Aquatic Network Connectivity (Midwest Conservation Blueprint 2026 Indicator)

<div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Definition</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator identifies the ability of aquatic species to move unimpeded across aquatic networks within the Midwest Landscape. It prioritizes areas based on the length of hydrologically connected flowlines and diversity of unfragmented aquatic habitat in the region. Pixels can take the following values:</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><div style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><ul><li>1 – Far below average&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>2 – Below average</li><li>3 – Slightly below average</li><li>4 – Average</li><li>5 – Slightly above average&nbsp;</li><li>6&nbsp;– Above average</li><li>7&nbsp;– Far above average<br />&nbsp;</li></ul></div></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Selection</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator was chosen as a targetable, important feature of the MLI goals that will be used to track conditions over time and prioritize areas for conservation. Indicators were defined through elicitation and prioritization exercises with federal and state participants. Criteria for the indicators includes 1) actionable, 2) measurable, 3) relevant to multiple groups across the region, and/or 4) representative of other social and/or environmental values.<br />&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Input Data &amp; Mapping Steps</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator originates from the Nature Conservancy's Resilient Rivers dataset and the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). To create this layer, MLI partners, members, and staff completed the following mapping steps: projected all input data to NAD83 (2011) UTM Zone 15N, converted the Resilient Rivers data to a raster based on the Connectivity and Diversity score, and clipped the results of the previous step with the NWI data layer to represent actual water features on the landscape rather than flowlines. Finally, we removed highly altered areas from this layer using our Highly Altered Areas mask.&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>For full mapping details, please refer to the&nbsp;<a style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(0, 97, 155); font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5; text-decoration:none;' target='_blank' href='https://fws.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/e983a4ff0f6d475cb9336fba1c1fbbaa/data' rel='nofollow ugc noopener noreferrer'>Midwest Conservation Blueprint Development Process</a>. For a complete download of all Blueprint input and output data, visit the&nbsp;<a target='_blank' href='https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/69851105b66b018dbd961c58' rel='nofollow ugc noopener noreferrer'>Midwest Conservation Blueprint 2026 Data Download.</a>&nbsp;</div>