Historical Shoreline Data for Delaware River, New Castle to Chester

A high-resolution historical shoreline dataset for the Delaware River between New Castle, DE, and Chester, PA, automated for use as a GIS data layer. The data were derived from shoreline maps produced by the NOAA National Ocean Service and its predecessors, based on imagery interpretation and field surveys. The attribution follows the NGS-developed C-COAST scheme, influenced by the S-57 standard for hydrographic data.

Use Cases

• Analyze shoreline change over time based on the historical mapping methodology mentioned in the description
• Integrate historical coastal features into modern GIS systems based on the high-resolution, automated data layer
• Model coastal processes or habitat change using the attributed shoreline data derived from NOAA maps
• Translate shoreline data for hydrographic charting based on the C-COAST attribution scheme influenced by S-57 standards

Strengths

• Data were automated to provide a high-resolution historical shoreline suitable for GIS
• Derived from authoritative NOAA National Ocean Service shoreline maps
• Attribution follows a structured scheme (C-COAST) designed for translation to the S-57 hydrographic standard

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the source maps and interpretation methods

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Derived from shoreline maps produced by NOAA NOS and predecessors, based on office interpretation of imagery and/or field surveys.

Time Range

Historical (specific range not provided)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 21:38:07.079267; freshness should be verified

Geography

Delaware River, vicinity of New Castle, DE, to Chester, PA