{ "culture": "en-US", "name": "Wetlands", "guid": "101E0664-CBF8-4BFB-8320-536D13781188", "catalogPath": "", "snippet": "A combination of datasets sourced from various Provincial & Federal Open Data sources, as well as Desktop analysis made by Munisight in 2022.", "description": "

Wetlands Inventory - ABMI layer is last updated Mar 31, 2021 and sourced from this website: https://abmi.ca/data-portal/40.html<\/font><\/span><\/p>

The ABMI province-wide wetland inventory maps wetland classes according to the Alberta Wetland Classification System - fen, bog, swamp, marsh - across Alberta. The open water class includes both shallow and deep open water features. The product was generated using a combination of satellite and terrain data, and machine learning. The province was mapped separately in three project areas representing ecoregions of Alberta with distinct wetlands. These three regions are: (i) the forested region, which is characterized by large peatland complexes; (ii) the prairie region with wetlands usually occurring in small depressional potholes, and (iii) the mountain region where wetlands are constrained to narrow valleys. For more detail, please see the available technical documentation.<\/span><\/font><\/span><\/p>

MuniSight Wetland Layer Data Additions<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Relative Wetland Value:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The value assigned to wetlands in the\nWheatland County Wetland Inventory provide an indication of how potentially\nimportant the wetland could be to the surrounding ecosystem. Ecological\nimportance is measured by relative wetland value on a scale of 0 to 5. A score\nof 5 indicates the highest possible value a wetland can contribute to the\nsurrounding ecosystem. A color key for the scale of 0-5 is provided. Relative\nValue analysis was performed at the section level.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Disclaimer:\nSince wetland value depends on unique local factors that aren\u2019t available\nthrough section-level analysis, we cannot confidently say that a given wetland\nhas a low value, just that is has a higher likelihood of having a low value. It is recommended that when any project\nwith the potential to impact a wetland is proposed, an on-the-ground assessment\nis completed to verify boundaries and classification, and determine value using\nprovincial government methodologies as described in provincial policy (Aquality\nEnvironmental Consulting Ltd.).<\/b><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n

Watercourse 30m Buffers:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This dataset outlines the watercourses in\nthe County, with a hypothetical buffer strip of 30m width applied. The dataset\nis derived from Natural Resources Canada\u2019s CanVec+ Waterbodies and Single-Line\nWatercourse Layer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Aquatic Environmentally Significant Areas: <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Environmentally Significant Areas\n(ESA, www.tpr.alberta.ca<\/a>) and Aquatic\nEnvironmentally Significant Areas (AESA) projects aid in land-use planning in\nAlberta in two key ways. First, the projects identify, at a landscape level,\nspecific geographic areas with particular combinations of biological diversity,\nrare or unique characteristics, important wildlife and fish habitat, or\nfeatures that are important to the long-term maintenance of biological\ndiversity. AESAs also include areas that contribute to the quality of water\nresources. These areas reflect significance by applying the best data available\nto specific ecological criteria.\u201d (Water for Life, Aquatic Environmentally\nSignificant Areas in Alberta, 2011)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Environmentally Significant Areas:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cEnvironmentally Significant Areas (ESAs)\nare generally defined as areas that are important to the long-term maintenance\nof biological diversity, physical landscape features and/or other natural\nprocesses, both locally and within a larger spatial context (Jennings &\nReganold 1991).\u201d (Environmentally Significant Areas in Alberta: 2014 Update,\n2014)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Colonial Nesting Bird Habitats:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This dataset comes from a Government of\nAlberta layer comprised of Great Blue Heron and American White Pelican species\nnesting colony locations. (Wildlife Sensitivity Maps, Key Wildlife Layers, http://aep.alberta.ca/forms-maps-services/maps/wildlife-sensitivity-maps/default.aspx<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cColonial nesting species, including\nWestern Grebe, Eared Grebe, California Gull, Common Tern, Double-Crested\nCormorant, Great Blue Heron, and American White Pelican, nest in large groups\non lake islands and sand bars, or within patches of emergent aquatic vegetation\u2026\nSeveral colonial nesting species have been listed as \u201csensitive\u201d in Alberta\u2026\nThese species may experience population declines as a result of unmitigated\nimpacts, and therefore warrant special management attention.\u201d (Survey of\nColonial Nesting Birds and Lakeshore Habitats in Northeast Alberta, 2004)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Piping Plover Waterbodies:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This dataset comes from a Government of\nAlberta layer indicating Piping Plover habitats in the Province. (Wildlife\nSensitivity Maps, Key Wildlife Layers, http://aep.alberta.ca/forms-maps-services/maps/wildlife-sensitivity-maps/default.aspx<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Piping Plover is protected under the\nfederal Species at Risk Act (SARA). For more information, visit http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=687<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n


<\/p>\n\n

Preservation Sites:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo ascertain potential impacts to\nwetlands, the final distribution of contemporary wetland boundaries was\noverlaid on historical and current land cover distributions, and wetlands were\nsubsequently categorized as impacted or unimpacted depending upon the nature of\nthe underlying land cover. Impacts to wetlands over the assessment period (1966\nto 2007/2010) were then determined based on changes to the impacted status of\nthe surrounding land cover classification\u2026. In regions where densities are high but impacts are relatively lower,\neducation and outreach activities are paramount in order to preserve extant\nwetlands and prevent further impacts or losses.<\/b>\u201d (Wheatland County Wetland\nInventory)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Restoration Sites:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo ascertain potential impacts to\nwetlands, the final distribution of contemporary wetland boundaries was\noverlaid on historical and current land cover distributions, and wetlands were\nsubsequently categorized as impacted or unimpacted depending upon the nature of\nthe underlying land cover. Impacts to wetlands over the assessment period (1966\nto 2007/2010) were then determined based on changes to the impacted status of\nthe surrounding land cover classification\u2026. In areas where impacts are highest, management activities should\ncontinue to be directed to protecting wetlands, but greater efforts should be\napplied to wetland restoration or construction, in order to replace wetland\nhabitats and functions that have been impaired historically by human disturbance.<\/b>\u201d\n <\/span>(Wheatland County Wetland Inventory)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Wetland Density:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The areas highlighted in purple are those\nwith a higher than average wetland density compared to the entire County. Based\non the wetland inventory, the highlighted sections have more than 6% total\nwetland cover. (Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd.)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ducks Unlimited Projects:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This layer was obtained via a data sharing\nagreement with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) in 2015. It is not associated with\nthe Wheatland County Wetland Inventory. Wetlands and land areas are outlined in\ngreen when they are part of a DUC contract or project that has occurred within\nWheatland County. <\/span><\/p>", "summary": "A combination of datasets sourced from various Provincial & Federal Open Data sources, as well as Desktop analysis made by Munisight in 2022.", "title": "Wetlands", "tags": [ "Wetlands" ], "type": "Map Service", "typeKeywords": [ "ArcGIS", "ArcGIS Server", "Data", "Map Service", "Service" ], "thumbnail": "thumbnail/thumbnail.png", "url": "", "extent": [ [ -115.531311964817, 49.8956404420894 ], [ -110.885351240192, 51.7078236017262 ] ], "minScale": 0, "maxScale": 1.7976931348623157E308, "spatialReference": "NAD_1983_10TM_AEP_Resource", "accessInformation": "", "licenseInfo": "", "portalUrl": "" }