Metadata - Summary of data in the Atlas
The Atlas contains 189 water resources which includes 19 bays and 64 lakes and 105 rivers and the Gulf of Mexico . Data recorded in the Atlas reaches back 108 years, starting on Tuesday, January 01, 1901. The most recent data is from Tuesday, November 24, 2009. Over 4,987,117 data samples have been included in the Atlas! The samples came from over 51 data sources provided by 25 different data providers. These people and agencies have helped make the Atlas an integral tool for managing our water resources.
Geographic Information Systems Data
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data consists largely of land mapping and spatial data and is used in a wide variety of fields. The lay of the land can affect almost every aspect of life, including an area's culture, government, environment, and commerce, making GIS information important to everyone. Fields such as anthropology, medical science, and natural science use GIS to measure and predict the impact of geography on a region. By mapping water resources, the Atlas provides spatial information useful to citizens, water management professionals, and scientists alike. The following core datasets are processed as part of geospatial analyses, the results of which are presented directly within Atlas components:
| GIS Dataset Name | Data Custodian | Data Current as of: | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Aerial Imagery | Southwest Florida Water Management District | Not Available | |
| Artificial Reefs | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | 11/1/2006 | |
| Environmental Protection Agency Lake Regions | Environmental Protection Agency | 8/1/1996 | |
| Environmentally Sensitive Land Protection Program | Sarasota County | 3/1/2006 | |
| EPA Impaired Waters and TMDL Data | US Environmental Protection Agency | 3/5/2009 | |
| FDEP Impaired Waters & TMDL Data | Florida Department of Environmental Protection | 3/5/2009 | |
| FNAI Managed Lands / Conservation Data | Florida Natural Areas Inventory | 7/1/2009 | |
| FWRI Sea Turtle Nesting | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | 6/1/2004 | |
| Manatee Synoptic Surveys | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | 7/1/2005 | |
| Mote Marine Laboratory Manatee Aerial Surveys | MOTE Marine Laboratory | Not Available | |
| Population Density (2000) | U.S. Census Bureau | 1/1/2000 | |
| SARASOTA / FCCDR Hydrography Layer | Florida Center for Community Design and Research | 1/23/2004 | |
| Sarasota County Artificial Reefs | Sarasota County | 12/28/2003 | |
| SBEP Shoreline Classification | Sarasota Bay Estuary Program | Not Available | |
| SWFWMD 1999 Land-Use and Land-Cover | Southwest Florida Water Management District | 3/1/2004 | |
| SWFWMD 2004 Land-Use and Land-Cover | Southwest Florida Water Management District | 11/23/2006 | |
| SWFWMD Seagrass Beds | Southwest Florida Water Management District | 6/9/2006 | |
| USGS 1:24,000 National Hydrography Dataset | Florida Center for Community Design and Research | 9/1/2009 | |
| Water Atlas Sample Site Locations | Florida Center for Community Design and Research | 9/1/2009 |
Monitoring and Sampling Data
Citizens, scientists, and professionals all contribute to monitoring and sampling data in many ways. Citizens often provide information such as water levels data through volunteer programs. Scientists and professionals set up equipment at sampling stations for measuring attributes such as water quality and hydrology. They provide the data in various formats to the Atlas, which compiles, organizes, and presents the data to help people better understand the county's water resources.