The Natural Areas Atlas is an ongoing effort to bring together environmental information pertaining to the Capital Regional District.
New features added to the Atlas:
- 2005 high-resolution colour orthophoto
- new tools for mark-up and labelling
- updated cadastral base with street address
- print or email a PDF map
Background
This Atlas is a web-based mapping tool that facilitates well-informed and responsible land-use decisions.
In the Atlas, you will find important information such as the locations of salmon bearing streams, spawning zones, old growth forests, endangered ecosystems, record-sized trees and shoreline habitats. By highlighting the location of important natural areas, the Atlas functions as an excellent flagging device, informing municipal engineers, planners, developers and environmental groups that further study of a proposed development or activity may be required.
The Victoria Harbours Atlas is a web-based mapping tool that brings together environmental information pertaining to Portage Inlet, Gorge Waterway, Victoria Harbour, Esquimalt Harbour, Esquimalt Lagoon and the watersheds and urban catchments that drain into them. Harbour management agencies, community and environmental groups, educational institutions and the general public can access the Harbours Atlas and get detailed ecological information about the harbours and their watersheds.
Users can access biological and physical ecological information for the intertidal and subtidal areas of the harbours including the locations of:
- eelgrass, algae and kelps
- native oysters and other marine fauna
- harbour substrates and sediment
- sensitive shoreline habitats
- seasonal bird use and density
Several layers of environmentally significant landscape, land use and watershed information from the CRD’s Natural Areas Atlas are also accessible from the Harbours Atlas including the locations of:
- salmon-bearing streams
- spawning zones
- old growth forests
- endangered ecosystems
- record-sized trees