Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new interactive map, NEPmap, based on information obtained from the EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP), a program, "established under Section 320 of the 1987 Clean Water Act (CWA) Amendments as a[n EPA] . . . place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance." According to the press release,NEPmap, [contains] more than a decade's worth of NEP habitat data. A simple static map with contained descriptions of NEP habitat protection and yearly restoration projects, has been replaced with a large set of data layers to enable viewing of NEP habitat information in a wider environmental context. The NEPmap allows users to view water quality conditions in their estuary and surrounding watershed alongside NEP habitat projects. NEPmap users can also generate and print maps and reports, change map scales, turn on and off background layers and interact with information points to provide a greater level of detail than a traditional static map. [1].Of particular note to researchers, is the NEPmap's User Guide available on the bottom right-hand side of the interface which provides information on how to navigate the map.
1. Water Headlines for the Week of October 2nd, EPA, http://water.epa.gov/aboutow/ownews/waterheadlines/index.cfm
(last visited Oct. 9,2012)
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