Land-use/Land-cover Classification of the Lower Athabasca Regional Planning Area of Alberta, Derived from 2018 Sentinel-2 Multispectral Data (image data, TIFF format)

This land-use and land-cover (LULC) classification dataset is derived from 2018 Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery (10 m spatial resolution) for the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) area. As part of Alberta’s Land-use Framework, LARP was developed in 2012 to set the stage for robust growth, vibrant communities, and a healthy environment within the region. One of its implementation objectives is to balance the economic development of oil sands and impacts on ecosystems and the environment. This objective is achieved through enhanced science-based monitoring to improve the characterization of landuse over time and understand cumulative effects on the environment.

This land classification raster dataset contains 17 classes: 1 - Water, 2 - Exposed - Barren Land, 3 - Bryoids, 4 - Shrubland, 5 - Wetland, 6 - Wetland - Treed, 7 - Herbs, 8 - Coniferous, 9 - Deciduous, 10 - Mixed Wood, 11 - Developed Footprints, 12- Surface Mining Areas, 13 - Wet Tailings Ponds, 14 - Dry Tailings Ponds, 15 - Herbs and Shrubs - Post-Wildfire, 16 - Burned Areas - Little Biomass, and 17 - Agricultural Land. These categories can be used as baseline data for planning, managing, and monitoring surface infrastructure needs and impacts.