Single-Beam Bathymetry Sounding Data of Tampa Bay, Florida (2001-2004) in X,Y,Z format

Tampa Bay and its environs have experienced phenomenal urban growth and significant changes in land-use practices over the past 50 years. This trend is expected to continue, with human activity intensifying and affecting a wider geographic region. Urbanization has created impervious surfaces, which increase storm water run-off and contribute to higher levels of chemicals flowing into the area's waters. These chemicals have contributed to declines of sea-grasses and other marine life. A major focus of the USGS CMGP Tampa Bay Study was to investigate sediments and their associated contaminants, and to develop a bay wide circulation model to determine the routes of sediment transport. High resolution sea floor mapping was conducted in Tampa Bay between 2001 and 2004 as part of the CMGP Tampa Bay Study. High resolution, acoustic bathymetric surveying is a proven method to map sea and estuary elevations. Data was collected throughout the entire bay including all small, peripheral embayments and channels. This report serves as an archive of processed single-beam bathymetry data that were collected in Tampa Bay, Florida in 2001-2004. Geographic information system data products include a XYZ data, bathymetric contours, and USGS quadrangle map. Additional files include formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.