This map was produced for the NSCC Applied Geomatics Research Group using ArcGIS v10.3.1. The purpose of this map is to display agricultural land use information for the watershed surrounding the Mi'kmaw community of Indian Brook, Nova Scotia.

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Indian Brook is a rural community not immune to the effects of climate change. It is experiencing heavier precipitation events and more frequent flooding, causing damage to local infrastructure, and concerns regarding future land development. There are also community concerns about water surface contamination from the flooding and overflow of wastewater. By mapping the land use within the reserve and watershed boundary, it is possible to interpret how the land is being used, whether for farms, clear cuts or pastures. This also provides information about potential contaminants (farm runoff etc) entering the watershed and influencing water quality. 

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Land use information was downloaded via the NS Department of Natural Resources website. It is part of the publicly available forest inventory data, which contains current information about forest and agricultural data within the province. Additionally, the point features on the map were collected by researchers at the Applied Geomatics Research Group, who ground truthed the area to identify the type and density of agricultural land use. Location of farms and quantity of livestock present (where possible) were also documented. This data was used to populate an ArcGIS shapefile. The shapefile can be overlaid with other topographic layers such as roads and water features to help determine locations affected by potential contaminants such as a farm runoff. Additionally, provincial forest and land use information was downloaded via the NS Department of Natural Resources website. It is also displayed on the map and helps provide additional context and validation of the land use within the watershed.

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For a PDF of this map, or any additional questions about this project, please contact me directly at arielvallis@gmail.com.