Muskrat Lodge Locations near transect 1 on northern Hog Island of the Virginia Coast Reserve 2005-2015

Locations of lodges of muskrats near Transect 1 on the northern end of Hog Island in May 2005 and repeated in May 2007, April 2009, May 2011, April 2013 and March 2015. In April 2009 no active muskrat lodges were observed from Transect 1. The remains of two lodges were observed, but they were less than 20 cm in height, had vegetation growing out of them, and showed no sign of activity, so they were not surveyed. Similarly in April 2011 a survey yielded no lodges. So for 2009 and 2011 GIS files were not created, because they would not have contained any points. In 2013 and 2015 one and three lodges were observed, respectively. Data collection was ceased after 2015, when the spread of Phragmites decreased visibility along the open areas of the transect to a few meters, making it impossible to detect lodges adjacent to the transect. Comments in the attribute tables in the layers contains information on the diameter and height(in decimeters or meters) of lodges.