NJ Highlands Riparian Integrity Score

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (NJ Highlands Council)

Publication_Date: 20120130

Title: NJ Highlands Riparian Integrity Score

Edition: 2.0

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Chester, NJ

Publisher: New Jersey Highlands Council

Online_Linkage: <http://www.highlands.state.nj.us/>

Description:

Abstract:

Riparian area integrity is be defined by an area’s ability to provide water protection and ecological function. These functions include nutrient and sediment filtration, stream bank stabilization, wildlife migration corridors and habitat, storm water and flood water storage, and stream water quality protection. The NJ Highlands Council's characterization of riparian area integrity involves the assessment of existing land use and land cover condition.
Using the riparian area map as the base map, land use within riparian areas was analyzed through assessment of land use and road intensity information. NJDEP Land Use/Land Cover data and Highlands/NJDOT Roads data was used to determine land use within Highlands riparian areas.
Land use/land cover conditions for for each riparian area polygon were extracted and summarized to the HUC14 subwatershed level. The Riparian Integrity Scores are reported at the HUC14 subwatershed level. The HUC14 subwatershed Riparian Integrity Scores are evaluated based on the land conditions that impact the Riparian Area within the subwatershed.
The following land use parameters were evaluated for each riparian area polygon.
-Impervious coverage (Highlands GIS data) -Agriculture land use (NJDEP 2007 Land Use/Land Cover) -Number of road crossings per linear stream mile by HUC14 (NJDOT) -Natural vegetation (NJDEP 2007 Land Use/Land Cover) -Water/Wetland dependent rare, threatened, and endangered species habitat (NJDEP Landscape Project Data v3.0)

Purpose:

The Riparian Integrity Score layer and analysis was performed to evaluate and understand the value and importance of Highlands riparian areas. This effort serves to directly fulfill and respond to the goals and requirements of the Highlands Act.

Supplemental_Information:

Riparian areas serve as an interface between surface water bodies (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, or reservoirs) and terrestrial ecosystems. Riparian areas are hydrologically connected to surface water through overland surface runoff, hydric soils, wetlands, or subsurface flow.
Riparian areas moderate fluctuations in water temperature, help maintain groundwater recharge and stream base flow, stabilize stream banks, and provide flood storage areas. During high flow or overland runoff events, riparian areas reduce erosion and sediment loads to surface water and remove excess nutrients and contaminants from flood water. Riparian areas also provide habitat and for a variety of animal species and support terrestrial and aquatic food webs through deposition of woody debris (NRCS 2006; NJWSA 2000).
The effectiveness of riparian areas is influenced by their size, intensity, type of land use, and riparian corridor condition (e.g., soils, slope, vegetation, wetlands, and floodplain). Anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) disturbance to riparian areas often significantly alter the movement and storage of water that is critical to ecological functions (NRCS 2006). Land use changes, impervious (i.e., paved) surfaces, and riparian vegetation removal decrease infiltration rates within riparian areas and increase overland storm or flood water runoff. Overland surface or flood water runoff within disturbed riparian areas may negatively affect downstream aquatic ecosystem health. Thus, functional values of riparian areas are lost as anthropogenic disturbances increase.
Removing negative-impact land use activities and maintaining vegetated riparian areas are critical for maintaining water quality of stream systems and downstream reservoirs. Protected buffers adjacent to water bodies and streams where development is excluded or minimized is a best management practice (BMP), recommended as a means to reduce impact from developed land uses on adjacent aquatic ecosystems and downstream water quality.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Currentness_Reference: publication date

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.210621

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -74.052323

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.296595

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.513986

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword:

riparian, water, wetlands, streams, soils, flood prone, ecological integrity

Place:

Place_Keyword: New Jersey Highlands

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Data Distribution Agreement The Highlands Council Agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of the following: I. Description of Data to be Provided
The data provided herein are distributed subject to the following conditions and restrictions:
Subject Data Layers
For all data contained herein, the Highlands Council makes no representations of any kind, including, but not limited to, the warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use, nor are any such warranties to be implied with respect to the digital data layers furnished hereunder. The Highlands Council assumes no responsibility to maintain digital data layers in any manner or form.
II. Terms of Agreement
1. Digital data received from the Highlands Council are to be used solely for internal purposes in the conduct of daily affairs.
2. The data are provided, as is, without warranty of any kind and the user is responsible for understanding the accuracy limitations of all digital data layers provided herein, or as documented in any accompanying Data Dictionary and Readme files. Any reproduction or manipulation of the above data must ensure that the coordinate reference system remains intact.
3. Digital data received from the Highlands Council may not be reproduced or redistributed for use by anyone without first obtaining written authorization from the Highlands Council. This clause is not intended to restrict distribution of printed mapped information produced from the digital data.
4. Any maps, publications, reports, or other documents produced as a result of this project that utilize Highlands Council digital data will credit the Highlands Council's Geographic Information System (GIS) as the source of the data with the following credit/disclaimer:
"This (map/publication/report) was developed using New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council's Geographic Information System digital data, but this secondary product has not been verified by the Highlands Council and is not state-authorized."
5. Users shall require any contractor, hired to undertake work that will utilize digital data obtained from the Highlands Council, to agree not to use, reproduce, or redistribute Highlands Council GIS data for any purpose other than the specified contractual work. All copies of Highlands Council GIS data utilized by an contractor will be required to be returned to the original user at the close of such contractual work.
Users hereby agree to abide by the use and reproduction conditions specified above and agree to hold any contractor to the same terms. By using data provided herein, the user acknowledges that terms and conditions have been read and that the user is bound by these criteria.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NJ Highlands Council

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address: 100 North Road

City: Chester

State_or_Province: New Jersey

Postal_Code: 07930

Country: UNITED STATES

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (908) 879-6737

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (908) 879-4205

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gis@highlands.state.nj.us

Hours_of_Service: 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

This is a polygon feature-based layer. Data were reviewed for correct topological structure.

Completeness_Report: Complete.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Using the riparian area map as the base map, land use within riparian areas was analyzed through assessment of land use and road intensity information. NJDEP Land Use/Land Cover data and Highlands/NJDOT Roads data was used to determine land use within Highlands riparian areas.
Land use/land cover conditions for for each riparian area polygon were extracted and summarized to the HUC14 subwatershed level. The Riparian Integrity Scores are reported at the HUC14 subwatershed level. The HUC14 subwatershed Riparian Integrity Scores are evaluated based on the land conditions that impact the Riparian Area within the subwatershed.
The following land use parameters were evaluated for each riparian area polygon.
-Impervious coverage (Highlands GIS data) -Agriculture land use (NJDEP 2007 Land Use/Land Cover) -Number of road crossings per linear stream mile by HUC14 (NJDOT) -Natural vegetation (NJDEP 2007 Land Use/Land Cover) -Water/Wetland dependent rare, threatened, and endangered species habitat (NJDEP Landscape Project Data v3.0)
A resource integrity classification was assigned for each HUC14 sub-watershed based on the previous land use activities within the Riparian Area. The following integrity classes were assigned:
-High Integrity Riparian Area: These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that exhibit predominantly natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species, and a generally low incidence of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings.
-Moderate Integrity Riparian Area: These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that contain a higher incidence of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings and a reduced proportion of natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species.
-Low Integrity Riparian Area: These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that contain a high proportion of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings and minimal natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species.
The degree of riparian area integrity was calculated for each HUC14. The integrity classifications for each HUC14 total riparian area was summarized to characterize the degree of anthropogenic alteration to Highlands riparian areas.

Process_Date: 20111001

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NJ Highlands Council

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 100 North Road

City: Chester

State_or_Province: New Jersey

Postal_Code: 07930

Country: UNITED STATES

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 908-879-6737

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 908-897-4205

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gis@highlands.state.nj.us

Hours_of_Service: 8am-5pm Monday thru Friday

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000039

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000039

Planar_Distance_Units: survey feet

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Altitude_System_Definition:

Altitude_Resolution: 0.000100

Altitude_Encoding_Method:

Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: Riparian_Integrity_Score

Entity_Type_Definition: NJ Highlands Riparian Integrity Score

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: NJ Highlands Council

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: HUC14

Attribute_Definition: Hydrologic Unit Code Number

Attribute_Definition_Source: NJDEP

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: SW_NAME

Attribute_Definition: Subwatershed Name

Attribute_Definition_Source: NJDEP

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: INTEGRITY_

Attribute_Definition: Integrity Score

Attribute_Definition_Source: NJ Highlands

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Highest

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that exhibit predominantly natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species, and a generally low incidence of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NJ Highlands Council

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Moderate

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that contain a higher incidence of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings and a reduced proportion of natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NJ Highlands Council

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Lowest

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

These areas include subwatersheds with Riparian Areas that contain a high proportion of impervious area, agricultural uses and/or road crossings and minimal natural vegetation including high quality habitat for water/wetland dependent species.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NJ Highlands

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: New Jersey Highlands Council

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address: 100 North Road (Route 513)

City: Chester

State_or_Province: New Jersey

Postal_Code: 07930

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 908-879-6737

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 908-879-4205

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gis@highlands.state.nj.us

Hours_of_Service: 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Contact_Instructions:

Contact the Distributor if you have any questions or concerns regarding the distribution and/or download of this data. If you have questions or concerns regarding the data itself, please contact the Metadata Contact person listed in the Metadata Reference Section.

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data

Distribution_Liability: See "Use Constraints"

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20120130

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Organization: New Jersey Highlands Council

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 100 North Road

City: Chester

State_or_Province: New Jersey

Postal_Code: 07930

Country: UNITED STATES

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 908-879-6737

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 908-879-4205

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gis@highlands.state.nj.us

Hours_of_Service: 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time