NOAA Office for Coastal Management Marsh Migration

These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientists with a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The viewer is a screening-level tool that uses nationally consistent data sets and analyses. Data and maps provided can be used at several scales to help gauge trends and prioritize actions for different scenarios. The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer may be accessed at: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr.

This metadata record describes the Marsh Migration data displayed in the SLR Viewer. These data represent the potential distribution of each wetland type based on their elevation and how frequently they may be inundated under potential future SLR scenarios, from 0 to 10ft of SLR. As sea level rises, higher elevations will become more frequently inundated, allowing for marsh migration landward. At the same time, some lower-lying areas will be so often inundated that the marshes will no longer be able to thrive, becoming lost to open water. These data are based on the assumption that specific wetland types exist within an established tidal elevation range, based on an accepted understanding of what types of vegetation can exist given varying frequency and time of inundation, as well as salinity impacts from such inundation.

The data were created using the NOAA OCM Coastal Change Analysis Program (CCAP) land cover data, the SLR Viewer's digital elevation models, and NOAA VDatum tidal surfaces.

The data are available in 0.5ft increments of net sea level change, from 0 to 10ft. To determine the appropriate level, the user must identify a SLR scenario and an applicable accretion rate for the area of interest. The easiest way to do this is to go into the SLR Viewer's Marsh Migration tab; select a location, SLR scenario, and timeframe; and identify the closest available 0.5ft increment to what the viewer shows. For more information, see the tutorial at https://coast.noaa.gov/elearning/marshmigration/.

Data are available for download at https://coast.noaa.gov/htdata/raster1/landcover/bulkdownload/slr_wetland/.

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management has developed marsh migration data for use in the Office's Sea Level Rise Viewer. These data depict potential distribution of marsh types based on potential future water levels due to sea level rise.

A detailed methodology for producing these data can be found via the following url: https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/slr-marsh-migration-methods.pdf

Attributes for this product are as follows: 0 Background, 2 High Intensity Developed, 3 Medium Intensity Developed, 4 Low Intensity Developed, 5 Developed Open Space, 8 All Uplands, 13 Palustrine Forested Wetland, 14 Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetland, 15 Palustrine Emergent Wetland, 17 Brackish/Transition Wetland, 18 Estuarine Wetland, 19 Unconsolidated Shore, 21 Open Water.

These data are projected in the applicable NAD83 UTM zone and have a resolution of 10m.

Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate use of these data. DATA SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR LEGALLY BINDING APPLICATIONS.

None

Data set is not for use in litigation. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable, NOAA, cannot assume liability for any damages, or misrepresentations, caused by any inaccuracies in the data. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

These data were derived from the most recent elevation data available at the date of processing that met project specifications, the most recent VDatum tidal model data available at the date of processing, and 2016 CCAP Land Cover data.