USGS U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative International Boundary Feature Class
Dataset Identification:
Resource Abstract:
This UNOFFICIAL United States-Mexico boundary dataset was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey s Border Environmental Health
Initiative (BEHI) (http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/index.html), to be used as a common boundary for the clipping and geometric
integration of binational geospatial datasets. It provides a single boundary that has been used throughout the project, but
is not representative of any officially recognized international boundary. International borders politically divide the landscape
but rarely represent barriers for environmental issues. The major issues surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border involve economics
and population growth that present challenges to environmental management and natural resource planning. To monitor trends
and analyze the stresses to the environment, binationally integrated baseline datasets that portray the status of the landscape
are needed. The primary objective of this project is to develop integrated, environmental resource and human health datasets
for display and further analysis within a geographic information system (GIS) framework. Datasets created for the BEHI follow
watershed boundaries as defined by Woodward and Durall (1996). As part of the U.S.-Mexico Border Field Coordinating Committee
Issues Team, Woodward and Durall (1996) used surface-water drainage basins as the primary basis for defining and delineating
the extent of the border area from a shared-water resources perspective. In order to provide integrated datasets in the border
region, local and regional BEHI datasets have been clipped to this boundary.
Citation
Title USGS U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative International Boundary Feature Class
This dataset was created to provide resource managers, public officials, researchers, and the general public with ready access
to accurate, impartial, scientific information to strike a balance among human needs for resource utilization, environmental
quality, and human health.