DOI: 10.5066/p9ajli3i
title: Digital elevation model and derivative datasets to support the integration of stormwater drainage into the Washington, D.C. Stormwater StreamStats application (ver. 2.0, February 2026)

description: This dataset was created to support the Washington D.C. StreamStats project funded by the Washington D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). The dataset contains digital elevation model (DEM), flow direction and catchment layers that were conditioned using Washingtons D.C.&rsquo;s stormwater network layer. The data are hosted online as a component of the USGS StreamStats web application (https://streamstats.usgs.gov), where users can interact with a map of Washington D.C.&rsquo;s stormwater pipe system and National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) &ldquo;best resolution&rdquo; blue lines to delineate drainage basins that account for pipe flow.

This project utilized 1-meter (high resolution) terrain products, which improves upon existing 10 meter resolution data products traditionally used in StreamStats. Following work completed for Boston&rsquo;s Mystic River Basin, Washington, D.C. is the second jurisdiction to incorporate storm-drain-network data into StreamStats. The pipe-network-informed hydro-geomorphologically correct urban hydrography layers were developed by incorporating 1-meter resolution lidar-derived elevation data and D.C.&rsquo;s stormwater pipe data to approximate topography and stormwater flow. Users may access the &ldquo;Washington, D.C. Stormwater&rdquo; fixture on the StreamStats application to delineate drainage basins that approximate effective basin area in storm drain serviced areas.

The contents of this data release include the following GeoTiffs:
&bull;demaoi.tif: 1-meter LiDAR derived digital elevation model for Washington D.C. and its tributaries (6 HUC-12 watersheds: NW Branch Anacostia, Lower Rock Creek, Nichols Run Potomac River, Lower Anacostia River, Pimmit Run- Potomac River, and Fourmile Run- Potomac River.)
&bull;Fdr.tif: 1-meter pipe-network-informed flow direction raster for Washington D.C. and its tributaries (excluding the Potomac River mainstem). Flow direction was informed by D.C.&rsquo;s stormwater pipe network, and stormwater inlets are represented as sinks.
&bull;Cat.tif: 1-meter flow accumulation layer for Washington D.C. and its tributaries (excluding the Potomac river mainstem). This layer was created using pipe-network-informed flow direction layer. The catchment raster represents subcatchments within the study area draining to either sinks (stormwater inlets) or surface drainage lines (overland connectors or streams).

The processing steps implemented to produce the raster layers contained in this dataset follow methods previously described by Spaetzel and others, 2022, are described in the associated metadata. Please note that the stormwater network coverage used to produce this data is protected and will not be made publicly available.

Reference:
Spaetzel, A.B., Steeves, P.A., Sturtevant, L.P., and Hayes, L., 2022, Digital elevation model and derivative datasets to support the integration of stormwater drainage into the StreamStats application for the Mystic River Watershed, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FHAFG7.