Coastal Services Center

The GIS Integration and Development Program

---

Grant Project Summary: West Coast Inland Navigation District

---

Bathymetric Data for Coastal Resource Management in Southwest Florida Waterways: A Proposal to Enhance and Standardize Field Collection Methods

October 2000 to April 2002

Project Summary

The West Coast Inland Navigation District partnered with the NOAA Coastal Services Center to enhance and standardize field collection methods for bathymetric data for the coastal resource management community in southwest Florida waterways. This project resulted in a publication, a Web site, and a CD–ROM that contains geographic data sets as ARC/INFO export files, as ArcView shapefiles, and in comma delimited ASCII format. Background imagery and metadata are included in the project’s final report.

The principal goals of the project were to 1) enhance and standardize the bathymetric data collection procedures that have been used by the West Coast Inland Navigation District and the Florida Sea Grant during prior implementations of the Regional Waterway Management Project; 2) to provide a reliable and recurring source of bathymetric data for areas not covered by NOAA surveys; bathymetric data that meets NOAA standards and that can be included on NOAA nautical charts; and 3) to evaluate survey equipment and procedures that could be used by a third–party organizations, such as the Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Supply Squadrons, to collect bathymetric data under supervision provided by the West Coast Inland Navigation District or the Florida Sea Grant.

NOAA Coastal Services Center's Role

This was a grant project and NOAA did not have substantial involvement with the work.

Grantee Overview

The West Coast Inland Navigation District (the “District”), headquartered in Venice, Florida, was established in 1947 and is a multi-county special taxing district, comprised of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties, with an estimated 1.1 million people in its service area. The District assists in the planning and implementation of waterway projects that promote safe navigation and the enjoyment of water-based activities, such as boating, fishing, and beach recreation.
District programs include maintaining and enhancing public navigation channels and inlets, boating access facilities, waterfront parks, and piers. The District also provides leadership in waterway resource-based stewardship by encouraging boating safety and environmental education through the distribution of boaters’ guides and waterway maps. District programs enhance the regional economic base while preserving the environment and the quality of life in Southwest Florida.

Back to Grant Page Summaries