Wetlands are distributed across Nova Scotia and provide a diversity of ecosystem services that benefit the land-owner, recreationist, and society as a whole. In 2000, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) replaced the 1982 hardcopy 1:50,000 scale wetland inventory maps with a digital inventory based upon visual interpretation and digitizing of 1:10,000 scale aerial photography flown during the late 1980s and 1990s. This product was integrated with the forestry layer in NSDNR’s Geographic Information System to support policy and legislation, land use planning and impact assessment, environmental monitoring and reporting, and scientific research.

In 2002, NSDNR began to adapt the wetland inventory to the Canadian Wetland Classification System and to integrate it into the Canadian National Wetland Inventory, a national initiative using satellite remote sensing.

Nova’s Scotia’s Wetland Classification and Vegetation Typing is available for viewing through the website. Up to three vegetation communities are identified with each wetland and its size in hectares. The wetlands are grouped into the following classes: Open Water, Marsh, Swamp, Bog or Fen, Fen.

The Department of Natural Resources makes no claim as to the accuracy of the data for individual wetlands and further stipulates that the user of the data assumes all risks associated with the use of the data. Errors or omissions can be brought to the attention of the wetland program.