Background

The current version of CARI is a compilation of local, regional, and statewide aquatic resource GIS datasets into a seamless, statewide coverage of aquatic resources that employs a common wetland classification system. In addition to this GIS, CARI can be viewed on www.EcoAtlas.org (CARI v0.3, released in December 2017),

The CARI v0.3 dataset includes and incorporates several pre-existing sources of wetland and stream GIS data:

• the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) of the US Fish and Wildlife Service , last updated in 2010 and acquired by SFEI in 2011.

• the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), high resolution dataset at 1:24,000 scale of the US Geological Survey, last updated in 1999 and acquired by SFEI in 2011.

• Six County Aquatic Resources Inventory (including Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, Yuba, and Sutter Counties, California) developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (Sacramento District) through federal funding - 2010.

• Santa Clara Valley Creeks created by the Santa Clara Valley Water district in 2004, based on 2001 orthoimagery. (Updated in CARI v0.3)

• three regional datasets developed by SFEI’s GIS team using CARI’s standardized, and more detailed, mapping protocols and used to demonstrate the WRAMP framework.

  1. San Francisco Bay Area Aquatic Resources Inventory version 2.1 (BAARIv2.1) – 2017

  2. Lake Tahoe Basin (TARI v2.1) - 2016

  3. Laguna de Santa Rosa Plain (NCARI) (near Santa Rosa ,CA) – 2014

The CARI dataset varies in detail and accuracy across the state, and represents different time periods for different areas. Users are advised to get familiar with the level of detail available for their area/s of interest to understand the potentially different levels of mapping details represented across their area/s of interest. Future releases of CARI will incorporate updated data sources as they become available. In order for new datasets to be integrated into future releases of CARI, they must meet the minimum standards discussed in the CARI SOP.

The vision for CARI is that it will be used by resource agencies, city and county land-use planners, scientists, and other stakeholders as the go-to map to visualize and summarize the aquatic resources in their regions for monitoring, and assessment purposes. And, as more stakeholders us the online wetland monitoring and assessment tools on EcoAtlas, regional interests will be provide edits and updated GIS datasets (through EcoAtlas’s online services) to improve the accuracy and detail of CARI, over time. EcoAtlas has a new CARI editing tool that allows local stakeholders to employ the CARI mapping standards and methods to suggest feature specific updates to CARI v0.3, or submit more detailed GIS datasets directly to SFEI’s GIS-staff for future updates to CARI that will improve the accuracy and detail of the GIS base map.

More information on CARI including definitions details and methods can be found online at: http://www.sfei.org/CARI.

Description of Updates in CARI version 0.3

1. BAARI v2.1 (2017) Streams, Wetlands and Baylands were integrated into CARI

2. Stream data from the Santa Clara Valley Water Districts 2004 Santa Clara Valley Creeks replaced the NHD streams in approximately the Santa Clara County portion of the Pajaro River watershed, including the Pajaro river itself and Llagas, Uvas/Carnadero and Pacheco Creek watersheds. These streams were then classified by SFEI as Natural or Unnatural.

Description of Updates in CARI version 0.2

Revised streams and wetlands from TARI v2.1 (2016) were integrated into the CARI v0.2 dataset

Description of Attribute Fields in CARI

CARI consists of 2 feature classes: Wetlands (polygons) and Streams (lines). The feature attributes serve both to classify the wetland type and to provide information about the source of the data. For more details about attributes, mapping methodology, and the methods of compiling multiple data sources into CARI refer to the CARI Mapping document available at [forthcoming].

Wetlands

orig_class: Original classification of the wetland in the source dataset. Source datasets (e.g. NWI, BAARI) use different classification systems. The 'orig_class' field preserves that information.

name: the name of a particular wetland feature. (e.g. Alpine Lake)

globalid: a placeholder attribute for EcoAtlas.org (unused)

source_data: a description of the imagery or other primary data source from which the wetland feature was identified and mapped

organization: the agency or organization that originally mapped the wetland feature

orig_dataset: the original dataset (and data publication date if known) that was integrated into CARI

clickcode: an alphanumeric code for the wetland classification. Clickcode values are undergoing revision and will be updated in a future release of CARI.

clicklabel: a detailed description of a feature's wetland type. Clicklabel is the most detailed classification provided by CARI. Original classifications from component datasets (see 'orig_class'' above) are translated or "crosswalked" into CARI's classification system. While CARI's component datasets may provide more detail for certain types of wetlands, CARI provides a single statewide classification for wetland types. E.g. "Depressional Perennial Natural Emergent". Major classes within the 'clicklabel' field include: wetlands and (deep) open water. Classes and types include: depessions, playas, estuarine, lacustrine. marine, riverine, lagoon, and slope.

legcode: a 1-3 letter code signifying the major wetland class, associated with the 'leglabellevel2' field. Provides less detail than 'clickcode'.

leglabellevel1: Common terminology for a feature's wetland type. In EcoAtlas.org, Leglabellevel1 is the value that appears in the legend, when you click on a particular feature to identify it, and in analyses of wetland area generated by EcoAtlas' Landscape Profile tool

leglabellvel2: Major classification (less detailed) of the wetland classification provided by the 'clicklabel' field. E.g. "Depressional".

legend_headings: In EcoAtlas.org, 'legend_headings' is the value that appears in the legend heading.

ReleaseDate: the date that a particular feature was integrated into the CARI dataset, including updated versions of a particular feature

Streams

gid: a placeholder attribute for EcoAtlas.org (unused)

orig_class: Original classification of the wetland in the source dataset. Source datasets (e.g. NWI, BAARI) use different classification systems. The 'orig_class' field preserves that information.

name: the name of a particular wetland feature. (e.g. Pajaro River)

globalid: a placeholder attribute for EcoAtlas.org (unused)

source_dat: a description of the imagery or other primary data source from which the wetland feature was identified and mapped

dataset_org: the agency or organization that originally mapped the wetland feature

orig_datas: the original dataset (and data publication date if known) that was integrated into CARI

clickcode: an alphanumeric code for the wetland classification. Clickcode values are undergoing revision and will be updated in a future release of CARI.

clicklabel: a detailed description of a feature's wetland type. Clicklabel is the most detailed classification provided by CARI. Original classifications from component datasets (see 'orig_class'' above) are translated or "crosswalked" into CARI's classification system. Clicklabel values include: "Fluvial Natural", "Fluvial Unnatural", "Tidal Natural", and "Tidal Unnatural".

legcode: a 1 or 2 letter code identifying whether the major stream class has tidal influence (TR) or not (R), associated with the 'leglabellevel2' field. Provides less detail than 'clickcode'.

leglabel: Common terminology for a feature's wetland type. In EcoAtlas.org, Leglabel is the value that appears in the legend, when you click on a particular feature to identify it, and in analyses of wetland area generated by EcoAtlas' Landscape Profile tool. Leglabel values include:"Fluvial" and "Tidal".

legheader: In EcoAtlas.org, 'legheader' is the value that appears in the legend heading. "Drainage Features" is the only value for legheader.

ReleaseDate: the date that a particular feature was integrated into the CARI dataset, including updated versions of a particular feature

lastupdate: the date that a particular feature was updated

CARI_id: Unique id for that CARI feature