Essential Fish Habitat, Pacific Salmon GIS Data

This file represents salmonid freshwater and estuarine Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in the western United States. Congress, through the Magnuson-Stevens Act, defined EFH as "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity." This dataset follows the federal codification of delineating EFH using 4th field Hydrologic Units. It spatially depicts designated EFH for Federally-managed Pacific salmon within freshwater and estuarine regions of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Areas above identified certain impassible dams are not designated EFH, and these have been removed from the 4th field Hydrologic Units. Only areas defined as EFH are present in this dataset. Each Hydrologic Unit polygon has been coded to indicate for which species of salmon (Chinook salmon, coho and/or pink) it represents EFH.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that regional management councils identify and describe "essential fish habitat" in their fishery management plans; that Councils minimize impacts on this essential habitat from fishing activities; and that Councils and other federal agencies consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service about activities that might harm EFH. Actions that occur outside of EFH, but that might affect the habitat, must also be taken into account.

The final rule of "Fisheries Off West Coast States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Amendment 18 to the Salmon Fishery Management Plan" was published in the Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 243/ Thursday, December 18, 2014. Geospatial data was based on information in that document in Table 1 to Part 660, Subpart H - Pacific Salmon EFH Identified by USGS Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC). It pertains to Chinook, coho, and pink salmon. This data is the geospatial representation of the final rule.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

This file represents salmon freshwater and estuarine essential fish habitat (EFH) for the Pacific Coast Salmon. Congress, through the Magnuson-Stevens Act, defined EFH as "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity." This dataset follows the federal codification of delineating EFH using 4th field Hydrologic Units. It spatially depicts Designated EFH for salmonids within freshwater regions of California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Areas above identified impassible dams have been removed from the 4th field Hydrologic Units. Only areas defined as EFH are present in this dataset. Each Hydrologic Unit polygon has been coded to indicate for which species of salmonid (Chinook salmon, coho salmon and/or Puget Sound pink salmon) it represents EFH.

Not Applicable

These data are intended to assist in mapping and GIS efforts for fishery management efforts for the Pacific Coast Salmon. They can be used to depict the general areas of salmon EFH. Data were combined from the best available sources with some adjustments made to ensure a logical combination. Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of these data, however they DO NOT constitute a legal description of Essential Fish Habitat. No liability is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained.

Selected freshwater and estuarine areas in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

None

No warranty, expressed or implied is made and no liability is assumed by NOAA Fisheries as to the positional or attribute accuracy of the data. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Government in the use of these files.

The data set was created with ESRI ArcGIS Desktop software

Data created at a scale of 1:100,000

The polygons depicted in this data set were obtained from the United States Geological Survey, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, National Hydrography, Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 8 (also known as 4th Field HUC). Areas above identified impassable barriers were removed from the HUC.