Alternative Text Description for Outstanding National Resource Waters (NPS)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays Outstanding National Resource Waters (NPS) in southern Florida. The map identifies water areas associated with National Park Service units that have been designated for special protection due to their exceptional natural resource value. The thematic layer shows the geographic extent of these protected waters in the region.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southern portion of Florida, including the greater Miami metropolitan area and extending south through the Florida Keys. Visible cities and communities include Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Davie, Hialeah, Kendall, and Homestead. The map shows a large water area extending from the southwestern mainland coast through the southern tip of Florida and including waters east of the mainland. The Gulf of America lies to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Outstanding National Resource Waters form a large, continuous protected area covering most of the southern Florida coastal and marine environment. The protected waters encompass a vast region extending from the southwestern Everglades area, around the southern tip of Florida, and along portions of the southeastern coast. Notable gaps in the protected designation occur around the immediate Miami-Dade urban corridor, particularly near Homestead, Kendall, and the developed coastal areas. The protected waters form three somewhat distinct areas: a large western section, a southern section below the mainland, and an eastern section offshore from the southeastern coast.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Outstanding National Resource Waters (NPS)

The map displays a single thematic layer representing waters with Outstanding National Resource Waters designation within National Park Service units.

Outstanding National Resource Waters Areas (teal/turquoise polygon)

Appearance:

Solid teal or turquoise colored polygons with defined boundaries

Distribution:

The protected waters cover extensive areas in three main concentrations: the southwestern mainland coastal waters, the waters surrounding the southern tip of Florida and the Keys, and waters offshore of the southeastern coast near Miami

Notable locations:

The largest continuous area extends from the southwestern Florida coast southward and wraps around the Florida Keys. A separate protected area appears offshore to the east of the Miami metropolitan area. The northwestern section shows protected waters in what appears to be the Everglades region.

Spatial patterns:

The protected areas form a nearly continuous arc around southern Florida, with the most significant gap occurring in the central area near Homestead and the urbanized Miami-Dade coast. The boundaries generally follow natural coastlines and appear to extend into offshore marine environments. The eastern protected area is separated from the main southern areas by unprotected waters near the developed coastal corridor.

Overlapping Patterns

The protected water boundaries interface with developed urban areas, particularly visible where the designation excludes areas adjacent to Miami, Kendall, and Homestead.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map focuses exclusively on the Outstanding National Resource Waters designation associated with National Park Service units. The protected areas likely correspond to major National Park Service properties in southern Florida, including Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and potentially Dry Tortugas National Park. Base map features such as roads and municipal boundaries are present for geographic reference but are not part of the thematic layer being displayed. The map scale shows detail appropriate for regional planning and resource management purposes.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

This dataset contains National Park Service unit boundaries for the State of Florida. The source layer is NPS_OCT25.

Definition Query:

The map displays only those features where ONRW equals 'Y', representing National Park Service areas with Outstanding National Resource Waters designation. This filter criteria limits the display to the subset of NPS units that contain these specially protected waters.

Scale Information:

The map shows regional-scale coverage appropriate for viewing the full extent of southern Florida's protected waters. The zoom level provides sufficient detail to identify the relationship between protected waters and major municipalities.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data source is dated October 2025 (NPS_OCT25).

Limitations:

The map shows only Outstanding National Resource Waters associated with National Park Service units and does not display other types of protected waters or conservation areas that may exist in the region. The boundaries shown represent the extent of the NPS designation and may not reflect all jurisdictional or management boundaries.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers southern Florida from approximately Fort Lauderdale in the north to the southernmost Florida Keys, and from the Gulf of America coast in the west to offshore Atlantic waters in the east. Portions of the surrounding marine environment and coastal areas are shown for geographic context.

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