A recent update to the 2008 Northeastern Aquatic Habitat Classification (NAHCS) will help users study the variation in the ecological character of lakes and ponds in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The recently completed Northeast Lake and Pond Habitat Guide, developed with support from the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, is intended to address some limitations and provide updated GIS data to the NAHCS.

In 2008, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) completed the NAHCS for 13 northeastern states. The classification was designed to consistently identify and map the natural aquatic habitats of the region and facilitate the conservation of these features across the participating states. It is being used in a number of state and regional projects, and as a model for other regional stream classification efforts. However, users noted that the current system did not include a lake and pond classification and recommended adding that component.

The Northeast Lake and Pond Habitat Guide addressed these limitations and updated the GIS data with the goal of improved conservation and management of lake and pond ecosystems. The guide can be used to focus field surveys and assessments, or allocate management budgets to certain types of lakes and ponds. The simple "habitat guide pages" produced for each of the final lake and pond types will also will introduce a lay audience to the characteristics of these important habitats by describing the habitat with pictures and text, a distribution map, list of associated species, and description of the current condition of each type.

The complete set of reports for the Northeastern Aquatic Habitat Classification including the new habitat guides can be found at TNC's Conservation Gateway.