U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceIntention for Development It was the desire of the Tennessee Ecological Service staff to increase collaboration across conservation programs and state boundaries for the recovery of federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act. Sharing spatially explicit priorities in this way can enhance collaboration and be an efficient communication tool to a variety of audiences. Staff value strong partnerships and aim to restore, connect, and conserve landscapes throughout Tennessee. Staff also recognize that the Service is a learning organization and in order to achieve long-term success, we must strategically leverage durable outcomes for both species and people, and align our mission with the mission of others. This is viewed as an interative product and can be managed adaptively as new information becomes available. Feedback Questions and feedback on the Aquatic SHUs are encouraged. Email Emily Granstaff (emily_granstaff@fws.gov) with questions or feedback. Mapping Steps used to create this layer are summarized below. Step 1: Major Drainage Divisions Start with HUC-4 for major drainage divisions. Include Alabama Strategic Habitat Units extending across state lines unless there"s a compelling reason not to. Select all HUC12s within the retained Alabama SHUs and create a layer for later use. Step 2: Designated Aquatic Critical Habitat (CH) Create a feature class/layer for designated aquatic CH . Select all HUC12 watersheds containing designated aquatic CH and create a layer for later use. Step 3: Federally Threatened and Endangered Aquatic Species (Recent Observations) Select all aquatic federally Threatened and Endangered species with records since 2000 from the Biotics database. Available by requesting from the TDEC Natural Heritage Program Select all HUC12 watersheds containing these records and create a layer for later use. Step 4: All Federal Aquatic Species Select all aquatic TE species regardless of observation date. Select all HUC12 watersheds containing these records and create a layer for later use. Step 5: At-risk Aquatic Species (Recent Observations) Select all at-risk aquatic species with records since 2000. Select all HUC12 watersheds containing these records and create a layer for later use. Step 6: All At-risk Aquatic Species Select all at-risk aquatic species regardless of observation date. Select all HUC12 watersheds containing these records and create a layer for later use. Step 7: Non-essential Experimental Populations and Scenic River Designations Create/display layers for stream reaches with 10(j) rule designating Non-essential Experimental Populations and National/State Scenic River Designations. Select all HUC12 watersheds containing these records and create layers for later use. Step 8: Combine Layers Combine all selected HUC12s from previous steps into a single layer. Include fields for HUC4, HUC6, HUC8, HUC10, HUC12, watershed name, AL SHU, designated CH, federal aquatic species, at-risk aquatic species, NEP, and scenic river designations.ArcGIS FeatureLayerhttps://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/bfb706718c5649429edab6e3f55bc6d6_148engU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Open DataPublicAquatic Strategic Habitat Units (v1.0) for USFWS, Ecological Services, Tennessee [United States]Web servicesUnited StatesLast Modified: 2025-07-15