GL_StClair_Detroit_River 2019 ESI: Shoreline and Hydrography Data

2019 Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for the Great Lakes - St. Clair / Detroit River System. The dataset contains vector lines and polygons representing coastal shoreline and hydrography, characterizing environments by their sensitivity to oil spills. It was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling oil spill trajectory and shoreline impact based on delineated land and water areas.
• Planning coastal protection strategies based on identified human-made structures like breakwaters and piers.
• Assessing habitat sensitivity for conservation efforts based on the ESI framework for shoreline habitats.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific, defined geographic system including Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, and Lake Erie.
• Includes two complementary feature classes (HYDROL and HYDROP) for lines and polygons.
• Created for the standardized Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) framework.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Great Lakes system studied.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely created through geospatial analysis and field surveys for the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI).

Time Range

2019

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:24:55.278645; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Lakes - St. Clair / Detroit River System, including portions of Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, Lake Erie, and adjacent lands in southeastern Michigan.