ArcExplorer Tips
Viewing Layers
Each interactive map (referred to as "projects" in ArcExplorer) includes a number of layers (referred to as "themes" in the ArcExplorer menu). Layers are listed in the legend on the left hand side and can be turned on or off. When you first open an interactive map, only a few layers will be turned on. In order to see other layers, click on the check box next to a layer's name, and to turn off a layer, click off the check box next to that layer's name.
Arc Explorer Tips
Base Map
Anadromous Fish
Hydrology
Wildlife
Vegetation and Ecosystems
Geology and Soils
Resource Development
Ownership
Infrastructure and Recreation Uses
For instance, when the anadromous fish map project is opened, anadromous fish lakes and steelhead streams are checked and turned on. If you wish to see which streams are used by Chinook salmon, click on the check box next to the "Chinook Streams" layer.
In each map projects, there are often many layer titles you will not initially be able to see in the legend, because of the large number of layers listed. These layer titles can be seen by scrolling down the legend by clicking on the scroll arrows in the lower right hand corner of the legend area.
You can use the 
(+) and 
(-) magnifying glasses in the ArcExplorer toolbar to zoom in and zoom out of the map project.
Asking questions about layers
If you are curious about more information about a specific feature in a layer, first click on that layer's title (not just the check box) such that the layer's name appears to be "raised" in the legend. The layer is now active, and there are then several ways to get more information about that layer.
- Use the identity tool
to find out information about a specific feature in the layer (e.g. a specific point or line).
Click on the identity tool and then move your cursor to the feature of interest in the map and click on that feature.
For instance, in the Anadromous Fish project, move your cursor to a specific steelhead stream line (bright light blue) and click on that stream. All the attributes (called fields in ArcExplorer) of that stream will show up in a box (fields such as NAME, e.g. "Gulkana River" and USE, e.g. present or spawning).
- Use the query tool
to ask a question about a layer
Click on the query tool and then build a question in the query wizard.
For instance, if you wanted to know which Steelhead streams were used for spawning:- Click on 'USE' in the select a field box (upper left hand corner of the query wizard);
- Click on the '=' sign;
- Click on 'spawning' in the sample values box (upper right hand corner).
- Before hitting "Execute," first go to the "Display Field" box (right hand side, middle of query wizard) and choose 'Name' among the listed fields. This will give you the stream names of the spawning streams in the query results.
- Click the "Execute" button and all the streams that are used for spawning will appear in the "Query Results" box (lower half of query wizard).
- Finally, if you hit the "Highlight Results" button (lower left corner of wizard), all of the spawning streams will be highlighted in yellow in the interactive map.
Changing colors and removing layers
In order to change the display colors or symbols for a layer, right click on the layer's name in the legend and go to "theme properties" at the bottom of the menu that pops up. To remove a layer, click on the "remove theme" line in this same menu. This same theme menu can also be accessed by clicking on "theme" in the toolbar along the top of ArcExplorer.
Adding layers
Layers that are not already included in a map project (and not listed in the legend) can be added by clicking on Add Theme button 
or by going to the theme menu along the top of the ArcExplorer window and selecting "Add Theme". You can then navigate your way through the data dictionary folders to add new layers. You may want to start with the simplest interactive map, the "base map" before adding new layers.
Overview of interactive map projects
Each of the map projects contains certain base layers for reference. These base layers are towns, roads, a region mask, planning units (developed by the Copper River Collaborative), and streams at fine (1:63,360) and course scale (1:2,000,000). The "base map" project contains only these base layers and is a good map to use for adding additional layers and exploring other datasets. Many of the projects also contain a colored DEM (digital elevation model) image or a grayscale hillshade image to give a sense of elevation and topography.
Although both fine and coarse scale streams are turned on for each map project, we have set these layers up such that only the coarse scale streams appear when you look at the full extent of the Copper River basin. As you zoom in to a smaller area, the coarse-scale streams will eventually disappear and only the fine-scale streams will appear. (We did this using "set minimum scale factor" and "set maximum scale factor" in the theme menu).
The wildlife map project is somewhat unique in that it contains biological data layers primarily from the Chugach National Forest (CNF). The CNF covers most of the Copper River Delta, but not other parts of the Copper River basin, and extends outside the Copper River basin. For this map project, each wildlife layer is contained by the boundaries of the CNF, which is why each layer goes outside the Copper River basin and does not cover other areas of the basin.
