Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)

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National Watershed Boundary Data Set
Status Report
Information Management Subcommittee
Meeting Chesapeake Bay
Program November 17, 2004
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What is the Geospatial Framework for Surface
Water?
A standard set of Watershed Boundaries
(WBD) coupled with a National Stream Network
(NHD) and the Topography that dictates the flow
of Water across the Land Surface (NED)
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Vision for the geospatial framework for surface
water
Follow a drop of water from where it falls on the
land, to the stream, and all the way to the ocean.
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Integration of Key National Datasets
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Partnering . . .
Tools Standards Coordination Pilots Data
sets Servers
NWS (NED-H stage 1)
NRCS (WBD)
USFS (6M hi-res NHD, WBD)
Subcommittee on spatial water data
USEPA (NHD,NED-H tools Stage 2)
NOS (coastal watersheds)
Products
State Partners (hi-res NHD, NED-H stage 2)
BLM
USGS
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Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)

• A Multi-Agency Effort to create single,
  seamless, hierarchical, and Integrated hydrologic
  unit dataset for the nation.
• Consistent base scale of 124,000
• Integrated with other key national datasets
• Common reporting unit for different levels of
  management needs

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Hydrologic Unit Levels
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Overview of the Watershed Boundary Data
Set
.

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Watershed Boundary Dataset Why?

• Allows EPA to realize the Watershed Management
  Approach delineated in our strategic goals
• Provides locally-significant watershed data that
  integrates features of EPA programs related to
  land and those related to water
• Provides the Public an easier way to visualize
  the EPA Watershed Management progression.
• Benefits many environmental programs
• State and regional water quality monitoring and
  bioassessment programs,
• Environmental Monitoring Assessment Program
  (EMAP)
• Regional Monitoring Assessment Program (R-EMAP)
• Surface Water and Landscape Ecology programs
• Source assessments for Total Maximum Daily Load
  (TMDL)
• Identification and analysis of critical habitat
  for both terrestrial and aquatic endangered
  species
• Conservation Security Program (Farm Bill)
• Stimulates Generation of Predictive Modeling
  Tools
• Integrates the landscape with waters and the NHD
  at a management level to discretely manage
  watershed components and
• Complements the NHD and NED (topographic lines)
  water quality analysis and models.

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Watershed Boundary Dataset
Challenges

• Agency support is highly variable
• Delineation methods vary state to state
• Addressing cooperators needs to preserve
  existing watershed boundaries
• Inconsistent funding
• Edge-matching

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(No Transcript)
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Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)

• Data Availability
• Currently - 12 states or territories certified
• Goal - 32 states certified by end of December,
  2004
• 2005 goal - 38 states certified
• Anticipated completion by summer, 2006
• WBD website
• http//www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov/branch/gdb/products
  /watershed/index.html
• Website to download WBD Geospatial Data Gateway
• http//datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GatewayHome.html
  

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Watershed Boundary Dataset New
York

• EPA R3 GIS analysts are currently finishing the
  delineation process on the last sub-basin in the
  Upper Susquehanna
• Attributions will begin once last sub-basin is
  delineated.
• This will complete the bulk of the grunt work
  for the CB Watershed
• All should be completed by end of CY04

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Watershed Boundary Dataset Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Delaware

• (To the best of our knowledge) all sub-basins
  completed within Chesapeake Bay Watershed in
  Pennsylvania
• All sub-basins completed in Maryland
• All sub-basins are completed in Delaware and the
  state has been submitted for certification

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Watershed Boundary Dataset Virginia and
West Virginia

• For Virginia there are delineation issue(s) with
  Maryland along the Bay portion of the state
  boundaries. R3 will be moving into this area once
  NY is completed.
• Karl Huber can better respond to other VA
  questions.
• All sub-basins completed for West Virginia

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Watershed Boundary Dataset State
Stitching in CB

• Some states claim all issues are addressed with
  some neighboring states. This has yet to be
  verified by R3.
• Main areas for focus NY-PA, VA-MD
• Other stitching issues exist in R3 states but
  beyond the CB Watershed (WV-OH, WV-KY, etc.)

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Watershed Boundary Dataset Summary for CB
States

• All CB states should be delineated and attributed
  by end of CY04
• Completion of stitching efforts will depend on
  willingness of states to revisit areas in
  dispute. At this point we dont know if any such
  areas exist.
• Stitching will also depend on timeliness of
  state response to problems

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Watershed Boundary Dataset Chesapeake Bay
States

• Have Questions on WBD in the
• Chesapeake Bay States ?
• Call Don Evans EPA Region 3
• Mid-Atlantic Coordinator for the WBD
• 215- 814-5370