Who is affected and how:

• Federal land and water management agencies: Primary implementers. They must adopt standards, digitize existing maps, publish new datasets, establish update workflows (including real‑time feeds for fishing restrictions), and report annually to Congress. Agencies can partner with non‑Federal entities and hire contractors, but the requirements will demand staff time, data governance, and IT resources.

• Boaters and recreational water users: Gain timely, centralized, machine‑readable access to official maps of access points, navigation features, and fishing restrictions, reducing confusion and improving trip planning and safety.

• Commercial and recreational fishers: Get faster, authoritative notice of Federal fishing restrictions (real‑time updates), helping compliance and reducing accidental violations.

• Tribal, State, and local partners: Can cooperate in data collection and sharing; datasets must be developed and labeled in ways that respect Federal, State, and Tribal law. Tribes may contribute data and require protections for culturally sensitive locations.

• App developers, mapping platforms, and researchers: Benefit from standardized, interoperable GIS layers that ease integration into consumer apps, situational awareness tools, and scientific analyses.

• Coastal and riverside communities and emergency responders: Improved geospatial data supports public safety, search and rescue, resource management, and planning.

Net effect: The Act substantially improves transparency and access to Federal waterway and fisheries information, but it creates operational and maintenance obligations for agencies. Because it explicitly preserves existing legal definitions and regulatory authorities, it does not alter permitting, navigability, or access rights; it instead focuses on data publication and interoperability. Agencies will need to allocate or reprogram resources, use partners/contractors, or seek appropriations to meet the technical and staffing requirements.