Alternative Text Description for USACE Docks

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays dock and waterway facilities across the state of Florida as documented by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The map shows the locations of navigation points of interest, including dock facilities and related maritime infrastructure throughout Florida's extensive coastline and waterways. The distribution reveals a comprehensive network of maritime facilities serving commercial and transportation needs across the state.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the panhandle region in the northwest (near Pensacola and Dothan, Alabama) to the southern tip at Miami and the Florida Keys. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa and St. Petersburg on the west-central Gulf coast, Cape Coral and Fort Myers on the southwest coast, West Palm Beach and Palm Coast on the east coast, and Miami in the southeast. The map also shows portions of southern Georgia and Alabama to the north. The map encompasses Florida's Atlantic Ocean coastline to the east, the Gulf of America to the west and south, and the Straits of Florida at the southern terminus.

KEY INSIGHTS

USACE dock facilities show a strong concentration along Florida's coastal perimeters, with particularly dense clusters in several metropolitan areas. The Tampa Bay area and the Miami-Dade region exhibit the highest concentrations of dock facilities. Significant linear corridors of facilities follow the Atlantic coast from Jacksonville southward through Palm Coast to the Miami metropolitan area, and along the Gulf coast from the panhandle through Tampa Bay to Cape Coral and the Florida Keys. The panhandle region shows a moderate concentration of facilities along the Gulf coast. Interior regions of Florida show minimal to no dock facilities, reflecting the coastal nature of maritime infrastructure. The distribution pattern clearly delineates Florida's role as a peninsula state with extensive maritime access and infrastructure development focused on coastal zones.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

USACE Docks

This layer represents dock and waterway facilities and navigation points of interest maintained in the USACE database.

USACE Dock Locations (orange/yellow star symbols)

Appearance:

Individual dock facilities are represented by small orange to yellow star-shaped symbols distributed across the map.

Distribution:

Facilities are distributed along Florida's entire coastline, with concentrations along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Interior waterways show minimal representation, with nearly all facilities positioned along saltwater coastal areas or major ports.

Notable locations:

Major concentrations appear in the following metropolitan areas: the greater Miami area and southeastern coast, the Tampa-St. Petersburg region, the Jacksonville area, the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area, the Pensacola region in the western panhandle, and the Florida Keys extending southwest from the mainland. Additional clusters are visible near Orlando (likely connected to Port Canaveral), Gainesville area facilities, and along the Nature Coast of the Gulf.

Spatial patterns:

Dock facilities form linear patterns following the state's coastline, creating an almost continuous outline of Florida's maritime boundaries. Facilities cluster densely in established port cities and metropolitan areas, suggesting concentration around commercial shipping hubs and population centers. The pattern shows Florida's extensive maritime infrastructure network serving both Atlantic and Gulf coast operations, with the heaviest facility density in South Florida and the central Gulf coast regions.

Overlapping Patterns

In areas of high facility density such as Miami, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville, individual dock symbols overlap or appear in tight clusters, indicating multiple facilities operating in close proximity within major port complexes.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map presents a statewide view of maritime infrastructure in Florida, emphasizing the state's extensive coastline and the distribution of facilities that support commercial shipping, navigation, and waterway operations. The dataset includes various facility types with detailed attributes such as location descriptions, ownership, cargo-handling equipment, water depth, and berthing space, though these detailed attributes are not visually represented at this map scale. The visual representation focuses solely on the geographic distribution of facility locations. Users should note that this is a point-location map showing where facilities exist, not their size, capacity, or operational characteristics.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The USACE periodically updates this dataset to reflect current dock and waterway facility information. The dataset includes comprehensive attributes for each facility including location descriptions, street addresses, ownership and operator information, highway and railway connections, commodities handled, construction types, cargo-handling equipment specifications, water depth measurements, berthing space dimensions, and deck height information. This dataset represents an update to the FGDL layer ACPORT_2020.

Data source layer name: DOCKS_JUL24

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied; the map displays the complete dock facility dataset for Florida.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a statewide scale showing all of Florida, appropriate for understanding the overall distribution and regional patterns of dock facilities across the state. Individual facility details and precise locations are best viewed at larger scales.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset represents facilities as of July 2024 (DOCKS_JUL24).

Limitations:

The map shows only point locations of facilities and does not convey facility size, operational capacity, ownership type, or specific facility characteristics. The visual representation at this statewide scale may result in overlapping symbols in areas of high facility density, potentially obscuring the exact number of facilities in concentrated areas. Detailed facility attributes contained in the dataset are not visually represented on this map.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida from the panhandle to the Florida Keys, including all Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions. Small portions of southern Georgia and Alabama are visible for geographic context. The map extends into the Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean waters to show facilities along barrier islands and coastal features.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.