Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Database 2022 Edition

The Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database (LULC) facilitates characterization of the landscape and land change for and between discrete time periods. The database was developed by the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory in cooperation with Chesapeake Conservancy (CC) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of a 6-year Cooperative Agreement between Chesapeake Conservancy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a separate Interagency Agreement between the USGS and EPA to provide geospatial support to the Chesapeake Bay Program Office.
The database contains one-meter 13-class Land Cover (LC) and 54-class Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) for all counties within or adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay watershed for 2013/14 and 2017/18, depending on availability of National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for each state. Additionally, 54 LULC classes are generalized into 18 LULC classes for ease of visualization and communication of LULC trends. LC change between discrete time periods, detected by spectral changes in NAIP imagery and LiDAR, represents changes between the 12 land cover classes. LULC change uses LC change to identify where changes are happening and then LC is translated to LULC to represent transitions between the 54 LULC classes. The LULCC data is represented as a LULC class change transition matrix which provides users acres of change between multiple classes. It is organized by 18x18 and 54x54 LULC classes. The Chesapeake Bay Water (CBW) indicates raster tabulations were performed for only areas that fall inside the CBW boundary e.g., if user is interested in CBW portion of a county then they will use LULC Matrix CBW. Conversely, if they are interested change transitions across the entire county, they will use LULC Matrix.
The database includes the following data:
1. 2013/2014 Land Cover (LC)
2. 2017/2018 Land Cover (LC) 
3. 2013/2014 to 2017/2018 Land Cover Change (LCC)
4. 2013/2014 Land Use and Land Cover (LULC)
5. 2017/2018 Land Use and Land Cover (LULC)
6. 2013/2014 to 2017/2018 Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) and LULCC matrices
To start using the data please refer to the data_dictionary_2022-Edition.pdf (see under Attached Files). 
How to cite:
When using the Chesapeake Bay Land Use/Land Cover Database or producing derivatives, the data must be properly cited based on the following criteria.
Citing Entire Data Release
Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023, Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database 2022 Edition: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P981GV1L.
Citing Land Cover (LC) and/or Land Cover Change (LCC) Products
Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023, Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database 2022 Edition: Land Cover: U.S. Geological Survey data release. Developed by the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, Chesapeake Conservancy, and U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P981GV1L.
Citing Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) Products
Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023, Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database 2022 Edition: Land Use/Land Cover: U.S. Geological Survey data release. Developed by the Chesapeake Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey and University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, https://doi.org/10.5066/P981GV1L.
Citing Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) Products
Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023, Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database 2022 Edition: Land Use/Land Cover Change: U.S. Geological Survey data release. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Chesapeake Conservancy, and University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, https://doi.org/10.5066/P981GV1L.
Citing Data Dictionary
Chesapeake Bay Program, 2023, Chesapeake Bay Land Use and Land Cover Database 2022 Edition – Data Dictionary for the Chesapeake Bay Land Use/Land Cover Database, 2022 Edition: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P981GV1L.

Tags: chesapeake, delaware, district-of-columbia, imagerybasemapsearthcover, land-change, land-use-and-land-cover, land-use-change, maps-and-atlases, maryland, new-york, pennsylvania, usgs-633302d8d34e900e86c61f81, virginia, west-virginia
Organization: Department of the Interior