Coastal Network Inundation and Connectivity Analysis Tool

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Overview VDOT Facility Access Hospital Access Species Habitat
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This project was originally designed to inform the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) earlier efforts to address resilience in the transportation network, the Coastal Network Inundation and Connectivity Analysis Tool (CNICA Tool) depicts the impacts of flooding on road networks as well as natural ecosystems by leveraging geospatial analysis, elevation surface data and tide gauge data. The tool, through a partnership between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), supports the development of proactive strategies for understanding and addressing sea level rise, land subsidence and recurrent flooding impacts on existing and planned road infrastructure and to assess how that infrastructure will impact natural ecosystems in Virginia’s coastal zone as the climate changes. The tool can be used by coastal communities and others to model conditions from the current day to the end of the century to identify road segments at risk of being cut impacted by flooding. The CNICA Tool is built on consistent data sets and assumptions by other entities. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and VDOT have continued to advance their resilience efforts, including the development of similar tools that can also be used by stakeholders. Ensuring that the CNICA Tool is fundamentally aligned with these other tools will allow state, regional, and local officials to collaborate and make consistent decisions. The project can be divided into two major areas of focus:

1. Climate adaptation of transportation infrastructure: VDOT Facility Access and Hospital Access

VIMS, through collaboration with VDOT, utilized GIS tools, elevation surface data, and tide gauge data to generate results for a tool to identify for road segments subject to current or future flooding by tidal waters between 2020 and beyond 2100. This was accomplished by assessing VDOT and local maintained roads within FEMA Flood Hazard Zones, conducting road network and recurrent flood frequency analysis to evaluate current and predicted future flooding to major roads and community infrastructure, creating locality-based flooding duration and frequency maps to assess impacts on existing roads due to tidal flooding events.

2. Ecosystem impacts of transportation infrastructure: Species Habitat

VIMS also developed and integrated a comprehensive set of data layers to support decision-making related to species habitats, anadromous fish migration patterns, marsh migration due to sea level rise, and other ecological and infrastructural factors. This was achieved by collaborating with state partners to compile species habitat information and by developing high-resolution species distribution models. These models depict current habitat areas within the Tidewater region for 32 rare, threatened, and endangered species, as well as for migratory and marsh specialist bird species. Additionally, VIMS forecasted potential future habitats under various sea level rise scenarios. The Species Habitat Viewer enables the assessment of existing and predicted local land use changes and transportation infrastructure that may conflict with future species habitats due to shifting proximities between 2020 and 2100. This tool also helps identify site-specific, proactive mitigation and compensation strategies. Complementing the habitat viewer is AlosApp, an application that predicts the migration status of four anadromous fish species throughout the Bay. AlosApp uses real-time environmental data to inform time-of-year restrictions on in-stream work.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science      All Rights Reserved © 2025
Coastal Network Inundation and Connectivity Analysis (CNICA) Tool
Disclaimer and User Agreement
The purpose of the CNICA Tool is to help visualize the effects of current and future flood scenarios on transportation infrastructure in Virginia.The analysis and corresponding data are for informational purposes only and are not intended to show the exact location of flooding—actual future flooding may differ from the CNICA Tool’s results. Commercialization of the CNICA Tool is prohibited. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) nor the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) make no warranties, guaranties or representations about the truth, accuracy, completeness, quality or suitability of the data, either expressly or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. VDOT and VIMS shall not be liable for any damages suffered as a result of using, modifying, contributing, displaying or distributing the materials. All risk associated with the data and results are assumed by the user.
You must read to the end of the agreement for authorized access to the CNICA. This is a legal agreement between you (“User”) and the Virginia Department of Transportation. By pressing “agree,” you are bound by the terms of this Agreement. TERMS OF USE LEGAL AGREEMENT The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) formed a partnership to develop the Virginia Coastal Network Inundation and Connectivity Analysis tool, (the “CNICA Tool”) to support the development of proactive strategies for understanding and addressing sea level rise, land subsidence, and recurrent flooding on existing and planned road infrastructure and natural ecosystems in Virginia’s coastal zone as the changing environmental conditions. VIMS has agreed that VDOT will exclusively operate and maintain the CNICA Tool and serve as a point of contact for all users of the CNICA Tool. In consideration of the terms and conditions contained herein, you (the “User”) agrees as follows: Definitions For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings as set forth hereunder: “User” means any person or entity that requests or receives information and data via the CNICA Tool. “Data” means all information made available pursuant to the CNICA Tool. Conditions of Access and Use User agrees not to use, disseminate, market, or promote any product using Data that the User has obtained from the ICA Tool, which may be considered by VDOT, in VDOT’s sole discretion, to be offensive, vulgar, immoral, or illegal. User agrees that it will not use Data in furtherance of the commission of any crime or illegal act, nor will User willingly or knowingly allow third parties to use Data in an offensive, vulgar, immoral, or illegal manner or in the furtherance of any crime. User shall in no event be deemed to have a relationship of principal/agent, employer/employee, partners, or joint venturers with either VDOT or VIMS. User agrees not to make any public representation contrary to this paragraph. Ownership VDOT retains exclusive ownership of all Data presented pursuant to the CNICA Tool. Nothing in this Agreement grants User any rights to own or to claim exclusive access to or exclusive use of any Data. Because the CNICA Tool was developed through the use of federal funds, the US Federal Highway Administration has reserved a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use, the CNICA Tool for government purposes in accordance with 23 CFR § 420.121(b). Nothing in this Agreement grants User any rights to use any copyrighted information (including the CNICA Toll and the Data) or trademarked information (including the VIMS logo), unless explicitly agreed to by the respective owner of the copyright or trademark in writing. User agrees that any and all goodwill arising out of the use of VDOT and VIMS trademarks shall inure to the benefit of and belong to VDOT and VIMS, respectively. This Agreement does not grant any exclusive rights to the User. VDOT and VIMS may enter into similar agreements with other entities. User may not prohibit others from using any Data due to User’s use of or modification of such data in the development, marketing, promotion or distribution of User’s products, software or services. Liability At all times the User shall bear responsibility for any and all claims, actions, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and disbursements, including but not limited to legal fees, and including but not limited to any claims by third parties, relating to or arising out of User’s use, provision, display, or dissemination of Data. This provision shall survive the expiration or the termination of this Agreement. In no event shall VDOT or VIMS be liable for any damages, claim or loss incurred by the User resulting from loss of or inability to use the CNICA Tool or due to User’s reliance on Data. This limitation applies to all causes of action in the aggregate, including, but without limitation, breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence, strict liability, misrepresentation and any other causes of action. User agrees to indemnify and hold harmless VDOT and VIMS for any and all damages caused by any person accessing the CNICA Tool via User’s unique identification and password or arising in whole or in part from use by such third party. “AS IS” Use, No Warranties VDOT and VIMS make no warranties of any kind with respect to the CNICA Tool and Data, including, but not limited to, any warranty of merchantability, non-infringement, fitness for a particular purpose, suitability for an intended purpose, or absence of harmful content. VDOT, VIMS, and their respective employees, affiliates, and agents do not promise, warrant, or represent that any data or information User obtains from the CNICA Tool is or will be accurate, reliable, timely, secure, error-free, or uninterrupted, or that any defects will be timely corrected. Data is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis and is subject to change or modification without notice. VDOT and VIMS cannot ensure that any data accessed from the CNICA Tool is free from corruption, viruses, or other malware. User assumes all risk resulting from accessing or using the CNICA Tool. Assignment of Agreement The consent to use provided by VDOT in this Agreement is non-transferrable. The User may not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of the Agreement or any part thereof without the prior written consent of VDOT. User hereby acknowledges and accepts that VDOT may assign this Agreement and any such assignment, and any access or use after such assignment is contingent on User’s acknowledgement and acceptance of such assignment. Compliance with Laws and Regulations User at all times shall observe and comply with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, orders, and decrees applicable to these services, the CNICA Tool, and User’s access to and use of Data via the CNICA Tool. User shall bear responsibility for any and all claims of liability, actions, losses, damages, costs and disbursements, including but not limited to legal fees, arising from or based on User’s violation of any such law, regulation, ordinance, order or decree, whether by User or anyone associated with User, arising out of or relating to User’s access or use (including User’s unique identifier and password) of the CNICA Tool and Data pursuant to this Agreement. Term of Agreement and Termination This Agreement shall remain in effect from the date first accepted and acknowledged by User until terminated. This Agreement shall expire automatically if the CNICA Tool is permanently discontinued. Communications The User agrees that VDOT and VIMS may review the timing and content of any public announcement regarding the User’s use of Data. Modification of Agreement/Miscellaneous Terms This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between VDOT and User and supersedes all other agreements regarding the subject matter herein between VDOT and User. This Agreement may be modified by VDOT at any time. User’s access to or use of the CNICA Tool, and Data via the ICA Tool represents User’s consent to the then-current version of this Agreement. To the extent User, VDOT, or VIMS is afforded status as a sovereign entity or is afforded sovereign immunity under the law, nothing in this Agreement shall constitute or be deemed to constitute a waiver of said sovereign status or immunity, or right to assert any defense or claim available under the law. If any provision of the Agreement is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unenforceable, the other provisions of the Agreement will be unimpaired, and the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed modified so that it is valid and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law. Any waiver or failure to enforce any provision of the Agreement on one occasion will not be deemed a waiver of any other provision or of such provision on any other occasion.

I have read and agreed to the Terms of Use for the CNICA Tool.