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Fairfax County & City of Alexandria, Virginia

Digital Shoreline Inventory Report - Description and Disclaimer

The Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program (CCI) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is generating new Shoreline Inventory Reports for coastal localities in the Virginia.  This effort compliments a parallel effort in Maryland by the same group.  Documents known as Shoreline Situation Reports were developed by VIMS in the 1970s for Virginia and have been the foundation for shoreline management planning in Tidewater Virginia ever since. CCI has developed new protocols for collecting, disseminating, and reporting data relevant to shoreline management issues using state of the art mapping and remote sensing techniques. The new Shoreline Inventory Reports are being generated on a county by county for Maryland and Virginia, and describe conditions along their tidal tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.  This series is published entirely in digital format. 

The data inventory developed for the Shoreline Inventory is based on a three‑tiered shoreline assessment approach. In most cases this assessment characterizes conditions that can be observed from a small boat navigating along the shoreline. The three tiered shoreline assessment approach divides the shorezone into three regions: 1) the immediate riparian zone, evaluated for land use; 2) the bank, evaluated for height, stability, cover and natural protection; and 3) the shoreline, describing the presence of shoreline structures for shore protection and recreational purposes.  Hand-held GPS units are used to log features observed in the field. 

Three GIS coverages are developed from the GPS field files.  The first describes land use and bank conditions (alex_lubc; fairfax_lubc).  The second reports shoreline structures that are collected as arcs or lines (alex_sstru; fairfax_sstru).  The final coverage includes all structures that are represented as points (alex_astru; fairfax_astru).

The coverages use a shoreline basemap generated in-house from the Virginia Base Mapping Program’s high resolution digital terrain model from 2009. The shoreline is re‑coded to reflect features and attributes observed in the field. The metadata file accompanies the coverages and defines attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to data.  

This site provides access to all downloadable files. The links are at the bottom of this page. When downloading data from this site, the users agree to all conditions outlined in the disclaimer below. The text report includes an outline of methods.  Color maps illustrate the conditions recorded during the survey.  Tables quantify data on a plate by plate basis. These sources can be downloaded with Adobe Acrobat Reader.  GIS data are available as shapefiles.

Acknowledgment

These data are a product of the Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program. This project was funded in part by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at the Department of Environmental Quality through Grant # NA09NOS4190163 of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended.

Disclaimer for Digital Shoreline Inventory Reports

The Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program (CCI) provides these data with the understanding that it is not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from the data set are the sole responsibility of the user.  Every attempt has been made to ensure that these data and the documentation are reliable and accurate. Neither CCI, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), or the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (VCZMP) assume liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in the data or documentation, or as a result of failure of the data to perform in a particular manner. CCI, VIMS, and VCZMP make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.

Individuals who download these data agree to the following, and understand the limitations defined.  Integration of these data into other products requires proper citation. Proper citation for this dataset is: "Berman, M.R., Berquist, H., Killeen, S., Hershner, C., Nunez, K., Reay, K., Rudnicky, T., 2010. Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria, Virginia -  Shoreline Inventory Report, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062."

Use of these data in map publications, either digital or hardcopy, requires proper citation, and inclusion of the CCI logo (see CCI logo)

- CCI is not responsible for misuse of these data.

- CCI does not oversee or assume responsibility for alterations to this product by users.

- CCI may not address specific questions from users who received the data through another party.

- Distribution of these data is not restricted. CCI, however, recommends metadata file(s) always remain with the data.

- CCI encourages noticeable errors be reported to CCI contact person identified in the metadata file.

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