016; each site was visited 1-3 times. The presence of river herring adults and/or icthyoplankton, which is an indication of spawning activity, was determined in three ways: 1) visual observation of adult river herring, 2) capture of adult river herring by cast net, or 3) presence of likely river herring eggs or larvae in ichthyoplankton samples (which could also include hickory shad eggs). Ichthyoplankton samples were taken for five minutes following the standard methods used by MD DNR. This layer shows points where surveys have been conducted in the Choptank and whether adult and/or icthyoplankton river herring were observed.
Copyright Text: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Description: Several GIS layers depicting oysters in the Choptank HFA have been developed and are presented here: Named oyster bars including “Yates Bars” described in 1911 (Smith et al. 1997), Biogenic and Anthropogenic oyster reef areas (MD iMap 2016b); oyster management areas; and oyster monitoring sites in the Choptank HFA. Special focus is given to Harris Creek, Tred Avon and Little Choptank, where oyster restoration projects are underway.
Copyright Text: Compiled by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Description: This dataset represents historic oyster bars in the Choptank River as polygons, and provides additional information such as their commonly used (and alternate) names, county, and areal extent. This is considered historic oyster bottom as charted prior to the present, legally designated Natural Oyster Bars, using source materials from 1906 to 1977 including the bars from Yates Survey (1906-1912). The layer and its development are described in a 1997 report (Smith et al. 1997), available at http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/oysters/historic-oyster-bottom.aspx , and a state-wide version of the layer is available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Shellfish - Historic Oyster Bottom”. There are two caveats to keep in mind: 1) The Yates Survey was conducted to define regulatory boundaries at that time, not necessarily to map all oyster habitat, so comparisons between this layer and modern habitat surveys are not warranted; and 2) The layer is historic – it does not depict the boundaries of the current legally recognized Natural Oyster Bars.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This layer presents information on the thirteen oyster sanctuaries in the Choptank as well as the two reserves, represented as polygons. According to MD DNR, “sanctuaries are areas where the wild harvest of oysters is prohibited”. Sanctuaries were classified into two time periods, before and after September 2010, due to the designation of many of them at that time. These areas are described in a 2010 report from the Maryland DNR titled “Oyster Sanctuaries of the Chesapeake Bay and its Tidal Tributaries”. Oyster sanctuaries are considered permanently closed to shellfish harvest, and often contain oyster restoration projects to help enhance oyster populations for their environmental benefits. Reserves are areas where populations are enhanced, and may be opened periodically if certain criteria are met. State-wide versions of these layers are available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Shellfish – Oyster Sanctuaries” and “Oyster Harvesting Reserves”.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: The location of the public shellfishery areas in the Choptank River study area, represented as polygons. These areas are considered open to harvest according to applicable regulations, i.e. they are not sanctuaries or reserves. The layer is available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Shellfish - Public Shellfishery Areas”.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This dataset contains information on the Anthropogenic (manmade) oyster bottom in the Choptank River study area, represented as polygons. Anthropogenic oyster was classified into anthropogenic reef (size≥ 4,096 millimeters) and anthropogenic rubble (4,096 millimeters > size > 64 millimeters). The dataset is part of the benthic habitat map for the Chesapeake Bay by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). See “Benthic Habitat” below.
Copyright Text: NOAA-NMFS National Chesapeake Bay Office
Description: This dataset contains information on the Biogenic (natural) oyster bottom in the Choptank River study area, represented as polygons. Biogenic oyster was classified into biogenic reef (size≥ 4,096 millimeters) and biogenic rubble (4,096 millimeters > size > 64 millimeters). The dataset is part of the benthic habitat map for the Chesapeake Bay by NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). See “Benthic Habitat” below.
Copyright Text: NOAA-NMFS National Chesapeake Bay Office
Description: This layer depicts areas where oyster restoration activities were conducted by Maryland DNR and partners in the Choptank River study area from 2000 to 2013, represented as polygons. A bay-wide version of this layer is available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Shellfish - Oyster Plantings (2000 to Present)”.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This layer depicts areas where oyster repletion activities were conducted by Maryland DNR and partners in the Choptank River study area between 1958 and 1999, represented as polygons. A bay-wide version of this layer is available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Shellfish - Historic Oyster Plantings”.
Copyright Text: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Description: This layer depicts the locations of eleven long term (1985 to 2014 ) oyster monitoring stations in the Choptank River study area, represented as points. These sites are described in in the Maryland Oyster Population Status Report - 2014 Fall Survey (Tarnowski et al. 2015). Parameters monitored in these annual surveys include Spatfall Intensity Index, Total Observed Mortality, Dermo and MSX disease prevalence and mean intensity. Not all parameters are monitored at all sites – e.g. MSX and Dermo are monitored at ten of the sites designated as “disease bars”. Additional information on Maryland DNR’s Annual Fall Survey and Oyster Population Status Reports is available at http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/shellfish-monitoring/reports.aspx
Description: A digital map developed by MD DNR for the benthic habitat baywide adapting the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) Substrate Component (SC), where oyster habitats were identified.
Description: This layer contains information on benthic habitats of the Choptank River study area using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). Eleven different habitat types are represented as non-overlapping polygons, including Anthropogenic and Biogenic Oyster Reef and Rubble, and several bottom sediment classifications. The layer was developed based on the Maryland Bay Bottom Survey (MBBS) conducted by MD DNR (1974- 1983), and the Acoustic Survey by Maryland Geological Survey and NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (2003- 2014). A bay-wide version of this layer is available from Maryland’s Mapping and GIS Data Portal (MD iMAP) as “Maryland Benthic Habitat - Chesapeake Bay Benthic Habitat”.
Copyright Text: NOAA-NMFS National Cesapeake Bay Office