Ministry of Environment Fisheries Inventory

Macro-reach Map Files

The FISS Macro-reach Maps show streams from the 1:50,000 BC Watershed atlas digital Map base that are subdivided into pre-defined stream segments called macro-reaches. Each macro-reach is a homogeneous stream segment that has been delineated based on the interpretation of topographic map features from the published 50,000 National Topographic Series (NTS) mapsheets. The interpreted map features include stream gradient, channel pattern, stream size, stream order, major falls, position of stream in the landscape and inferred bank materials. Each stream is subdivided into one or more macro-reaches that are connected in a continuous sequence from the stream’s mouth to its headwaters. This spatial data set has been used to quantify some aspects of hydrology and fish habitat, and to compare different regions of the province. The upstream and downstream boundary locations for each macro-reach are recorded as a distance along the stream from the stream mouth. This data set is available for downloading as zipped files that can be displayed in ARC/INFO, ArcView or ArcExplorer when unzipped. This macro-reach map layer is intended to be displayed together with map layers from the corresponding 1:50,000 BC Watershed Atlas map base. Read the Watershed Atlas documentation for the full explanation:1:50,000 BC Watershed Atlas Information Site

The FISS Macro-reach Map Files can be downloaded from:

ftp://fshftp.env.gov.bc.ca/pub/outgoing/bc50kfiss/macro_reaches

The minimum BC Watershed Atlas Map layers that must be downloaded to display a complete map of Macro-reaches are lwslbcgz.zip (Lakes) and lwolbcgz.zip (BC Boundaries and Coastline).

The BC Watershed Atlas Map layers can be downloaded from : ftp://fshftp.env.gov.bc.ca/pub/outgoing/bc50kwsa