{"data":{"id":"us/50-cfr-226.218","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"50 CFR 226.218","heading":"Critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata).","body":"Critical habitat is designated for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish as described in this section. The textual descriptions in paragraph (b) of this section are the definitive source for determining the critical habitat boundaries. The maps of the critical habitat units provided in paragraph (d) of this section are for illustrative purposes only.\n(a) Physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the endangered U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish. The physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish, which provide nursery area functions are: red mangroves and shallow euryhaline habitats characterized by water depths between the Mean High Water line and 3 ft (0.9 m) measured at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). These features are included in critical habitat within the boundaries of the specific areas in paragraph (b) of this section, except where the features were not physically accessible to sawfish at the time of this designation (September 2009); for example, areas where existing water control structures prevent sawfish passage to habitats beyond the structure.\n(b) Critical habitat boundaries. Critical habitat includes two areas (units) located along the southwest coast of peninsular Florida. The northern unit is the Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit and the southern unit is the Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades (TTI/E) Unit. The units encompass portions of Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties.\n(1) Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit is located within Charlotte and Lee Counties. The unit includes Charlotte Harbor, Gasparilla Sound, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, San Carlos Bay, Estero Bay, and the Caloosahatchee River. The unit is defined by the following boundaries. It is bounded by the Peace River at the eastern extent at the mouth of Shell Creek at 81°59.467′ W, and the northern extent of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park at 26°58.933′ N. At the Myakka River the unit is bounded by the SR-776 Bridge and in Gasparilla Sound by the SR-771 Bridge. The COLREGS-72 lines between Gasparilla Island, Lacosta Island, North Captiva Island, Captiva Island, Sanibel Island, and the northern point of Estero Island are used as the coastal boundary for the unit. The southern extent of the unit is the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, which is bounded on the south by the Lee/Collier County line. Inland waters are bounded by SR-867 (McGregor Boulevard) from Punta Rassa Road to SR-80 near Fort Myers, then by SR-80 (Palm Beach Boulevard) to Orange River Boulevard, then by Orange River Boulevard to Buckingham Road, then by Buckingham Road to SR-80, and then following SR-80 until it is due south of the Franklin Lock and Dam (S-79), which is the eastern boundary on the Caloosahatchee River and a structural barrier for sawfish access. Additional inland water boundaries north and west of the lock are bounded by North Franklin Lock Road to North River Road, then by North River Road to SR-31, then by SR-31 to SR-78 near Cape Coral, then by SR-78 to SR-765, then by SR-765 to US-41, then by US-41 to US-17 (Marion Avenue) in Punta Gorda, then by US-17 to Riverside Drive, and then by Riverside Drive to the eastern extent of the Peace River at 81°59.467′ W. From the northern extent of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park at 26°58.933′ N, inland waters are bounded westward along that latitude to Harbor View Road, then by Harbor View Road to US-41, then by US-41 to SR-776, then by SR-776 to the Myakka River Bridge.\n(2) Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades Unit (TTI/E). The TTI/E Unit is located within Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties, Florida. The unit includes waters within Everglades National Park (ENP), including Florida Bay, in the vicinity of Everglades City, within the Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve (AP), and within the portion of Rookery Bay AP south of SR-92. The boundaries match the portion of Rookery Bay AP south of SR-92, and the Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve AP. The unit boundaries also closely match the ENP boundaries with the following two exceptions: the unit boundary connects points 55 and 57 as illustrated in the critical habitat map that follows, which extend beyond the ENP boundary; and the unit boundary is located inside the ENP boundary between points 77 and 2, omitting the northeast portion of the ENP. The boundary of the unit is comprised of the following connected points, listed by point number in the ID field, degrees North latitude, degrees West longitude, and brief description of the boundary.\nTable 2—List of Latitude and Longitude Boundary Points\nID Latitude Longitude Description\n1 25.2527 −80.7988 Main Park Road (SR-9336) at Nine Mile Pond.\n2 25.2874 −80.5736 Everglades National Park boundary.\n3 25.2872 −80.4448 Everglades National Park boundary at US-HWY 1.\n4 25.2237 −80.4308 Everglades National Park boundary at US-HWY 1.\n5 25.1979 −80.4173 Everglades National Park boundary at US-HWY 1.\n6 25.1846 −80.3887 Everglades National Park boundary at US-HWY 1.\n7 25.1797 −80.3905 Everglades National Park boundary at US-HWY 1.\n8 25.1480 −80.4179 Everglades National Park boundary at Intercoastal Waterway (ICW).\n9 25.1432 −80.4249 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n10 25.1352 −80.4253 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n11 25.1309 −80.4226 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n12 25.1282 −80.4230 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n13 25.1265 −80.4268 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n14 25.1282 −80.4432 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n15 25.0813 −80.4747 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n16 25.0676 −80.4998 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n17 25.0582 −80.5218 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n18 25.0373 −80.5178 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n19 25.0326 −80.5188 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n20 25.0168 −80.5487 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n21 25.0075 −80.5578 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n22 24.9990 −80.5609 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW near Plantation.\n23 24.9962 −80.5648 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n24 24.9655 −80.6347 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n25 24.9430 −80.6585 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n26 24.9388 −80.6716 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n27 24.9124 −80.7255 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n28 24.9006 −80.7348 Everglades National Park boundary at ICW.\n29 24.8515 −80.8326 Everglades National Park boundary at COLREG-72.\n30 24.8730 −80.8875 Everglades National Park boundary at Arsenic Bank Light.\n31 24.9142 −80.9372 Everglades National Park boundary at Sprigger Bank Light.\n32 25.0004 −81.0221 Everglades National Park boundary.\n33 25.0723 −81.0859 Everglades National Park boundary.\n34 25.0868 −81.0858 Everglades National Park boundary.\n35 25.1567 −81.1620 Everglades National Park boundary at Middle Cape Sable.\n36 25.2262 −81.2044 Everglades National Park boundary.\n37 25.3304 −81.1776 Everglades National Park boundary at Little Shark River.\n38 25.4379 −81.1940 Everglades National Park boundary.\n39 25.5682 −81.2581 Everglades National Park boundary.\n40 25.7154 −81.3923 Everglades National Park boundary at Pavillion Key.\n41 25.8181 −81.5205 Everglades National Park boundary.\n42 25.8326 −81.5205 Everglades National Park boundary at Cape Romano—Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve.\n43 25.8315 −81.7450 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary (southwest corner).\n44 25.9003 −81.7468 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n45 25.9030 −81.6907 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n46 25.9380 −81.6907 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n47 25.9378 −81.6834 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n48 25.9319 −81.6718 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n49 25.9330 −81.6508 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n50 25.9351 −81.6483 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n51 25.9464 −81.6433 Rookery Bay Aquatic Preserve boundary at SR-92.\n52 25.9470 −81.6200 Cape Romano—Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n53 25.9615 −81.6206 Cape Romano—Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n54 25.9689 −81.6041 Cape Romano—Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n55 25.9130 −81.4569 Cape Romano—Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve boundary.\n56 25.8916 −81.4082 Everglades National Park boundary west of Everglades City.\n57 25.8630 −81.3590 Everglades National Park boundary east of Everglades City.\n58 25.8619 −81.2624 Everglades National Park boundary.\n59 25.8040 −81.2602 Everglades National Park boundary.\n60 25.8040 −81.2126 Everglades National Park boundary.\n61 25.7892 −81.2128 Everglades National Park boundary.\n62 25.7892 −81.1969 Everglades National Park boundary.\n63 25.7743 −81.1966 Everglades National Park boundary.\n64 25.7740 −81.1803 Everglades National Park boundary.\n65 25.7591 −81.1803 Everglades National Park boundary.\n66 25.7592 −81.1641 Everglades National Park boundary.\n67 25.7295 −81.1638 Everglades National Park boundary.\n68 25.7299 −81.1165 Everglades National Park boundary.\n69 25.7153 −81.1164 Everglades National Park boundary.\n70 25.7154 −81.1002 Everglades National Park boundary.\n71 25.6859 −81.0997 Everglades National Park boundary.\n72 25.6862 −81.0836 Everglades National Park boundary.\n73 25.6715 −81.0835 Everglades National Park boundary.\n74 25.6718 −81.0671 Everglades National Park boundary.\n75 25.6497 −81.0665 Everglades National Park boundary.\n76 25.6501 −81.0507 Everglades National Park boundary.\n77 25.6128 −81.0497 Everglades National Park boundary.\n(c) Areas not included in critical habitat. Critical habitat does not include the following particular areas where they overlap with the areas described in paragraph (b) of this section:\n(1) Pursuant to ESA section 3(5)(A)(i), all areas containing existing (already constructed) federally authorized or permitted man-made structures such as channels or canals maintained at depths greater than 3 ft. at MLLW, boat ramps, docks, and marinas deeper than 3 ft. at MLLW.\n(2) Pursuant to ESA section 3(5)(A)(i), all waters identified as existing (already constructed) federally authorized channels as follows:\n(i) Charlotte Harbor.\n(ii) Ft. Myers Beach (Matanzas Pass).\n(iii) Portions of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in the Caloosahatchee River.\n(d) Maps. Overview maps of designated critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish follow.","path":["Title 50—Wildlife and Fisheries","CHAPTER II—NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","SUBCHAPTER C—MARINE MAMMALS","PART 226—DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-50.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:26:39Z","sha256":"67eb797ea329a914fa3f970688758b69af9a13637acb249f3645cd26d654a4a7","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/50-cfr-226.217","next":"us/50-cfr-226.219"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}