Description
This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset.
Riparian areas consist of the lands adjacent to streams, rivers, wetlands and lakes that are strongly influenced by the presence of water. They are often distinct from the surrounding landscape as the vegetation growth is very lush. These areas form a transition between dry land and open water and are characterized by the presence of hydrophilic vegetation and specific soil types. Riparian areas are usually very productive in terms of biomass and form critical wildlife habitat. These areas often have standing water and are subjected to periodic flooding when high water levels fill the stream channel to the top of the bank. The term 'riparian' is derived from the Latin word for river bank.
Riparian areas provide valuable food, shelter and travel corridors as well as close proximity to a water source for wildlife and livestock. These zones are often densely vegetated and serve as stabilization against the erosive forces associated with lotic systems. Riparian areas provide filtration for surface runoff from the surrounding land and protect the water quality of flowing streams. They trap sediment and reduce the velocity of stream flow, thus reducing erosion in downstream areas. These areas provide detritus to their associated aquatic systems as well as a moderating effect on surface temperatures.
This riparian mapping project is intended to provide a geodatabase feature class of potential riparian areas associated with lotic features (streams and rivers) using the hydrologically corrected provincial digital elevation model as a base. Potential riparian areas associated with lentic features (wetlands and lakes) are not being captured at this time but wide rivers and lakes with flow through must be taken into consideration in order to give a more accurate representation of riparian areas. Isolated lakes are not included and no allowance for cultivated lands has been made.
Updated
November 7, 2016
Tags
Resources
Title and Dataset Information
Alternative Title
Lotic Riparian - Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Derived
Date Modified
2016-11-07
Update Frequency
Every 2 months
Publisher / Creator Information
Publisher
Environment and Parks
Subject Information
Topic
Start Date
1981-01-01
End Date
1995-12-31
Spatial Coverage
Resource Dates
Date Created
2011-10-31
Date Added to catalogue
2020-04-30T03:16:14.440199
Date Issued
2011-10-31
Date Modified
2016-11-07
Audience information
Language
Identifiers
Usage / Licence
Usage Considerations
This riparian mapping project is considered to be an overview for the province and is intended to provide a spatial representation of potential riparian areas associated with lotic features (streams and rivers). Where a stream or river passes through a perennial lake, the shoreline of the lake is captured in order to give a more accurate representation of riparian areas. Wetlands and non-perennial lakes as well as source, sink and isolated lakes, are not included. These areas are deemed to be potential riparian areas as no allowance for disturbance has been made.
The purpose of this project is to provide a 1:20 000 scale GIS-ready map of potential lotic riparian areas for the entire province in geodatabase format. This riparian feature class consists of polygons representing the location of lotic riparian areas that have been generated from slopes derived from the Base Features Derived Partially Filled Hydrologically Corrected Digital Elevation Model grid using satellite imagery to determine thresholds for the floodplains. This project was not intended as an air photo interpretation or image classification exercise.
This feature class was created for the purpose of providing a reasonable estimate of riparian areas by Land-use Framework Planning Region (merged into a provincial dataset) and is not intended for use in site-specific management and/or planning within individual land parcels, small watersheds, local government units, or small study areas. For any use of this data outside of the project purpose, it is highly recommended that the data be supplemented with air photo/satellite image analysis and/or detailed field site study.
Contact
Contact Name
Alberta Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta