An Hα Imaging Survey of Galaxies in the Local 11 Mpc Volume

As part of a broader effort to characterize the population of star-forming galaxies in the local universe, we have carried out an H α + [N II] imaging survey for an essentially volume-limited sample of galaxies within 11 Mpc of the Milky Way. This first paper describes the design of the survey, the observation, data processing, and calibration procedures, and the characteristics of the galaxy sample. The main product of the paper is a catalog of integrated Hα fluxes, luminosities, and equivalent widths for the galaxies in the sample. We briefly discuss the completeness properties of the survey and compare the distribution of the sample and its star formation properties to other large Hα imaging surveys. These data form the foundation for a series of follow-up studies of the star formation properties of the local volume, and the properties and duty cycles of star formation bursts in dwarf galaxies.