Salmon space user guide

Salmon space is an interactive map that provides information about salmon data in British Columbia and Yukon. You can search by location or salmon species to see information such as salmon counts and stock status.

On this page

• Definitions
• Citations
• Tutorials
• Glossary of map buttons
• Data dictionary

Definitions

Census sites are sites where persistent populations of salmon are known to exist and have been used to describe the conservation units. These locations have estimates of escapement and spawn timing that have been reported to the salmon escapement database (NuSEDS).

A Conservation Unit (CU) is a group of wild Pacific salmon sufficiently isolated from other groups that, if extirpated, is very unlikely to recolonize naturally within an acceptable timeframe, such as a human lifetime or a specified number of salmon generations.

A Stock Management Unit (SMU) is a group of one or more CUs that are managed together.

A Designatable Unit (DU), as defined by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), refers to a population or group of populations within a species that has been determined to be unique for conservation purposes. A DU represents the individuals that exist within a geographical area(s) and exhibit unique genetic traits or a unique genetic heritage that makes them discrete and evolutionarily significant units of the taxonomic species.

Citation

Please cite this application as:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (This Year). Salmon Space. Government of Canada. https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/apps/SalmonSpace-EspaceSaumon/

Tutorials

Navigating the map

The default view is centered on the Canadian Pacific.

To navigate:

1. Use the Zoom buttons or mouse scroll wheel to zoom in/out.
2. Click and drag the map to reposition.

Searching the map

Global filter widget

1. Open the Filter tool from the side panel.
2. Type a word or index into the search bar.
3. Press Enter or choose from suggested results.
4. This search filters across all layers within the application.

Filter widget

1. Open the Filter tool from the side panel.
2. Choose a data layer.
3. Select one or more items from the dropdown.
4. Press Enter or choose from suggested results.
5. The filter widget removes other polygons from the same layer when it displays results.

Query widget

1. Open the Query tool from the side panel.
2. Choose a data layer.
3. Select query options (e.g., Species or DFO Area).
4. The query widget highlights the selected polygon within the other polygons from the same layer.

Showing / hiding layers

1. Open the layers button panel.
2. Select/deselect checkboxes to toggle layers on/off.
3. Use arrows to expand sublayers.

You can view information about salmon sites and areas using the pop-up window, list panel, and table.

Viewing the pop-up window

Pop-ups appear when you

• click or tap on the map
• select a title in the list panel
• select a row in the table

Features include

• Scroll between overlapping sites with arrows or the Select Feature tool.
• View overview details and scroll down for more.
• CU map: conservation unit map overview with census sites included
• SMU Map: stock management unit map with conservation units included
• Click Zoom To to focus on the selected site.

Table view

Expand/collapse the Attribute Table at the bottom of the map using the arrow tab.

Click a row to

• Highlight the row
• Highlight the associated site on the map
• Open its pop-up
• Highlight the list panel title

Table tools

• Show all: all rows appear
• Clear selection: unselects all rows
• Refresh: reloads the data
• Show/hide columns: customize visible fields
• Filter by the connected map extent

Actions menu

• Zoom to: zooms to selected site(s) or entire dataset.
• Pan to: centers the map on the selected site(s).
• Add marker: to add a marker on the map.
• Export: save selected rows as JSON, CSV, or GeoJSON files (downloads folder).

Download a data table

The attribute tables let you view and work with the tabular data behind map layers.

Steps to download all records in a table:

1. Open the Map Viewer.
2. At the bottom edge of the map in the center, click the small arrow tab to open or expand the attribute table.
3. Click on the tab for the table that you would like to export.
4. In the attribute table panel, click the Actions button located in the top-right corner of the table.
5. In the drop-down menu, select Export.
6. Choose your file format from the available options:
   • CSV: Spreadsheet format that opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
   • JSON: Structured text format for developers or advanced data users.
   • GeoJSON: Geospatial format that keeps map geometry for use in mapping software.

After you choose, the file will download to your computer into your downloads folder.

Steps to export search results in a data table:

1. Open the Map Viewer.
2. Open the Query widget on the map left-side panel to search, if not already open.
3. Select which layer to search.
4. Specify the conditions e.g., “Species” or “CU Name.”
5. Click Apply to run the search.
6. A new tab in the attribute table will be created with the results.
7. Click the Actions button in the top-right corner of the results table.
8. Choose Export, then choose your file format (CSV, JSON, or GeoJSON).

The search results file will download to your computer.

Download a spatial file

You can download the spatial files from the layers to use in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, or other spatial mapping software.

Steps to download spatial files:

1. Open the Map Viewer.
2. Click the Layers widget on the map toolbar. A list of available layers will appear including:
   • Census sites
   • Conservation Units (CUs)
   • Stock Management Units (SMUs)
   • Designatable Units (DUs)
   • Crosswalk
3. Find the layer you would like to download.
4. On the right-hand side of the layer name, click the three dots (⋯) to open the Layer Options menu.
5. From the drop-down list, select Export.
6. • CSV: Spreadsheet format that opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
   • JSON: Structured text format for developers or advanced data users.
   • GeoJSON: Geospatial format that keeps map geometry for use in mapping software.

After you choose, the file will download to your computer into your downloads folder.

Print map from pop-up

1. Navigate to a conservation unit or stock management unit
2. Click on the area to open the pop-up window
3. Scroll down to CU or SMU Map link
4. Click on the link. The map will open in a new tab
5. Use the browser print button to print the CU or SMU map.

Advanced print functions

1. Locate the Print Widget on the top right side of the toolbar, click the print icon.
2. Choose a template from the drop-down menu
3. Keep the default title provided or type a new one to customize your map output.
4. Expand the Advanced drop-down menu, here you can customize the following options:
   • Map printing extents - Define the area of the map to include in the printout.
   • Layout options – Adjust details such as author, copyright, legend visibility, north arrow, scalebar unit, and print quality.
   • Click the “show print area” to preview your layout before printing.
   • Explore options such as adjusting the transparency of the layers or changing the basemap to suit your preferences. 
5. Click the Print button at the bottom of the window to generate your file.
6. Look under the Results tab to click and open the customized map. 

Glossary of map buttons

Title	Description
	Displays information about the application.
	Offers background map options Topographic and streets: shows land topographies and street names. This is the default map. Ocean: designed to be used by marine GIS professionals as a reference map by anyone interested in Ocean data Maritime chart: features marine bathymetry Satellite: shows a satellite image Streets: uses Open Street map editable, collaborative map Transportation: shows transportation routes Dark grey: designed to focus attention on content as this dark background has minimal colors, labels and features Light grey: shows location and street names against light grey for land and medium grey for water
	Allows you to unselect all items.
	Allows you to close a panel or pop-up window.
	Allows you to hide or expand windows. Arrow direction indicates the action.
	Allows you to enter and jump to a set of map coordinates.
	Resets the map to the starting view.
	Allows you to apply filters to limit the visibility of objects in one or more layers. Changes apply across all widgets.
	Allows you to choose which data layers are visible on the map
	Explains the colours and patterns used for each visible data layer.
	Allows you to measure distance, area, or perimeter on the map.
	Allows you to scroll between multiple overlapping items in a pop-up.
	Creates a static PDF of the current map view from available templates. There are advanced options to customize the exported map.
	Allows you to reload the Attribute Table contents.
	Allows you to find records across data layers.
	Allows you to choose one feature when multiple items overlap in a location.
	Displays all items, whether selected or not.
	Allows you to display selected items only.
	Allows you to choose which data columns appear in the Attribute Table.
	Provides links to the user guide and tutorials.
	Allows you to zoom in or out. More detail appears as you zoom in.
	Allows you to zoom to the selected items.

Data dictionary

Field definitions from all attribute tables.

Census sites

Census site ID

A unique numeric code identifying the census site

Census site

A location named after the waterbody it’s in. The fish counted at this site are treated as part of a single population. These sites are often called “populations,” even though they may not match true biological populations.

Population ID

A unique numeric code identifying the population

Population

This is a concatenation of stream name, subdistrict, species and run type. This serves as a reference for other data fields.

Subdistrict area

This is the subdistrict. In most cases subdistricts are the same as statistical areas. They mainly differ for streams that eventually drain into the Fraser and for large areas that have been split up and thus have a/b/c... designations. E.g. Statistical area 03 has two subdistricts 3A and 3B.

CU full index

The unique ID to identify Conservation Units (CU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed by a number.

Species

Describes the species of salmon e.g., Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye.

CU life history type

The Life History Type. These are used for Pink salmon and Sockeye salmon. Types are: Pink Salmon (Odd Year, Even Year). Sockeye Salmon (Lake Type, River Type)

NRECS

Number of records for this salmon population in NuSEDS

NINS

Number of records for this salmon population in NuSEDS where sen_presence_adult is PRESENT', 'NONE OBSERVED', or 'UNKNOWN'.

NPRES

Number of records for this salmon population in NuSEDS where sen_presence_adult = 'PRESENT'

Year start

Start year for records in NuSEDS for this salmon population.

Year end

End year for records in NuSEDS for this salmon population.

Year last present adult

Last year that this salmon population has a record in NUSEDS where sen_prescence_adult = 'PRESENT'.

Min escapement

Minimum escapement in NuSEDS for this salmon population.

Max escapement

Maximum escapement in NuSEDS for this salmon population.

Avg escapement

Average escapement in NuSEDS for this salmon population.

FAZ Acro

Acronym of the freshwater adaptive zone

MAZ Acro

Acronym of the marine adaptive zone

JAZ Acro

Acronym of the joint adaptive zone

FWA watershed code

A 144 digit hierarchal provincial code which is derived from the provinces more detailed 1:20,000 scale topographic base maps- the Terrain Resource Information Management (TRIM) series. The levels in the code represent the hierarchy of the stream network and are broken down into 21 levels. For more information please see the Freshwater Water Atlas User Guide online.

Y latitude

Location of the mouth of the waterbody if flowing, or the centroid if not.

X longitude

Location of the mouth of the waterbody if flowing, or the centroid if not.

Conservation units

CU full index

The unique ID to identify Conservation Units (CU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed by a number.

CU name

The assigned name of the Conservation Unit. Note that this name does not always identify the species.

CU type

There are currently nine Conservation Unit (CU). types, i.e., Current, Extirpated, Bin, Deprecated, Deprecated(Bin), VREQ[Bin], VREQ[Current], VREQ[Extirpated] and Deleted. Not all are included in this dataset.

• Current - CU is extant and is either accepted or has been proposed.
• Extirpated - There are no known sites with fish spawning successfully in the wild and there are no known hatchery sites.
• Bin - Not a CU, but a category to hold sites that, for various reasons, are not assigned to a Conservation Unit (CU). Reasonable uses of the Bin category include:
  1. sites where migratory dropouts are counted but cannot be reliably assigned to CUs;
  2. sites where transplanted fish are enumerated under the premise that DFO is recreating an extinct CU; and
  3. sites where transplanted fish are enumerated outside the ecotypical zone of the source population and no claim is made of recreating an extinct CU.
  Hatchery sites are often classified as a Bin.
• Deprecated - An extant CU was merged with another CU or CUs. The CU should no longer be used. A deprecated CU is neither deleted nor extirpated because at least one of its populations persists or is believed to, and has been assigned to another CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU.
• Deprecated (Bin) - Deprecated(): An extant CU was merged with another CU or CUs. The CU should no longer be used. A deprecated CU is neither deleted nor extirpated because at least one of its populations persists or is believed to, and has been assigned to another CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU. (Bin)-See definition for Bin.
• VREQ - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Bin]-See definition for Bin.
• VREQ [Current] - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Current]-See definition for Current. The most common use of the prefix is for sockeye CUs on the central and north coasts that were identified by presumed suitability rather than by actual verified records of persistent presence. The second most common use is for CUs that likely were valid but it is unknown if they persist. Again these are mostly sockeye CUs.
• VREQ [Extirpated] - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Extirpated]-See definition for Extirpated. The most common use of the prefix is for sockeye CUs on the central and north coasts that were identified by presumed suitability rather than by actual verified records of persistent presence. The second most common use is for CUs that likely were valid but it is unknown if they persist. Again these are mostly sockeye CUs. Extirpated: There are no known sites with fish spawning successfully in the wild and there are no known hatchery sites.
• Deleted - The CU was deleted after confirmation that no persistent populations were ever present within recorded history within the area of the CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU.

CU acronym

The CU acronyms are essentially short names for the CU.

Species

Describes the species of salmon e.g., Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye.

Life history type

The Life History Type. These are specific to Pink salmon and Sockeye salmon. Types are: Pink Salmon (Odd Year, Even Year). Sockeye Salmon (Lake Type, River Type)

DFO area

DFO administrative area

WSP rapid status

This approach can be assigned a Red (poor), Amber (intermediate), or Green (good) status, with High, Medium or Low confidence to salmon conservation Units (CUs ) with applicable data

WSP rapid confidence

The level of certainty in the assigned biological status of a salmon Conservation Unit (CU) during a rapid assessment. The confidence level can be; low, medium or high.

WSP rapid status year

Year of last WSP status assessment

References and sources

Reference publications with links if available

CU latitude

Location of the mouth of the waterbody if flowing, or the centroid if not, in decimal degrees.

CU longitude

Location of the mouth of the waterbody if flowing, or the centroid if not, in decimal degrees.

SMU full index

The unique ID to identify Stock Management Units (SMU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed the Pacific Region area and a number.

Stock management units

SMU full index

The unique ID to identify Stock Management Units (SMU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed the Pacific Region area and a number.

SMU name

The assigned name of the Stock Management Unit (SMU).

Species

Describes the species of salmon e.g., Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye.

DFO Area

DFO administrative area

Number of CU's

The number of CU's that are present with the SMU

Life history type

The Life History Type. These are specific to Pink salmon and Sockeye salmon. Types are: Pink Salmon (Odd Year, Even Year). Sockeye Salmon (Lake Type, River Type)

Last assessment year

Date of last stock assessment

SMU status

As indicated by the last stock assessment or from the Sustainability Survey for Fisheries.

Outlook abundance

The Outlook Abundance provides a categorical abundance expectation based on expert opinion.

Outlook abundance year

Year of the outlook forecast

Reference and sources

Reference publications with links if available

SMU ID

ID that references the Stock Management Unit (SMU)

Designatable units

DU Full Index

The unique ID to identify Designable Units (DU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed by a number.

DU Name

Name of the Designatable Unit.

COSEWIC DU Number

Designatable unit number. Please be aware that there are duplicate DU numbers as each species has consecutive DU numbers.

DU Acronym

Acronym for the Designatable Unit.

Species

Describes the species of salmon e.g., Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye.

COSEWIC Status

Species status as determined by COSEWIC including: not at risk, special concern, endangered, extinct.

DU Status Year

Date of last assessment or status changed.

Crosswalk

DFO Area

DFO administrative area

Species

Describes the species of salmon e.g., Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye.

CU Name

The assigned name of the Conservation Unit. Note that this name does not always identify the species.

CU Full Index

The unique ID to identify Conservation Units (CU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed by a number.

CU Type

There are currently nine Conservation Unit (CU). types, i.e., Current, Extirpated, Bin, Deprecated, Deprecated(Bin), VREQ[Bin], VREQ[Current], VREQ[Extirpated] and Deleted. Not all are included in this dataset.

• Current - CU is extant and is either accepted or has been proposed.
• Extirpated - There are no known sites with fish spawning successfully in the wild and there are no known hatchery sites.
• Bin - Not a CU, but a category to hold sites that, for various reasons, are not assigned to a Conservation Unit (CU). Reasonable uses of the Bin category include:
  1. sites where migratory dropouts are counted but cannot be reliably assigned to CUs;
  2. sites where transplanted fish are enumerated under the premise that DFO is recreating an extinct CU; and
  3. sites where transplanted fish are enumerated outside the ecotypical zone of the source population and no claim is made of recreating an extinct CU.
  Hatchery sites are often classified as a Bin.
• Deprecated - An extant CU was merged with another CU or CUs. The CU should no longer be used. A deprecated CU is neither deleted nor extirpated because at least one of its populations persists or is believed to, and has been assigned to another CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU.
• Deprecated (Bin) - Deprecated(): An extant CU was merged with another CU or CUs. The CU should no longer be used. A deprecated CU is neither deleted nor extirpated because at least one of its populations persists or is believed to, and has been assigned to another CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU. (Bin)-See definition for Bin.
• VREQ - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Bin]-See definition for Bin.
• VREQ [Current] - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Current]-See definition for Current. The most common use of the prefix is for sockeye CUs on the central and north coasts that were identified by presumed suitability rather than by actual verified records of persistent presence. The second most common use is for CUs that likely were valid but it is unknown if they persist. Again these are mostly sockeye CUs.
• VREQ [Extirpated] - VREQ[] : Indicates that there is some doubt about the nature of the CU and validation is required. [Extirpated]-See definition for Extirpated. The most common use of the prefix is for sockeye CUs on the central and north coasts that were identified by presumed suitability rather than by actual verified records of persistent presence. The second most common use is for CUs that likely were valid but it is unknown if they persist. Again these are mostly sockeye CUs. Extirpated: There are no known sites with fish spawning successfully in the wild and there are no known hatchery sites.
• Deleted - The CU was deleted after confirmation that no persistent populations were ever present within recorded history within the area of the CU. This category is used to manage changes to CUs, and is not a CU.

SMU Name

The assigned name of the Stock Management Unit (SMU).

SMU Full Index

The unique ID to identify Stock Management Units (SMU). The first part of the ID identifies the species followed the Pacific Region area and a number.