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Map Resources at UCalgary and Beyond

Natural Resources

Alberta Landcover Map and GIS data
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute provides raw data and online viewers for landcover and various plant and animal species distribution maps

Alberta Geological Survey interactive Minerals Map
Bedrock, superficial geology, sediment thickness and topography layers are available. AGS also provides links for free downloads of its maps in .pdf format and as GIS digital datasets

Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB)
An online version of the WCSB that also provides some of the underlying digital data

Alberta Energy Interactive maps
Maps show the current disposition of mineral rights in Alberta for different mineral commodities (coal, ammonite, metalic and industrial minerals). Also provides base map features and grid layers which can be exported to a .pdf map with known scale

Alberta Soil Information Viewer
Online viewer which also provides search, draw, extract and download functions (in .shp, .kml, .gpx or .csv)

Alberta Agriculture and Climate Information Viewer
Quick viewer, Climate Mapper and Weather Mapper applications present climatic information for the agriculture industry and researchers. Select sections of the Agricultural Land Resource Atlas of Alberta are also available. Online mappers provide reference and historical information as screen-quality, page-sized maps.

Alberta Parks Lands Reference Library
Provides links to documents, downloadable data and maps, including trail and campground maps as well as legal land descriptions and permitted uses under the Land Reference Manual

Alberta Conservation Management Information System (ACIMS)
Allows for data downloads regarding elements of Alberta's natural biological and physical diversity

Alberta Integrated Resource Plans
These plans conducted primarily in the 1980s, include maps within each publication that describe the resource, physical and biological characteristics and social values within a planning area

Alberta Fish and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS)
This site allows you to view Alberta Fish & Wildlife data and create and print your own maps

Recreational access to Alberta Public Lands
This site contains contact information for recreational users who wish to access Alberta's Public Lands that are under agricultural lease, license or permit. It is intended to help find out what lands are involved, who to contact for access, and what conditions of access apply. Must use Microsoft Internet Explorer

Aberta Lake Bathymetry GIS Data
Data captured from historical hydrographic survey maps that were digitized and digitally modelled to produce a continuous surface for each lakebed

Alberta River Basins
Maps of the seven major river basins or major river systems

Alberta Environment Groundwater Information System
Interactive map and database contains approximately 500,000 records with about 5,000 new drilling reports received annually. Information about individual water well drilling reports, chemical analysis reports up to the end of 1986. Requires use of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Edmonton-Calgary Corridor Groundwater Atlas
Reports and GIS data available

Calgary-Lethbridge Corridor
Project aims to compile existing geological and hydrogeological information.

Flood Risk Maps Information System
Selected Alberta Environment maps showing flood risk zones

Alberta Air Quality Index
Map provides air quality conditions for major urban centres in Alberta and is updated hourly. Requires use of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

BC Geology Maps
Digitial maps and GIS files for British Columbia Geology

BC Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification Maps
Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) is an hierarchical system that uses climate, soil and characteristic vegetation to group ecosystems at various levels. Caution - large .pdf files

Saskatchewan GeoAtlas
An online atlas which includes geological layers which can be downloaded in a GIS format

GEOSCAN - Geological Survey of Canada (GSC)
GSC search engine for all publications, many with links to free online formats

Soil Information System (CanSIS)
This site contains maps, data and/or GIS files for Canadian soil landscapes, soil surveys and ecological framework

National Soil Information Database
This site contains maps, data and/or GIS files for Canadian soil landscapes, soil surveys and ecological framework

Agriculture Canada Geospatial Products
GIS data and maps regarding climate, agriculture, watersheds and landcover for the Canadian prarie region

Peakfinder
Source of information on peaks of the Canadian Rockies

Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) Products
CHS homepage with links to paper and digital marine chart information as well as notice to mariners

International Joint Commissions’ Mapping Portal
United States and Canada have worked together to prevent and resolve conflicts over the hundreds of rivers and lakes that lie along or flow across the 8,800-kilometer (5,500-mile) border

The National Map of the United States
Combines the National Atlas and provides a single source for geospatial and cartographic information

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Geological maps
Research database for Geoscience resource maps and related data about: geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology

GLIMS Glacier Information and Database
Interactive map and text search of glaciers worldwide. Glacier outlines can be downloaded in various formats

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Online maps and GIS files for different energy sources. Includes major Canadian oil and gas pipelines.

Vegetation maps of countries of the world
On-line vegetation and plant distribution maps

Global Change Master Directory from NASA
The GCMD database holds more than 15,000 descriptions and allows users to locate and obtain access to Earth science data sets and services relevant to global change

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Conservation Science Program Data Download
World wide data sets are available for use for valid scientific, conservation, and educational purposes

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) - Interactive Conservation Maps
A number of web-based maps, created by Nature Conservancy staff for topics on the US and around the world

Global Forest Watch - World Resources Institute
Near real-time forest monitoring system coming in late 2013 - Replaces Global Forest Watch Canada

Map of Life
Developed by Yale University on a Google maps platform that brings together information on species distribution worldwide