Tidal Marsh Watershed Ranks

The purpose of this data set is support resource allocation decisions (i.e. where to invest conservation effort) within the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative. It represents a relative ranking of HUC12 watersheds according to the quantity and quality of habitat as described in the GCPO LCC’s draft Integrated Science Agenda (v4). Watersheds (HUC12) were ranked by the presence, quantity and quality of the Tidal Marsh habitat system (includes brackish and saltwater marsh) within the 5 sub-geographies of the GCPO LCC region. Once ranked, watersheds were classified (e.g., “Top 10%”) based on the proportion of the total Tidal Marsh area (current + potential) contained within the watershed.  The information input into the ranking rubric was derived from the GCPO LCC’s Tidal Marsh Condition Index and the resulting Action Opportunity maps.