Clean Water Act
Data Set (DS) | Office for Coastal Management (OCM)GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:48856 | Updated: May 30, 2023 | Published / External
Summary
Short Citation
Office for Coastal Management, 2024: Clean Water Act, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/48856.
Full Citation Examples
These data represent geographic terms used within the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA establishes the basic structure for regulating the addition of pollutants (discharges) into waters of the United States, a three mile territorial sea, a 12 mile contiguous zone, and the ocean. The goal of the CWA is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. This data includes two component boundaries, which delineate the seaward extent of various parts of the CWA. The boundary of a three mile territorial sea and 12 mile contiguous zone are relevant to application of various discharge standards associated with vessels or other floating craft, that vary depending on operational status. As referenced within the CWA, these two boundaries are based on the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, and not the contemporary extent of these respective boundaries. While the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is not specified with the CWA, it is denoted here for illustrative purposes. The CWA does not include inland waters because 1) it is difficult to properly identify the nationwide extent of all inland water bodies, and 2) there is current litigation with EPA of such water bodies falling under the jurisdiction of the CWA. When investigating geo-regulatory boundaries near the boundary edges, users should consult the most up-to-date applicable jurisdictional boundaries from all respective authoritative sources.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/federal-water-pollution-control-act-508full.pdf
Date enacted: April 30, 1948
Codification: 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq.
Authority: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Distribution Information
-
MarineCadastre.gov Data Registry
For coastal and ocean planning
Controlled Theme Keywords
boundaries, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, oceans, planningCadastre
Child Items
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Entity | CleanWaterAct |
Contact Information
Point of Contact
NOAA Office for Coastal Management (NOAA/OCM)
coastal.info@noaa.gov
(843) 740-1202
Extents
-180° W,
180° E,
74.708841° N,
-17.555007° S
2016
Item Identification
| Title: | Clean Water Act |
|---|---|
| Status: | Completed |
| Publication Date: | 2016-11-09 |
| Abstract: |
These data represent geographic terms used within the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA establishes the basic structure for regulating the addition of pollutants (discharges) into waters of the United States, a three mile territorial sea, a 12 mile contiguous zone, and the ocean. The goal of the CWA is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. This data includes two component boundaries, which delineate the seaward extent of various parts of the CWA. The boundary of a three mile territorial sea and 12 mile contiguous zone are relevant to application of various discharge standards associated with vessels or other floating craft, that vary depending on operational status. As referenced within the CWA, these two boundaries are based on the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, and not the contemporary extent of these respective boundaries. While the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is not specified with the CWA, it is denoted here for illustrative purposes. The CWA does not include inland waters because 1) it is difficult to properly identify the nationwide extent of all inland water bodies, and 2) there is current litigation with EPA of such water bodies falling under the jurisdiction of the CWA. When investigating geo-regulatory boundaries near the boundary edges, users should consult the most up-to-date applicable jurisdictional boundaries from all respective authoritative sources. Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/federal-water-pollution-control-act-508full.pdf Date enacted: April 30, 1948 Codification: 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et seq. Authority: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| Purpose: |
To support ocean planning activities pursuant to the Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States, the Energy Policy Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. |
| Supplemental Information: |
This data set does not include inland waters due to the difficulty of properly identify the nationwide extent of all inland water bodies; and there is pending litigation with EPA regarding the geographic scope of water bodies falling under the jurisdiction of the CWA. |
Keywords
Theme Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
boundaries
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
oceans
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
planningCadastre
|
| UNCONTROLLED | |
| None | Clean Water Act |
| None | marine boundaries |
| None | ocean planning |
Spatial Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords |
CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
|
| UNCONTROLLED | |
| None | Alaska |
| None | American Samoa |
| None | CNMI |
| None | Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands |
| None | Guam |
| None | Hawaii |
| None | Puerto Rico |
| None | U.S. Virgin Islands |
| None | United States |
Physical Location
| Organization: | Office for Coastal Management |
|---|---|
| City: | Charleston |
| State/Province: | SC |
Data Set Information
| Data Set Scope Code: | Data Set |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Frequency: | As Needed |
| Data Presentation Form: | Map (digital) |
| Distribution Liability: |
https://www.marinecadastre.gov/about/disclaimer.html |
| Data Set Credit: | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA Office for Coastal Management |
Support Roles
Point of Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2016-11-09 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | NOAA Office for Coastal Management (NOAA/OCM) |
| Address: |
2234 South Hobson Ave Charleston, SC 29405-2413 |
| Email Address: | coastal.info@noaa.gov |
| Phone: | (843) 740-1202 |
| URL: | https://coast.noaa.gov |
Extents
| Currentness Reference: | Publication Date |
|---|
Extent Group 1
Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1
| W° Bound: | -180 | |
|---|---|---|
| E° Bound: | 180 | |
| N° Bound: | 74.708841 | |
| S° Bound: | -17.555007 |
Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1
| Time Frame Type: | Discrete |
|---|---|
| Start: | 2016 |
Spatial Information
Spatial Representation
Representations Used
| Vector: | Yes |
|---|
Access Information
| Security Class: | Unclassified |
|---|---|
| Data Use Constraints: |
For coastal and ocean planning |
Distribution Information
Distribution 1
| Download URL: | https://marinecadastre.gov/data/ |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | |
| Description: |
MarineCadastre.gov Data Registry |
Distribution 2
| Download URL: | https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/mc/CleanWaterAct.zip |
|---|---|
| Distributor: |
Activity Log
Activity Log 1
| Activity Date/Time: | 2017-09-20 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Date that the source FGDC record was last modified. |
Activity Log 2
| Activity Date/Time: | 2017-11-14 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Converted from FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998) using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml.pl' script. Contact Tyler Christensen (NOS) for details. |
Activity Log 3
| Activity Date/Time: | 2018-02-08 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Partial upload of Positional Accuracy fields only. |
Data Quality
| Accuracy: |
The attributes in this dataset are believed to be accurate. |
|---|---|
| Horizontal Positional Accuracy: |
Maximum scale of intended use is 1:80,000. |
| Completeness Report: |
Spatial and attribute properties are believed to be complete. Geometric thresholds from original data are preserved. No tests have been completed for exhaustiveness. |
| Conceptual Consistency: |
These data are believed to be logically consistent. Geometry is topologically clean. |
Lineage
Sources
coastline.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) |
|---|---|
| Source Contribution: |
Shoreline for the state of Alaska. Received data via email. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Energy Policy Act
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coastal Management (OCM) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2016-05-11 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2016-05-11 |
| Citation URL: | ftp://coast.noaa.gov/pub/Legis-Atlas/FederalGeoregulations/EnergyPolicyAct.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
The official, published boundary for the Energy Policy Act. This boundary was used as an equivalent delineation for the Exclusive Economic Zone boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
International_Boundary.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2010-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2010 |
| Citation URL: | http://txpub.usgs.gov/BEHI/Data_download/Boundaries_Layers/International_Boundary.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Delineation of the U.S./Mexico international boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
OCS 3nm line
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coast Survey (OCS) |
|---|---|
| Source Contribution: |
Official OCS 3nm line data, received via email. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Prototype Global Shoreline
| Contact Name: | U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2009-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2009 |
| Citation URL: | http://msi.nga.mil/DNCSiteContent/StaticFiles/shapefiles/shapefile13w.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Shoreline for the state of Hawaii, and a small portion of northeast Alaska at the border with Canada. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Submerged Lands Act
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2006-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2012-12-12 |
| Citation URL: | http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/Alaska/fedstate.aspx |
| Source Contribution: |
The official, published seaward boundary for Alaska. Used parts of this boundary in southeastern Alaska. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
us_medium_shoreline.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2008-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2008 |
| Citation URL: | https://coast.noaa.gov/htdata/Shoreline/us_medium_shoreline.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Medium resolution shoreline for the Lower 48 states. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coast Survey (OCS) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2013-09-13 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2013-09-13 |
| Citation URL: | http://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Delineation of the U.S./Canada international boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coast Survey (OCS) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2013-09-13 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2013-09-13 |
| Citation URL: | http://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Delineation of the Territorial Sea. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Washington Coastal Zone Boundary
| Contact Name: | Washington State Department of Ecology |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2011-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2011 |
| Citation URL: | http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/czm/prgm.html |
| Source Contribution: |
Provided coastal zone boundary data for Washington. Data provided via email. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Process Steps
Process Step 1
| Description: |
1. Acquired national shoreline/s from authoritative sources (NOAA, BOEM, and NGA) to use as the inland extent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) boundary. 2. Acquired international borders (Canada and Mexico) from authoritative sources (OCS and USGS, respectively). 3. Acquired the seaward Clean Water Act line work (OCS 3nm line, Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone) from NOAA OCS and NOAA OCM. Acquired NOAA 3nm line work from OCS (via email) for entire nation and territories. The Territorial Sea was extracted from the OCS Maritime Boundaries and Limits data. The Exclusive Economic Zone was derived from the Energy Policy Act boundary via MarineCadatsre.gov. 4. Created a national polygon shoreline, using the various shoreline sources and international borders. This was used as the landward extent of the CWA boundary. (NOTE: in northeast Alaska, the BOEM shoreline and OCS international boundary did not intersect. Used the NGA shoreline to close the small gap between these two sources.) 5. The seaward extent of the CWA boundary was generated using three marine boundaries: OCS 3nm line, Territorial Sea, and EEZ. Special notes on generating these boundaries are as follows: 6. Small gaps in the line work for the Territorial Sea were corrected. These (six) gaps were located in Alaska and Louisiana, and were closed by creating a straight line between the two end nodes. 7. In a few places in Maine and Alaska, OCS 3nm line was extended, where it was needed to intersect with the EEZ and Territorial Sea. This was performed by extending the line parallel to the bearing of the line at its terminus. Generally, these extensions were very short - usually less than 5 feet. Similarly, the Territorial Sea line was extended offshore of Texas, where it did not extend far enough south to intersect the EEZ boundary. 8. Territorial Sea line was extended offshore of Washington state by following the line of the state's Coastal Zone Management Act boundary. In Washington state, the Territorial Sea line intentionally ends miles short of and does not intersect with the EEZ boundary. 9. Three small gaps (about 1-4nm in length) in the OCS 3nm line work were noted in southeast Alaska (all on the eastern side of chart 17320). These were manually closed using the BOEM Submerged Lands Act boundary. 10. Visually inspected boundary extents to make sure they were coincident to respective data source boundaries. 11. Combined all three component marine boundaries (i.e. OCS 3nm line, Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone) into one layer. 12. Added fields and populated according to data dictionary. |
|---|---|
| Process Date/Time: | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 |
Child Items
Rubric scores updated every 15m
|
Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Entity | CleanWaterAct |
Catalog Details
| Catalog Item ID: | 48856 |
|---|---|
| GUID: | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:48856 |
| Metadata Record Created By: | Anne Ball |
| Metadata Record Created: | 2017-11-14 15:55+0000 |
| Metadata Record Last Modified By: | SysAdmin InPortAdmin |
| Metadata Record Last Modified: | 2023-05-30 18:09+0000 |
| Metadata Record Published: | 2018-02-08 |
| Owner Org: | OCM |
| Metadata Publication Status: | Published Externally |
| Do Not Publish?: | N |
| Metadata Last Review Date: | 2018-02-08 |
| Metadata Review Frequency: | 1 Year |
| Metadata Next Review Date: | 2019-02-08 |