Metadata for 1950s and 2001 Fisheries Habitat of the Yellowstone River Metadata for 1950s and 2001 Fisheries Habitat of the Yellowstone River

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Identification Information:

Citation:

Originator: DTM Consulting

Publication date: 01/29/2015

Title: 1950s and 2001 Fisheries Habitat of the Yellowstone River

Publisher: Montana State Library

Online linkage: https://ftpgeoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/NonMSDI/Collections/Yellowstone_River_Clearinghouse/Shapefiles/YellowstoneFishHabitat1950_2001.zip

Larger Work Citation:

Title: Yellowstone River Clearinghouse GIS Layers
Online linkage: http://mslapps.mt.gov/Geographic_Information/Data/DataList/datalist_Details.aspx?did={17daa910-aba0-11e3-a5e2-0800200c9a66}

Abstract:

These data are four layers that show fishery habitat types of the Yellowstone River at low-flow and bankfull stage, derived from aerial photographs frome two periods, 1948-1951 and 2001. It is part of a series of datasets that show fishery habitat types for 2001 and the 1950s, showing low-flow conditions at the time of the photography and interpreted bankfull conditions. The mapping extent starts approximately 10 miles upstream from Park City and extends to the confluence with the Missouri River.

The 2001 mapping was performed by DTM Consulting in 2009 and the same mapping criteria were applied to the 1950s imagery in 2011. The changes in the 2001 mapping were mainly focused in the Secondary Seasonal habitats and involved removing Point, Side and Mid Channel Bars from these essentially dry channels.

There is one key difference between the 2001 and 1950s mapping. The 2001 mapping utilized the detailed color-infrared imagery. This imagery does a very good job of highlighting vegetation on the bars. This allowed for fairly consistent identification of the general vegetation characteristics on the bars (emergent, established, mature, no veg). The 1950s black and white imagery allows for this vegetation attribution in some areas, but it is very inconsistent. Herbaceous vegetation and wet sand/gravel look very similar. Because we could not consistently populate this attribute, it has been omitted from the 1950s data set.

Time period of content:

Beginning date: 1948
Ending date: 2001
Currentness reference: Ground Condition

Access constraints: None

Use constraints:

The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.

Point of contact:

Tony Thatcher
DTM Consulting
211 N Grand Ave, Suite J
Bozeman, MT 59715
Telephone: 406-585-5322
E-Mail: tony@dtmgis.com

Data Quality Information:

Lineage:

Process step:: All digitizing was performed in ArcGIS using heads-up digitizing techniques. Features were mapped at approximately 1:6,000 for the upper reaches (Regions A, B, and C), while 1:8,000 was used for Region D due to the larger features in the river. These scales allowed comparable features to be mapped between the 1950s and 2001 data sets. The low-flow mapping represents the visible features and resulting habitats at the time of the imagery. This results in a greater level of detail and refinement of features over the bankfull mapping.

All mapping starts with the Bankfull Channel mapping from the earlier "Bank and Flow Lines of the Yellowstone River, 1950-2001" data set. This data set defines the interpreted bankfull channel. Islands that contain mature vegetation are part of this dataset. Both of the fisheries habitat mapping data sets start with the associated Bankfull Channel linework. This initial data set is then subdivided into fisheries habitat units.
Process step:: The bankfull habitat conditions were mapped first. This data focuses on the interpreted conditions at typical bankfull flows. As such, there are not bars, dry channel areas, or other such low flow features mapped. Habitat units tend to cross the entire channel, incorporating areas that do not contain water during base flow conditions. Secondary channels and Secondary Seasonal channels are not subdivided into smaller units such as Scour and Channel Crossover.
Process step:: Low-Flow Conditions:
Mapping low flow habitat conditions focuses on capturing the conditions that fish and other aquatic species encounter the majority of the year. This data set includes the mapping of mid-channel bars, point bars, side bars, and areas of dry channel. (Note: these areas equate to the Unconsolidated Shore areas in the riparian/wetlands land cover mapping.) The low-flow habitats were mapped after the bankfull conditions. For the most part, this ensures that habitats such as Bluffs, Terraces, and Rip Rap Banks are consistent between the low-flow and bankfull mapping. In some cases where the low-flow channel no longer runs against a boundary feature (Bluff, Terrace, etc.) that the bankfull flow accesses, the habitat unit will shift to Scour. Again, Secondary channels and Secondary Seasonal channels are not subdivided into smaller units.
Process step:: General Guidelines for Digitizing

Defining exact boundaries for specific habitat units can be challenging, as the boundary between habitat units often represents a gradient or transition between units. To assist in defining habitat types consistently, the following guidelines were used.
- For the low-flow mapping, the first step is to define the point, mid-channel, and side bars, as well as dry channel areas. Sometimes it can be difficult to discern between Side Bars (depositional features that tend to introduce sinuosity to the low-flow channel) and Dry Channel areas. When in doubt, these areas are attributed as Dry Channel.
- Bars that appear to be point bars but are opposite fixed banks (bedrock, riprap) were called Dry Channel. In these areas the channel is not migrating, so they should not be building point bars. The exception is where a bendway is translating downstream and building a bar as it translates.
- Open sand/gravel areas attached to vegetated island units are attributed as Dry Channel, unless they are obviously better described as Point Bars.
- Next, Secondary Seasonal channels are defined. These are side channels that are either completely dry or have a mix of wetted area and dry area. No obvious continuous flow-through of water. Secondary channels are not differentiated further into Scour, Channel Crossover, etc. No bars are defined for Secondary Seasonal channels in the low-flow habitat dataset.
- Next, Secondary Channels are defined. These show evidence of continuous water surface flow) for their entire length. When in doubt, these channels were attributed as Secondary Seasonal. As with Secondary Seasonal Channels, Secondary Channels were not differentiated further into Scour, Channel Crossover, etc. unless they were composed of well-defined units along their entire length.
- In the last step, the habitats in the main channel are defined.
- Where channel split results in fairly equal flow around an island or group of islands, detailed mapping is completed in each channel.
- Where a series of Secondary and Secondary Seasonal channels converge and begin to carry significant flow, detailed mapping will start up in the merged channel.
- In most situations a single bendway was mapped as a single habitat unit even if it contained multiple features. For example, a bendway that started as a Riprap Bottom but only had riprap for part of the bendway would not be split into Riprap Bottom and Scour habitat units. In this case it would take on the dominant controlling habitat feature and be mapped as a single unit. As a general rule, if the feature contained more than 50% riprap it was mapped as a riprap

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Point and vector object information:

SDTS object type: GT-polygon composed of chains

SDTS object count: 2449

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal coordinate system definition:

Map projection:

Map projection name: NAD 1983 StatePlane Montana FIPS 2500
Lambert conformal conic:

Planar distance units: meter

Geodetic model:

Horizontal datum name: D North American 1983
Ellipsoid name: GRS 1980
Semi-major axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257222101

Entity and Attribute Information:

Entity type label: lowflow_habitat_1950s

Attribute label: FID

Attribute definition: Shapefile sequence number

Attribute label: Shape

Attribute definition: Feature geometry

Attribute label: ACRES

Attribute definition: Area of the polygon in acres

Attribute label: Reach_ID

Attribute definition: Reach Identifier

Attribute label: Hab_Code

Attribute definition:: Habitat Code. The names of the habitats are available in the Habitat field. The habitats were originally delveloped by Matt Jeager.

Attribute label: Habitat

Attribute definition:: Name of Habitat. The habitats were originally delveloped by Matt Jeager.

Attribute label: Vegetation

Attribute definition:: The vegetation attribute is available only for the 2001 low-flow layer. It is intended to give a general characterization of the vegetation in the bar, dry channel, and island habitat units. The units can generally be thought of as: None, Low, Moderate, High.

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Montana State Library
PO Box 201800
Helena, MT 59620-1800
Telephone: 406-444-5354
TDD/TTY telephone: Montana Relay 711
Fax: 406-444-0266
E-Mail: geoinfo@mt.gov

Resource description: Downloadable Data

Distribution liability:

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata date: 01/28/2015

Metadata review date: 12/09/2011

Metadata contact:

Tony Thatcher
DTM Consulting
211 N Grand Ave, Suite J
Bozeman, MT 59715
Telephone: 406-585-5322
E-Mail: tony@dtmgis.com