The USGS Land Cover Institute (LCI)
Urban Dynamics: Patuxent River Watershed Study Area The study area includes the following Maryland counties: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince Charles and St. Marys. The study is focused on lands within the hydrologic boundary of the Patuxent River Watershed, however it includes the full land areas of each of the counties within the watershed.
County Boundary ChangesThe recreation of past landscapes at the county level requires consideration of any changes in county boundaries within the study area. For the seven Maryland counties being considered, the county boundaries have changed very little through time. The one exception is Howard County. The land area of Howard County was originally included in Anne Arundel County. In 1851 Howard County became an independent county.Agricultural and population data from the U.S. Census was gathered for every decennary, therefore 1860 was the first year that Howard County statistics were aggregated separate from Anne Arundel County. However, 1860 marks the only county boundary change so census data at the county level represents the same land area for the 140+ years covered by this study.
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://landcover.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: LCI Administrator
Page Last Modified: May 2010
