Shoreline Change Map Data for Tidewater Maryland
contact: Stephen Van Ryswick (stephen.vanryswick@maryland.gov) | ||
PLEASE NOTE: These data are for illustration purposes only. Do not use these documents for navigation, legal purposes, or any critical applications. They were created only to illustrate our publications and are not accurate enough to be used for any other purposes. | ||
These are vector format files. Unlike raster images they can be rescaled without distortion. The files on this page were created in ArcGIS 8.3 and consist mainly of polyline segments of the shorelines that are shown on the PDF maps. The dates of these shorelines range from the mid 1800's to the 1990's. Three file formats are available: Autodesk's Drawing Exchange Format (.DXF), ESRI's Shapefile (.SHP) and Arc Export (.E00) formats. These are widely accepted vector data standards and are used by programs such as AutoCAD, ArcGIS, ArcInfo, CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, JASC's Paint Shop Pro, Bryce 3D, 3D Studio Max, and many Intergraph programs. The ESRI .SHP file format contains shoreline attribute data. A complete metadata file accompanies each file. You may also download the complete metadata in a zipped filed here. The metadata describe map projections, attributes, compilation procedures and all other critical parameters necessary to the proper use of the data. The maps are available in two groupings, found in the charts below:
To download data click on the desired file format in the table below. Files have been compressed with Winzip to decrease download times. You will not be able to view the files on-line. We also have Shoreline Change Maps in PDF format available for download. |
The image below is an example of shoreline change map
data displayed in ESRI's ArcMap GIS software |
Shoreline Change Maps by Quadrangle | |
Place your mouse over the index map below to find a quadrangle name. You can find the quadrangle name and data in the table below. |
Click on a format name to download data in ESRI shape (shp), Autodesk drawing exchange (dxf), or ESRI export exchange (e00) formats. | ||||||||||
Quadrangle Names and Shorelines Available | Format | Quadrangle Names and Shorelines Available | Format | |||||||
A: | Aberdeen - 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | M: | Mardela Springs - 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | |
Alexandria - 1862, 1974, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Marion - 1852, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Annapolis - 1847, 1934, 1965, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Mathias Point - 1862, 1904, 1961, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Assawoman Bay - 1850, 1942, 1962, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Mechanicsville - 1860, 1942, 1944, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
B: | Baltimore East - 1975, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Middle River - 1847, 1936, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Baltimore West - 1974, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Millington - 1937, 1976, 1992, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Barren Island - 1848, 1942, 1993, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Monie - 1849, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Benedict - 1849, 1942, 1944, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Mount Vernon - 1862, 1939, 1973, 1974, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Berlin - 1849, 1942, 1962, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | N: | Nanjemoy - 1862, 1903, 1961, 1972, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Betterton - 1845, 1943, 1976, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Nanticoke - 1849, 1942, 1988, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Blackwater River - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | North Beach - 1847, 1934, 1960, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Bloodsworth Island -1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | North East - 1845, 1976, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Boxiron - 1850, 1942, 1962, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | O: | Ocean City - 1850, 1942, 1962, 1977, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Bristol - 1942, 1944, 1993, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Oxford - 1847, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Broomes Island - 1860, 1942, 1960, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | P: | Perryman - 1845, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
C: | Cambridge - 1848, 1940, 1943, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Piney Point - 1868, 1943, 1958, 1959, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Cecilton - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Pocomoke City - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Centreville - 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | Point Lookout - 1849, 1942, 1955, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Charlotte Hall - 1868, 1942, 1959, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Point No Point - 1848, 1943, 1955, 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Chestertown - 1846, 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | Popes Creek - 1862, 1943, 1959, 1961, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Chicamacomico River -1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Port Tobacco - 1862, 1973, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Church Creek -1841, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Preston - 1848, 1944, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Church Hill - 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | Prince Frederick -1848, 1942, 1960, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Claiborne - 1847, 1937, 1942, 1961, 1992, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Princess Anne - 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Colonial Beach North - 1863, 1942, 1958, 1961, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Public Landing - 1849, 1942, 1961, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Cove Point - 1848, 1942, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Q: | Quantico - 1862, 1939, 1972, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Crisfield - 1851, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | Queenstown - 1846, 1942, 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
D: | Curtis Bay - 1846, 1934, 1975, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | R: | Rhodesdale - 1988, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |
Deal Island - 1849, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | Richland Point - 1849, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Deale - 1846, 1934, 1944, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Ridgely - 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Denton - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Rock Hall - 1845, 1942, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Dividing Creek - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Rock Point - 1868, 1942, 1958, 1959, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
E: | Earleville - 1845, 1937, 1976, 1995> | shp | dxf | e00 | Round Bay - 1845, 1934, 1965, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
East New Market - 1848, 1940, 1944, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | S: | Salisbury - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Easton - 1900, 1942, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Saxis - 1851, 1942, 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Eden - 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Selbyville - 1850, 1942, 1961, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Edgewood - 1846, 1974, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Sharptown - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Elkton - 1845, 1938, 1976, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Snow Hill - 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Ewell - 1849, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | Solomons Island - 1848, 1942, 1943, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
F: | Federalsburg - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | South River - 1847, 1934, 1944, 1965, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Fowling Creek - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Sparrows Point - 1846, 1934, 1975, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
G: | Galena - 1846, 1937, 1943, 1976, 1992, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Spesutie - 1846, 1938, 1976, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Gibson Island - 1845, 1898, 1942, 1965, 1975, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | St. Clements Island - 1942, 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Girdletree - 1843, 1942, 1963, 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | St. George Island -1858, 1942, 1943, 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Golden Hill - 1848, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | St. Marys City - 1853, 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Great Fox Island -1849, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | St. Michaels - 1847, 1937, 1942, 1992, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Gunpowder Neck - 1846, 1933, 1974, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Stratford Hall - 1868, 1943, 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
H: | Hallwood - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Sudlersville - 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Hanesville - 1845, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Swan Point - 1846, 1938, 1976, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Havre de Grace -1845, 1976, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | T: | Taylors Island - 1848, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Hebron - 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Terrapin Sand Point - 1849, 1942, 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Hobbs - 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | Tilghman - 1847, 1937, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Hollywood - 1848, 1942, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Tingles Island - 1849, 1942, 1962, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Honga - 1848, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | Trappe - 1848, 1942, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Horseshoe Point - 1846, 1847, 1934, 1937, 1943, 1944, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | W: | Wetipquin - 1849, 1942, 1988 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Hudson - 1847, 1942, 1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | White Marsh -1994 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
I: | Indian Head - 1862, 1973, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Whittington Point - 1850, 1942, 1962, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
K: |
Kedges Straits -1942, 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | Widewater - 1862, 1904, 1972, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Kent Island - 1844, 1942, 1961, 1976, 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | Wingate - 1849, 1942, 1995 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
King George -1862, 1903, 1961, 1972, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | Wye Mills - 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||
Kingston - 1988, 1989 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||||||
L: | Langford Creek - 1846, 1942, 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | ||||||
Leonardtown - 1958, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||||||
Love Point - 1846, 1942, 1976, 1992 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||||||
Lower Marlboro - 1859, 1942, 1993 | shp | dxf | e00 | |||||||
Shoreline Change Maps by County
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Shoreline Change Maps by County | County / City | format (file size, kilobytes) click to download map data |
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shp | dxf | e00 | ||
Anne Arundel |
shp (4,337) | dxf (3,003) | e00 (6,182) | |
Baltimore | shp (2,605) | dxf (1,815) | e00 (3,642) | |
Baltimore City | shp (199) | dxf (150) | e00 (1,986) | |
Calvert | shp (3,587) | dxf (2,388) | e00 (5,154) | |
Caroline | shp (961) | dxf (673) | e00 (1,305) | |
Cecil | shp (1,612) | dxf (1,151) | e00 (2,118) | |
Charles | shp (2,874) | dxf (1,889) | e00 (4,131) | |
Dorchester | shp (11,800) | dxf (8,078) | e00 (17,227) | |
Harford | shp (2,137) | dxf (1,479) | e00 (3,120) | |
Kent | shp (2,493) | dxf (1,774) | e00 (3,537) | |
Prince Georges | shp (1,893) | dxf (1,267) | e00 (2,636) | |
Queen Annes | shp (4,220) | dxf (2,961) | e00 (5,905) | |
St. Marys | shp (7,063) | dxf (4,599) | e00 (11,238) | |
Somerset | shp (9,435) | dxf (6,391) | e00 (15,187) | |
Talbot | shp (5,511) | dxf (3,836) | e00 (7,969) | |
Wicomico | shp (4,583) | dxf (3,118) | e00 (6,644) | |
Worcester | shp (10,445) | dxf (8,84) | e00 (14,379) | |
Complete metadata for above maps |
Metadata Summary
For the coastal regions of Maryland, the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) has periodically compiled maps depicting shoreline position at several points in time. The most recent compilation -- the first electronic one -- involved (1) digitizing historical (1841-1977) shoreline maps, all derived directly or indirectly from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration coastal survey maps (topographic or T-sheets), and (2) interpreting recent (1988-1995) shorelines from digital orthophotography. MGS is using the shorelines to update a series of Shoreline Changes maps and to determine coastal land loss, by watershed and by county, during the last half of the 20th century.
This data set contains past shorelines, dating from 1841 to 1995, for 125 7.5-minute quadrangles covering the coastal regions of Maryland (see below). Originally in MicroImage's TNTmips .rvc format, the shoreline vectors have been converted to Arc/Info "Export" (.e00) format. They are registered to the Maryland State Plane Coordinate System (North American Datum of 83, meters).
Spatial Reference Information:
- Map Projection Name: Lambert Conformal Conic
- Grid Coordinate System Name: State Plane Coordinate System 1983
- SPCS Zone Identifier: 1900 (Maryland)
- Planar Distance Units: meters
- Horizontal Datum Name: North American Datum of 1983
- Ellipsoid Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
- Semi-major Axis: 6,378,137 meters
- Denominator of Flattening Ratio: 298.257
- Depth Datum Name: The aerial photography from which the DOQQs were developed was not tide-coordinated. Therefore, shorelines in this data set does not represent a consistent vertical datum.
Shoreline Attributes:
- beach
- vegetated
- structure
- water’s edge
All four categories are linear features, except “beach,” which, if sufficiently wide, can be both linear and polygonal. Shorelines were merged into 7.5-minute quadrangles, provided that the aerial photography on which the DOQQs were based was flown in the same year.
Please see the complete metadata online or attached to each downloaded data file.