**\-\-\-\-\-\-- Do not include this section in final metadata
file\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--**

**This is a template metadata file for the NHD WATSUP datasets. This
metadata template provides generic text based information to be used for
certain element headings. Other bodies of text for other elements in
this document will need modifications to reflect subbasin specific
information, such as who created the WATSUP, date WATSUP was created,
source datasets used to create the WATSUP for specific
subbasins...etc.**

**Element headings in Bold blue followed with bodies of text highlighted
in** blue, **mark where subbasin specific information needs to be
modified. Text in blue provided as an example to what kinds of
information is needed for each of the blue bolded element headings.**

**Remove comment text, in RED**

**\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--remove this line and above section from
final metadata**

# START OF DOCUMENT

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

**Originator:**

U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Vermont State Agency of
Transportation.

Publication_Date: 2003

> Title: National Hydrography Dataset

Watershed Support Data Layers

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Description:

Abstract:

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a feature‑based database that
interconnects and uniquely identifies the stream segments or reaches
that make up the nation's surface water drainage system. NHD Watershed
is a tool that allows users to delineate a watershed from any point on
any NHD reach in a fast, accurate, and reliable manner. NHD Watershed
requires the NHD Watershed Support data layers. The NHD Watershed
Support data layers can be imported into other geographic information
system (GIS) data models and used for surface-water modeling
applications.

Purpose:

Watershed delineation using traditional methods of manual interpretation
from contour data on topographic maps can be a time consuming process.
The advancement of GIS allows computer algorithms to automate the
delineation of watersheds from digital elevation model (DEM) data.
Computer watershed delineation from high resolution DEMs, DEMs with
large areal extents, or a combination of the two factors, can increase
the demands of computer resources and processing time. In certain cases,
computer resource demands needed to delineate large watersheds become
impractical and may even cause computer application failure. The
problems posed with using high resolution/large DEM analysis areas for
computer-derived watershed delineation were overcome by the State of
Massachusetts MassGIS, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS). Methodologies developed by MassGIS and the USGS, have been
transferred and modified for use with the National Hydrography Dataset
(NHD).

NHD is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that contains
information about surface water features such as lakes, ponds, streams,
and rivers. In the NHD, surface-water features are combined to form
\"reaches,\" which provide the framework for linking water-related data
to the NHD surface-water drainage network. The linkages enable the
analysis and display of these water-related data in upstream and
downstream order. For more information on NHD, go to
[http://nhd.usgs.gov](http://nhd.usgs.gov/).

NHD Watershed is an ArcView 3.x (Environmental Systems Research
Institute, Inc., 1996) extension tool, which utilizes the unique
linkages within NHD to quickly delineate a watershed for any point on an
NHD reach. The tool requires the NHD WATershed SUPport (WATSUP) data
layers along with the corresponding 8-digit subbasin NHD. The NHD WATSUP
datasets are comprised of two DEM hydrologic derivative raster grids
(Accum, Dir_grd), a digital data layer of sub-watersheds, called
catchments (Shed_cov), and a vector dendritic stream network (Dendrite).

The NHD WATSUP dendritic network is a shapefile called Dendrite.
Dendrite is used in NHD Watershed to verify the user has selected a
point along an NHD reach before the tool attempts to delineate a basin.
The Dendrite shapefile is created from the NHD RCH route network and
contains the same attributes as NHD RCH route. The Dendrite file can be
used to control where NHD Watershed works. For instance, an application
built upon NHD Watershed was developed in Vermont to estimate peak
streamflow based on watershed characteristics for any selected point on
an NHD reach. The Vermont regression equations used to estimate the
streamflow characteristics were not designed to estimate streamflows on
heavily regulated waterways such as the Connecticut River. By removing
the Connecticut River reaches in the Dendrite shapefile, NHD Watershed
will not allow the user to delineate a basin for a selected point along
a Connecticut River reach, thus preventing the Vermont application from
providing erroneous peak streamflow estimates.

The NHD WATSUP flow accumulation grid in ARC/INFO GRID format, named
Accum, is a raster dataset where each grid cell value represents the
total number of upland contributing flow cells. In using NHD Watershed,
once the tool establishes that the user selected point is a valid NHD
stream reach, the tool then finds the highest flow cell value in Accum
to snap the start of the delineation to the selected point. The highest
flow cell is found within a certain radius from the user selected point
and represents the corresponding stream cell location in Accum, to the
selected point on the NHD reach.

The NHD WATSUP catchment data layer is an ARC/INFO coverage named
Shed_cov. Catchments in Shed_cov are delineated for each unique NHD
stream reach. Since each stream reach in the NHD has a catchment
associated with it, the functionality of NHD Watershed is used to help
minimize the raster grid analysis area by first computing a subwatershed
within the selected reach's catchment area. NHD Watershed then merges
the delineation with the results of an accumulation of upstream
catchments to the selected reach.

Delineation of watersheds in catchments is accomplished by using the NHD
WATSUP flow direction grid in ARC/INFO GRID format, named Dir_grd.
Dir_grd is a raster-based dataset where each grid cell value represents
direction of flow to its steepest neighbor (Environmental Systems
Research Institute, 1999).

Dir_grd and Accum are created from a "hydrologically conditioned" DEM,
modified from the National Elevation Dataset (NED) or other DEM sources.
The hydrologically conditioned DEM has drainage in horizontal agreement
with the NHD, and watershed divides that agree with existing watershed
data such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service 12-digit
Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). For more information about NHD
Watershed and how the Watershed Support data layers were created go to
<http://nhd.usgs.gov/applications.html#nhdwatershed>.

Reference:

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 1996, Using ArcView GIS:
Redlands, Calif., 350 p.

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 1999, Using ARC GRID
with ARC/INFO: Redlands, Calif., 318 p.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

**Calendar_Date:** 04/24/2003

**Currentness_Reference:** 04/24/2003 (date WATSUP was created)

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

**West_Bounding_Coordinate:** -72.9813200

**East_Bounding_Coordinate:** -72.3142700

**North_Bounding_Coordinate:** 44.1070000

**South_Bounding_Coordinate:** 43.6645900

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Hydrography

Theme_Keyword: National Hydrography Dataset

Theme_Keyword: NHD

Theme_Keyword: NHD Watershed

Theme_Keyword: Stream / River

Theme_Keyword: Digital Elevation Model Derivatives

Theme_Keyword: Flow Direction Grid

Theme_Keyword: Flow Accumulation Grid

Theme_Keyword: NHD Catchments

Theme_Keyword: Watersheds

Theme_Keyword: Drainage Basin

Theme_Keyword: Subbasin

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

**Place_Keyword:** Vermont

**Place_Keyword:** 01080105

**Place_Keyword:** White River Basin

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

None. Acknowledgment of the originating agencies would be appreciated in
products derived from these data.

**Data_Set_Credit:**

NHD WATSUP data layers for areas in Vermont developed by the U.S.
Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Vermont State Agency of
Transportation. For other areas in the United States, see
dataset-specific metadata

Data_Qualilty_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

The NHD reach catchment data layer, Shed_cov, contains the corresponding
NHD Reach Code in the NHD RCH route network. Since the catchments in
Shed_cov are generated from DEM data and the unique Reach Codes found in
the source NHD reaches, there is a 100% accuracy transfer of the reach
codes found in NHD RCH route to the NHD WATSUP Shed_cov-catchment
coverage.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Flow direction and flow accumulation grids are spatially consistent with
NHD datasets. The catchment coverage, shed_cov, is spatially consistent
with WBD and NHD. For details on how these data layers were compiled,
see <http://nhd.usgs.gov/applications.html#nhdwatershed>

Completeness_Report:

The completeness of the Dendrite shapefile reflects the content of the
sources, which most often are the published USGS topographic quadrangle
and (or) the U.S. Forest Service Primary Base Series (PBS) map. The USGS
topographic quadrangle is usually supplemented by Digital Orthophoto
Quadrangles(DOQs). Features found on the ground may have been eliminated
or generalized on the source map because of scale and legibility
constraints. In general, streams longer than 1 mile (approximately 1.6
kilometers) were collected. Most streams that flow from a lake were
collected regardless of their length. Only definite channels were
collected so not all swamp/marsh features have stream/rivers delineated
through them. Note, however, that these general rules were applied
unevenly among maps during compilation. Transport reaches are defined on
nearly all features of type stream/river, canal/ditch, artificial path,
and connector. Detailed capture conditions are provided for every
feature type in the Standards for National Hydrography Dataset - High
Resolution (USGS, 1999), available online at
<http://mapping.usgs.gov/standards/>.

Catchments in Shed_cov are created for all NHD reaches except for those
reaches not connected to the network in the NHD flow table, such as
certain canal/ditch feature types. By excluding the delineation of
catchment areas associated with non-connected network NHD reaches, NHD
Watershed will delineate watersheds accurately. Catchments may also be
excluded for reaches that are part of a braided network. See the online
document <http://nhd.usgs.gov/applications.html#nhdwatershed> for
details on how and why braided networks may be alternatively removed
during the pre-processing phase. In certain cases, when an NHD reach
length is less than 10 meters, it is possible no catchment area will be
generated for that reach. The exclusion of catchment areas for reaches
less than 10 meters in length can be traced to the WATSUP pre-processing
phase. In generating the catchment areas (Shed_cov) for the NHD reaches,
the vector NHD Route RCH network is converted to a 10-meter resolution
raster grid to match the cell resolution of the WATSUP flow direction
grid (Dir_grd). NHD reaches less than 10 meters in length may not be
converted into the raster grid model, since the length of the reach is
less than the specified output 10-meter cell size for the NHD stream
grid. NHD reach catchments (Shed_cov) are generated with the WATERSHED
command in ARC/INFO using the WATSUP flow direction grid (Dir_grd) and
the NHD stream grid.

The WATSUP Accum grid is an accumulated flow cell count, where

the total number of contributing flow cells is represented as the value
for each grid cell. Accum grids for each 8-digit subbasin, are generated
from a hydrologically conditioned DEM clipped to the corresponding
8-digit subbasin area. As a result of using a clipped DEM to derive
Accum, the number of contributing upstream flow cells, from potential
upstream 8-digit subbasin areas are not included in Accum.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

> Statements of horizontal positional accuracy for the NHD WATSUP
> geospatial layer named Dendrite, is based on accuracy statements made
> for U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangle maps. These maps
> were compiled to meet National Map Accuracy Standards. For horizontal
> accuracy, this standard is met if at least 90 percent of points tested
> are within 0.02 inch(at map scale) of the true position. Additional
> offsets to positions may have been introduced where feature density is
> high to improve the legibility of map symbols. In addition, the
> digitizing of maps is estimated to contain a horizontal positional
> error of less than or equal to 0.003 inch standard error (at map
> scale) in the two component directions relative to the source maps.
> Visual comparison between the map graphic (including digital scans of
> the graphic) and plots or digital displays of points, lines, and areas
> is used as control to assess the positional accuracy of digital data.
> Digital map elements along the adjoining edges of data sets are
> aligned if they are within a 0.02 inch tolerance (at map scale).
> Features with like dimensionality (for example, features that all are
> delineated with lines), with or without like characteristics, which
> are within the tolerance, are aligned by moving the features equally
> to a common point. Features outside the tolerance are not moved;
> instead, a feature of type connector is added to join the features.
>
> NHD WATSUP data derived from DEMs include the raster datasets named
> Dir_grd, Accum, and the vector NHD catchment coverage named Shed_cov.
> Horizontal accuracy statements for the source DEMs used to generate
> WATSUP is best described on the NED website (
> <http://gisdata.usgs.net/NED/AccuracyQ2.asp> ):
>
> "For the purposes of describing the horizontal accuracy of gridded
> digital elevation data, including NED, it is best to consider just
> vertical accuracy as a descriptive statistic. Horizontal errors in the
> source data contribute to the overall vertical error in the DEM. For
> example, consider the hypothetical case in which all elevations in a
> DEM are correct but the entire DEM is shifted horizontally from its
> true position. In this case, all the vertical error in the DEM is
> present only because of horizontal error in the source data. In
> reality, vertical error in the DEM is a combination of the horizontal
> error in the source material and the vertical error introduced by the
> elevation extraction and gridding processes."

Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:

Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

The WATSUP Dir_grd, Acum, and Shed_cov were generated from
hydrologically conditioned National Elevation Dataset (NED) data and
(or) other USGS DEM data. It is best to refer to the NED website
(http://gisdata.usgs.net/NED/AccuracyQ2.asp) for statements of vertical
accuracy for DEM data.

Source DEM data is further modified by re-interpolating the elevation
points to a 10-meter resolution using 1:24,000-scale NHD stream network
vector files as a drainage enforcement factor. The procedures in
creating the hydrologic DEM and DEM derived NHD WATSUP are described at
<http://nhd.usgs.gov/watershed/watershed_tool_inst_TOC.html>. No
assessment of the vertical accuracy has been made for the hydrologically
conditioned 10 meter DEMs, however, it is assumed that the vertical
accuracy is close to that of the source USGS DEMs. The hydrologically
conditioned elevation grid is not needed for NHD Watershed and is
subsequently deleted once the flow direction and flow accumulation grids
are derived from it.

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency.

Publication_Date: 1999

Title: National Hydrography Dataset

Source_Scale_Denominator: 24000

Type_of_Source_Media: Online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Single_Date/Time:

**Calendar_Date:** 04/22/2002 (This date should reflect when the

NHD for the WATSUP subbasin was created)

Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: NHD

Source_Contribution:

The NHD route.rch route system was converted to create the

NHD WATSUP Dendrite shapefile. The NHD streams were used

in the DEM hydrologic conditioning process. The NHD route.rch

and accompanying attributes, com_id and reach_code, were used

in the NHD reach catchment delineation.

**\*\*\*SOURCE_CITATION REQUIRED IN METADATA -- Varies depending on
subbasin. NHD Source_Citation will always be referenced in manner above.
DEM sources, watershed boundary datasets used (if any) will vary
depending on subbasin. Modify or remove Source_Citation elements listed
below.**

**Source_Citation:**

**Citation_Information:**

**Originator:** U.S. Geological Survey

**Publication_Date:** 1999

**Title:** National Elevation Dataset

**Source_Scale_Denominator:** 24000

**Type_of_Source_Media:** Online

**Source_Time_Period_of_Content:**

**Single_Date/Time:**

Calendar_Date: 2001 -- (This date should reflect when the

source NED data was obtained from USGS EROS)

**Source_Currentness_Reference:** Publication date

**Source_Citation_Abbreviation:** NED

**Source_Contribution:** Source digital elevation model used to

> derive the NHD WATSUP Dir_grd, Accum and
>
> Shed_cov.

**Source_Citation:**

**Citation_Information:**

**Originator:** U.S. Geological Survey

**Publication_Date:** 2001

**Title:** 10-meter Digital Elevation Model, 7.5 minute

**Source_Scale_Denominator:** 24000

**Type_of_Source_Media:** Online

**Source_Time_Period_of_Content:**

**Single_Date/Time:**

**Calendar_Date:**

**Source_Currentness_Reference:** 2001

**Source_Citation_Abbreviation:** DEM

**Source_Contribution:** 10-meter DEMs used in place of NED for

the Delectable Mountain, Quechee, and

Woodstock North 7.5 minute quadrangles.

> Source DEMS used in conjunction with NED
>
> to derive the NHD WATSUP Dir_grd, Accum
>
> and Shed_cov.

**Source_Citation:**

**Citation_Information:**

**Originator:** Natural Resources Conservation Service

**Publication_Date:** unknown

**Title:** National Watershed Boundary Dataset

**Source_Scale_Denominator:** 1:24,000

**Type_of_Source_Media:** Online

**Source_Time_Period_of_Content:**

**Single_Date/Time:**

**Calendar_Date:** unknown

**Source_Currentness_Reference:** Publication date

**Source_Citation_Abbreviation:** WBD

> **Source_Contribution:** 12-digit sub-basins used in the

DEM hydrologic-conditioning

process.

**Source_Citation:**

**Citation_Information:**

**Originator:** U.S. Geological Survey

**Publication_Date:** 2000

Title: Stream-Gaging Station Basin Boundaries

**Source_Scale_Denominator:** 1:24,000

**Type_of_Source_Media:** digital data

**Source_Time_Period_of_Content:**

**Single_Date/Time:**

**Calendar_Date:** 2000

**Source_Currentness_Reference:** 2000

**Source_Citation_Abbreviation:** none

> **Source_Contribution:** Stream-gaging station boundaries used in
>
> conjunction with WBD in the DEM
>
> hydrologic-conditioning process.

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

See http://nhd.usgs.gov/watershed/watershed_tool_inst_TOC.html

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: WBD

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NHD

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: NED

Process_Date: 07/29/02

Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: WATSUP

**Spatial_Reference_Information:**

**Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:**

**Planar:**

**Grid_Coordinate_System:**

**Grid_Coordinate_System_Name:** State Plane Coordinate System 1983

**State_Plane_Coordinate_System:**

**SPCS_Zone_Identifier:** 5526 (Vermont)

**Planar_Coordinate_Information:**

**Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method:** coordinate pair

**Coordinate_Representation:**

**Abscissa_Resolution:** 10.0

**Ordinate_Resolution:** 10.0

**Planar_Distance_Units:** Meters

**Geodetic_Model:**

**Horizontal_Datum_Name:** North American Datum of 1983

**Ellipsoid_Name:** GRS1980

**Semi-major_Axis:** 6378206.4

**Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio:** 294.98

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

> The National Hydrography Dataset is a comprehensive set of digital
> spatial data that encodes information about naturally occurring and
> constructed bodies of water, paths through which water flows, and
> related entities. For reaches, encoded information includes a reach
> code, the date the reach code was assigned, a unique common
> identifier, the reach length or area, and, for transport reaches, the
> stream level. Names and their identifiers in the Geographic Names
> Information System, are assigned to reaches.

Reach codes in shed_cov are related one-to-one with NHD reach codes
(from the route.rch table). Flow direction and flow accumulation grids
are used for the explicit purpose of delineating watersheds: the
attributes are not used other than computationally for on-the-fly
watershed delineation. NHD Watershed output (on-the-fly basin boundaries
from a point) include NHD attributes reach-id, com-id, and a stream
measure. The output watersheds also include a basin area.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

> The names and definitions of all feature types, characteristics, and
> values are in U.S. Geological Survey, 1999, Standards for National
> Hydrography Dataset: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey. The
> document is available online through
> http://mapping.usgs.gov/standards/. Information about tables and
> fields in the data are available from the user documentation for the
> National Hydrography Dataset.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

> Contact_Organization_Primary:
>
> Contact_Organization: Earth Science Information Center, U.S.
>
> Geological Survey
>
> Contact_Address:
>
> Address_Type: mailing address
>
> Address: 507 National Center
>
> City: Reston
>
> State_or_Province: Virginia
>
> Postal_Code: 20192
>
> Contact_Voice_Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS
>
> Hours_of_Service: 0800-1600
>
> Contact_Instructions:

In addition to the address above there are other ESIC offices

throughout the country. A full list of these offices is at

URL: <http://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/esic_index.html>

**\*\*\*\* ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION -- This second
distribution_information not needed if only one distributor exist**

**Distribution_Information:**

**Distributor:**

**Contact_Information:**

> **Contact_Organization_Primary:**
>
> **Contact_Organization:** Vermont Center for Geographic Information
>
> (VCGI)
>
> **Contact_Address:**
>
> **Address_Type:** mailing address
>
> **Address:** 58 South Main Street Suite 2
>
> **City:** Waterbury
>
> **State_or_Province:** Vermont
>
> **Postal_Code:** 05676
>
> **Contact_Voice_Telephone:** 1-802-882-3000
>
> **Contact_Instructions:**

In addition to the address above, VCGI can be contacted online

URL: <http://www.vcgi.org/>.

Distribution_Liability:

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer
system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied
is made by the USGS regarding the utility of the data on any other
system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date:

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

> Contact_Organization: Earth Science Information Center, U.S.
> Geological Survey

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing Address

Address: 507 National Center

City: Reston

State_or_Province: VA

Postal_Code: 20192

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 1-888--ASK-USGS

Contact_Instructions: none

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: 19940608