The American Surveyor

NWI Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats Classification Codes

Are you working with US FWS NWI data? If so then this document explaining the various classification & map codes is a must have. A series of letter and number codes has been developed to adapt the national wetland classification system to map form. These alpha-numeric codes correspond to the classification nomenclature that best describes the habitat

                    WETLANDS AND DEEPWATER HABITATS CLASSIFICATION   SYSTEM              SUBSYSTEM        CLASS                     SUBCLASS                                    |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                 |-- 1=SUBTIDAL----|- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |                 |                 |                 |- RF=Reef                   1=Coral                 |                 |                            3=Worm                 |                 |                 |                 |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                 |                                                  maps) M=MARINE--------|                 |                 |                 |                 |- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |                 |                 |                 |- RF=Reef                   1=Coral                 |-- 2=INTERTIDAL--|                            3=Worm                                   |                                   |- RS=Rocky Shore            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- US=Unconsolidated Shore   1=Cobble-Gravel                                                                2=Sand                                                                3=Mud                                                                4=Organic     SYSTEM              SUBSYSTEM        CLASS                     SUBCLASS                                    |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                 |-- 1=SUBTIDAL----|- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            4=Floating                  |                 |                              Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |                 |                            6=Unknown Surface                 |                 |                 |                 |- RF=Reef                   2=Mollusc                 |                 |                            3=Worm                 |                 |                 |                 |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                 |                                                  maps) E=ESTUARINE-----|                 |                                   |                 |                 |- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            4=Floating                  |                 |                              Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |                 |                            6=Unknown Surface                 |                 |                 |                 |- RF=Reef                   2=Mollusc                 |                 |                            3=Worm                 |                 |                 |                 |- SB=Streambed              3=Cobble-Gravel                 |                 |                            4=Sand                 |                 |                            5=Mud                 |                 |                            6=Organic                 |                 |                 |                 |- RS=Rocky Shore            1=Bedrock                 |                 |                            2=Rubble                 |                 |                 |-- 2=INTERTIDAL--|- US=Unconsolidated Shore   1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                                   |- EM=Emergent               1=Persistent                                   |                            2=Nonpersistent                                   |                                   |- SS=Scrub-Shrub            1=Broad-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            2=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            3=Broad-Leaved                                    |                              Evergreen                                   |                            4=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                            5=Dead                                   |                            6=Indeterminate                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            7=Indeterminate                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                                   |- FO=Forested               1=Broad-Leaved                                                                  Deciduous                                                                2=Needle-Leaved                                                                  Deciduous                                                                3=Broad-Leaved                                                                  Evergreen                                                                4=Needle-Leaved                                                                  Evergreen                                                                5=Dead                                                                6=Indeterminate                                                                  Deciduous                                                                7=Indeterminate                                                                  Evergreen      SYSTEM              SUBSYSTEM        CLASS                     SUB
CLASS                                    |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                 |--1=TIDAL--------|                            3=Mud                 |                 |                            4=Organic                 |                 |                 |                 |-*SB=Streambed              1=Bedrock                 |                 |                            2=Rubble                 |                 |                            3=Cobble-Gravel                 |--2=LOWER        |                            4=Sand                 |    PERENNIAL----|                            5=Mud                 |                 |                            6=Organic                 |                 |                            7=Vegetated                 |                 |                 |                 |- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal R=RIVERINE------|--3=UPPER        |                            2=Aquatic Moss                 |    PERENNIAL----|                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            4=Floating                  |                 |                              Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |--4=INTERMITTENT-|                            6=Unknown Surface                 |                 |                 |                 |- RS=Rocky Shore            1=Bedrock                 |                 |                            2=Rubble                 |                 |                 |                 |- US=Unconsolidated Shore   1=Cobble-Gravel                 |--5=UNKNOWN      |                            2=Sand                 |    PERENNIAL----|                            3=Mud                    (used on older |                            4=Organic                     maps)         |                            5=Vegetated                                   |                                   |-**EM=Emergent              2=Nonpersistent                                   |                                   |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                                   |                                maps)                                   |-*STREAMBED is limited to TIDAL and                                   | INTERMITTENT SUBSYSTEMS, and comprises                                    | the only CLASS in the INTERMITTENT SUBSYSTEM.                                   |                                   |-**EMERGENT is limited to TIDAL and LOWER                                   | PERENNIAL SUBSYSTEMS.     SYSTEM              SUBSYSTEM        CLASS                     SUBCLASS                                    |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                 |-- 1=LIMNETIC----|- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            2=Aquatic Moss                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            4=Floating                  |                 |                              Vascular                 |                 |                            5=Unknown                  |                 |                              Submergent                 |                 |                            6=Unknown Surface                 |                 |                 |                 |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                 |                                                  maps) L=LACUSTRINE----|                 |                 |                 |                 |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                 |                 |                            2=Rubble                 |                 |                 |                 |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                 |                 |                            2=Sand                 |                 |                            3=Mud                 |                 |                            4=Organic                 |                 |                 |                 |- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                 |                 |                            2=Aquatic Moss                 |                 |                            3=Rooted Vascular                 |                 |                            4=Floating                 |-- 2=LITTORAL----|                              Vascular                                   |                            5=Unknown                                   |                              Submergent                                   |                            6=Unknown Surface                                   |                                   |- RS=Rocky Shore            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- US=Unconsolidated Shore   1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                            5=Vegetated                                   |                                   |- EM=Emergent               2=Nonpersistent                                   |                                   |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                                                                    maps)    SYSTEM              SUBSYSTEM        CLASS                     SUBCLASS                                    |- RB=Rock Bottom            1=Bedrock                                   |                            2=Rubble                                   |                                   |- UB=Unconsolidated Bottom  1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                                   |- AB=Aquatic Bed            1=Algal                                   |                            2=Aquatic Moss                                    |                            3=Rooted Vascular                                   |                            4=Floating                                   |                              Vascular                                   |                            5=Unknown                                    |                              Submergent                                   |                            6=Unknown Surface                                   |                                   |- US=Unconsolidated Shore   1=Cobble-Gravel                                   |                            2=Sand                                   |                            3=Mud                                   |                            4=Organic                                   |                            5=Vegetated                                   |                                   |- ML=Moss-Lichen            1=Moss                                   |                            2=Lichen
                    | P=PALUSTRINE----------------------|- EM=Emergent               1=Persistent                                   |                            2=Nonpersistent                                   |                                   |- SS=Scrub-Shrub            1=Broad-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            2=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            3=Broad-Leaved                                    |                              Evergreen                                   |                            4=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                            5=Dead                                   |                            6=Indeterminate                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            7=Indeterminate                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                                   |- FO=Forested               1=Broad-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            2=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            3=Broad-Leaved                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                            4=Needle-Leaved                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                            5=Dead                                   |                            6=Indeterminate                                   |                              Deciduous                                   |                            7=Indeterminate                                   |                              Evergreen                                   |                                   |- OW=Open Water/Unknown Bottom (used on older                                                                    maps)                                       MODIFIERS                                    |- A=Temporarily Flooded                                   |- B=Saturated                                                         |- C=Seasonally Flooded                                   |- D=Seasonally Flooded/Well Drained                                   |- E=Seasonally Flooded/Saturated                                    |- F=Semipermanently Flooded                 |--Non-Tidal------|- G=Intermittently Exposed                 |                 |- H=Permanently Flooded                 |                 |- J=Intermittently Flooded                 |                 |- K=Artificially Flooded                  |                 |- W=Intermittently Flooded/Temporary (used on                 |                 |                                    older maps)                  |                 |- Y=Saturated/Semipermanent/Seasonal (used on                 |                 |                                    older maps)                 |                 |- Z=Intermittently Exposed/Permanent (used on                 |                 |                                    older maps) WATER REGIME----|                 |- U=Unknown                 |                                  |                                   |                                     |                                  |                 |- K=Artificially Flooded                 |                 |- L=Subtidal                    |                 |- M=Irregularly Exposed                   |                 |- N=Regularly Flooded                  |--Tidal----------|- P=Irregularly Flooded                                   |-*S=Temporary-Tidal                                      |-*R=Seasonal-Tidal                                   |-*T=Semipermanent-Tidal                                   |-*V=Permanent-Tidal                                   |- U=Unknown                                   |                                    |-*These water regimes are only used in                                    |  tidally influenced, freshwater systems.                                                                        |- 1=Hyperhaline                                   |- 2=Euhaline                 |--Coastal        |- 3=Mixohaline (Brackish)                 |  Halinity-------|- 4-Polyhaline                 |                 |- 5=Mesohaline                 |                 |- 6=Oligohaline                 |                 |- 0=Fresh                 |                 |                 | WATER CHEMISTRY-|                 |                 |- 7=Hypersaline                 |--Inland         |- 8=Eusaline                 |  Salinity-------|- 9=Mixosaline                 |                 |- 0=Fresh                 |                 |                  |                 |                 |--pH Modifiers   |- a=Acid                    for all        |- t=Circumneutral                    Fresh Water----|- i=Alkaline     SOIL------------------------------|- g=Organic                                   |- n=Mineral                                       |- b=Beaver                                   |- d=Partially Drained/Ditched SPECIAL MODIFIERS-----------------|- f=Farmed                                   |- h=Diked/Impounded                                   |- r=Artificial Substrate                                   |- s=Spoil                                   |- x=Excavated  U = Uplands 

Note: users of the Wetlands Mapper map service can obtain classification codes by using the Wetland Code Interpreter (yellow button) or users can optionally use this online database search form

Source: http://www.nwi.fws.gov/bd4/other/maps/mapcode.txt

To download NWI data see http://www.nwi.fws.gov/downloads.htm

See also http://www.fws.gov/data/datafws.html

 
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