Due to new cartographic production processes and the availability of digital products such as Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), OCS' Chief Geographer has developed improved techniques for generating more accurate, digital maritime limits. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software such as CARIS' LOTS and ESRI's ArcGIS, the latest vector representations of these limits will be available to NOAA cartographers and the public.
To create digital limits, the charted low water line is captured digitally and used as input to CARIS' LOTS: Limits and Boundaries software for the designation of a baseline. Once the limits are created, they are exported to a shapefile file using CARIS' Import SHP utility. These polyline shapefiles are contained within a zipped file.
Maptech's BSB-format raster nautical charts for Alabama: 11376_1, 11378_6, and 11378_7.
Vector Shoreline of NOAA's raster nautical charts for Alabama: 11376_1, 11378_6, and 11378_7.