National Hydrography Dataset Plus - NHDPlus

Metadata also available as

Metadata:

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Publication_Date: 2012

Title: National Hydrography Dataset Plus - NHDPlus

Edition: 2.10

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data, raster digital data, tabular digital data

Online_Linkage: <http://www.epa.gov/waters>

Description:

Abstract:

This high-level metadata data document will be supplemented with detailed regional metadata at a later date.
The NHDPlusV2 is an integrated suite of application-ready geospatial data sets that incorporate many of the best features of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the National Elevation Dataset (NED). Interest in estimating stream flow volume and velocity to support pollutant fate-and-transport modeling was the driver behind the joint USEPA and USGS effort to develop the initial NHDPlus, referenced in this document as NHDPlusV1. NHDPlusV1 has been used in a wide variety of applications since its initial release in the fall of 2006. This widespread positive response prompted the multi-agency NHDPlus team to develop NHDPlus Version 2 (NHDPlusV2). The NHDPlusV2 includes a stream network (based on the NHD), improved networking, naming, and "value-added attributes" (VAA's). NHDPlusV2 also includes elevation-derived catchments (drainage areas) produced using a drainage enforcement technique first broadly applied in New England, and thus dubbed "The New-England Method". This technique involves "burning-in" the NHD network and building "walls" using the national Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). The hydro-enforced digital elevation model (DEM) is used to produce hydrologic derivatives that agree with the NHD and WBD. An interdisciplinary team from the USGS, USEPA and contractors, has found this method to produce the best quality NHD catchments using an automated process. The VAAs include greatly enhanced capabilities for upstream and downstream navigation, analysis and modeling. Examples include: retrieve all flowlines (predominantly confluence-to-confluence stream segments) and catchments upstream of a given flowline using queries rather than by slower flowline-by-flowline navigation; retrieve flowlines by stream order; select a stream level path sorted in hydrologic order for stream profile mapping, analysis and plotting; and, calculate cumulative catchment attributes using streamlined VAA hydrologic sequencing routing attributes. The VAAs include results from the use of these cumulative routing techniques, including cumulative drainage areas, precipitation, temperature, and runoff distributions. Several of these cumulative attributes are used to estimate mean annual flow and velocity as part of the VAAs. NHDPlusV2 in CONUS contains a snapshot (2012) of the 1:100,000-scale NHD that has been extensively improved over the snapshot used in NHDPlusV1. These updates have not been stored in the central NHD repository at USGS. NHDPlusV2 in the islands is basin on a 2014/2015 snapshot of the 1:24,000 NHD. NHDPlusV2 users may not make updates to the NHD portions of NHDPlusV2 with the intent of sending these updates back to the USGS. Updates to the 1:100,000-scale NHD snapshot should be sent to the USEPA as the primary steward. Updates to the 1:24,000-scale NHD shapshot should be sent to the USGS. Purpose: The geospatial data sets included in NHDPlusV2 are intended to support a variety of water-related applications. They already have been used in an application to develop estimates of mean annual streamflow and velocity for each NHDFlowline feature in the conterminous United States. The results of these analyses are included with the NHDPlusV2 data. NHDPlusV2 serves as the sample frame for the stream and lake surveys conducted by the USEPA under the National Aquatic Resources Surveys program. A water-quality model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) called SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes), can utilizes the NHDPlusV2 network functionality to track the downstream transport of nutrients, sediments, or other substances. NHDPlusV2 water bodies and estimates of streamflow and velocity are used in SPARROW to identify reservoir retention and in-stream loss factors. NHDPlusV2 climatic and land surface attributes can be used in SPARROW to identify potential factors in the delivery of nutrients from the land surface to streams. NHDPlusV2 data is also being used in select areas for a USGS Web-based application, called StreamStats. StreamStats provides tools to interactively select any point in the implemented areas, delineate watersheds, and to obtain streamflow and watershed characteristics for the selected point. NHDPlusV2 has been designed to accommodate many users' needs for future applications. NHDPlusV2 provides the framework and tools necessary to customize the behavior of the network relationships as well as building upon the attribute database, for which the user can assign their own data to the network.

Purpose:

The geospatial data sets included in NHDPlusV2 are intended to support a variety of water-related applications. They already have been used in an application to develop estimates of mean annual streamflow and velocity for each NHDFlowline feature in the conterminous United States. The results of these analyses are included with the NHDPlusV2 data. A water-quality model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) called SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes), can utilize the NHDPlusV2 network functionality to track the downstream transport of nutrients, sediments, or other substances. NHDPlusV2 water bodies and estimates of streamflow and velocity are used in SPARROW to identify reservoir retention and in-stream loss factors. NHDPlusV2 climatic and land surface attributes can be used in SPARROW to identify potential factors in the delivery of nutrients from the land surface to streams. NHDPlusV2 data is also being used in select areas for a USGS Web-based application, called StreamStats. StreamStats provides tools to interactively select any point in the implemented areas, delineate watersheds, and to obtain streamflow and watershed characteristics for the selected point. NHDPlusV2 has been designed to accommodate many users' needs for future applications. NHDPlusV2 provides the framework and tools necessary to customize the behavior of the network relationships as well as building upon the attribute database, for which the user can assign their own data to the network.

Supplemental_Information: For more information, refer to the NHDPlusV2 Users Guide.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 2012

Currentness_Reference: publication date

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -170.9

East_Bounding_Coordinate: 145.9

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 50.7

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -14.4

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none

Theme_Keyword: Stream / River

Theme_Keyword: Lake / Pond

Theme_Keyword: Canal / Ditch

Theme_Keyword: Reservoir

Theme_Keyword: Spring / Seep

Theme_Keyword: Swamp / Marsh

Theme_Keyword: Artificial Path

Theme_Keyword: Reach

Theme_Keyword: Watershed

Theme_Keyword: Catchment

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE

Theme_Keyword: Land Surface

Theme_Keyword: Topography

Theme_Keyword: Cartography

Theme_Keyword: GEODATA

Theme_Keyword: GIS

Theme_Keyword: USGS

Theme_Keyword: EPA

Theme_Keyword: Elevation

Theme_Keyword: National Elevation Dataset

Theme_Keyword: NED

Theme_Keyword: National Hydrography Dataset

Theme_Keyword: NHD

Theme_Keyword: NHDPlus

Theme_Keyword: Stream flow

Theme_Keyword: Stream velocity

Theme_Keyword: Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes

Theme_Keyword: SPARROW

Theme_Keyword: StreamStats

Theme_Keyword: Water-quality

Theme_Keyword: Hydrologic modeling

Theme_Keyword: River Coding Systems

Theme_Keyword: Hydrography

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

Theme_Keyword: inlandWaters

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: none

Place_Keyword: United States of America

Place_Keyword: United States

Place_Keyword: USA

Place_Keyword: Alabama

Place_Keyword: American Samoa

Place_Keyword: Arizona

Place_Keyword: Arkansas

Place_Keyword: California

Place_Keyword: Colorado

Place_Keyword: Connecticut

Place_Keyword: Delaware

Place_Keyword: District of Columbia

Place_Keyword: Florida

Place_Keyword: Georgia

Place_Keyword: Guam

Place_Keyword: Idaho

Place_Keyword: Hawaii

Place_Keyword: Illinois

Place_Keyword: Indiana

Place_Keyword: Iowa

Place_Keyword: Kansas

Place_Keyword: Kentucky

Place_Keyword: Louisiana

Place_Keyword: Maine

Place_Keyword: Maryland

Place_Keyword: Massachusetts

Place_Keyword: Michigan

Place_Keyword: Minnesota

Place_Keyword: Mississippi

Place_Keyword: Missouri