1
CalWaterand The California Watershed Boundary
Database

• Robyn Myers, Chair, CalWater Committee, Natural
  Resources Conservation Service, Davis, CA
• Lorri Peltz-Lewis, Western States WBD
  Coordinator, US Bureau of Reclamation,
  Sacramento, CA
• Status Report January 2004

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What is CalWater?

• CalWater, the map, is the official California
  Watershed dataset, delineating hydrologic units
  on the landscape.
• There have been 3 versions to date
• CalWater 1.0
• CalWater 2.0
• CalWater 2.2

• CalWater, the committee, is the Interagency
  Watershed Mapping Committee formed a decade ago
  to plan, delineate, manage and distribute the
  CalWater maps.
• An MOU of State and Federal Agencies supports
  cooperative efforts.

3
CalWater 2.0

• Current Version is CalWater 2.0 completed in 1999
• Four levels of watersheds
• California State System for naming and numbering
• California watershed hierarchy (differs from
  Federal)

4
History of Early Watershed Mapping Efforts in
California

• 1978 USGS 1500,000 National Hydrologic Unit Maps
  small scale map with large sub-divisions not
  well suited for local use.
• Watersheds were defined using an inter-agency
  standard developed by NRCS.
• 8-digit HUCS commonly used as watersheds.
• 1995 CDF digital watershed map of California with
  administrative and political boundaries for legal
  reporting.

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USGS Hydrologic Unit Maps

• 1978 USGS published the National Hydrologic Unit
  Maps at 1500,000 scale for each state
• 21 Regions were divided down to 2,149 Cataloging
  Units
• Each has its own Hydrologic Unit Code
• In California these are often referred to as
  8-digit HUCs.
• Represented a Federal Interagency effort at the
  time.
• These maps are still available on-line from USGS
• Represents the Federal System of Watershed
  Delineation and Watershed Hierarchy

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CDF Initiates CalWater

• In 1995 Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee
  used CDFs 1995 digital watershed map as a place
  to begin.
• CalWater 1.1 was delineated down to 3,000-10,000
  acres watersheds.
• State naming and numbering system, and watershed
  size definitions were completely different than
  the Federal System.

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State Agencies Lead the Development of CalWater

• DWR took over coordination of the CalWater effort
  resulting in CalWater Versions 2.0 and 2.2
• CalWater 2.0
• CalWater 2.2
• Cross-walk to Federal Hydrologic Units in table
  data.
• Interagency MOU created by the Interagency
  Watershed Mapping (CalWater) Committee

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Federal Agencies Take Lead in CalWater Effort
(1999)

• USDA-NRCS and the USGS take lead Nationally for
  WBD Watershed Boundary Database
• USDA-NRCS and the USGS take lead in California to
  lead the CalWater interagency watershed mapping
  committee
• To bring CalWater into compliance with the FGDC
  standards for the National WBD Watershed
  Boundary Database

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CalWater MOU Agencies
An Interagency CalWater MOU for the use,
management, and maintenance of a common watershed
map of California.

• U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
  Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

• California Department of Water Resources (DWR)
• California Department of Forestry and Fire
  Protection (CDF)
• California Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
• State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB),

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The CalWater MOU is -

• A commitment by all involved agencies to
• reference the CalWater delineations for resource
  management and planning studies
• for environmental assessment, analysis, and
  regulatory purposes
• for presentations of resource information and
  interagency communications
• and as the base for future mapping and modeling
  activities related to watershed management.

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CalWater 2.2 The Official California Watershed
Map

• Version 2.2 completed in 1999 Currently the
  official data set
• Six levels of watersheds, down to the detailed
  Planning Watershed
• California State System for naming and numbering
• California watershed hierarchy
• Cross-walked to Federal system

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CalWater 2.2 Hierarchy

• Watershed Level Sq Miles
  /Acres
• Hydrologic Region (HR) 12,735 sq miles /
  8,150,000 acres
• Hydrologic Unit (HU) 672 sq miles / 430,000
  acres
• Hydrologic Area (HA) 244 sq miles / 156,000
  acres
• Hydrologic Sub-Area (HSA) 195 sq miles /
  125,000 acres
• Super Planning Watershed (SPWS) 78 sq miles
  / 50,000 acres
• Planning Watershed (PWS) 5-16 sq miles /
  3,000-10,000

This Hierarchy and Naming/Numbering System is the
California System and does not correspond
directly to the Federal System used in the WBD.
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Problems with CalWater 2.2

• Does not meet the FGDC watershed boundary
  requirements for watershed delineation.
• Contains administrative and political boundaries
  in watersheds.
• It does not contain the Federal watersheds.
• Central Valley watersheds stop at 500 foot
  contour or geologic contact.
• But it is currently the best (only) available
  data.

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The National Watershed Boundary Dataset

• Federal agencies coordinating spatial water data
  have identified the development of a National
  Watershed Boundaries Data Set as a top priority
  for inclusion in the National Spatial Data
  Infrastructure (NSDI).
• The proposed NSDI Watershed Boundaries Data Set
  will have the following key characteristics
• Nationally consistent digital data set
• Nested subdivisions of established Cataloging
  Units
• 5-15 Watersheds per Cataloging Unit
• Boundaries based on 124,000-scale topographic
  maps
• Hydrologically based watersheds, not political
  divisions
• 10-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes
• Formally established watershed names
• Attribute information to identify all upstream
  downstream units

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More About the WBD

• Where watershed boundaries have not already been
  mapped using FGDC guidelines, new watershed
  boundaries will be developed via local watershed
  workshops, or where appropriate, using a
  semi-automated procedure based on elevation data
  from the National Elevation Dataset.
• The boundaries will be checked and edited using
  124,000-scale Digital Raster Graphics.
• The National Watershed Boundaries Data Set, the
  National Elevation Dataset, and National
  Hydrography Dataset inherently are related. Early
  maintenance efforts will seek to identify
  inconsistencies between these three data sets and
  use those inconsistencies to help improve the
  quality of each national data set.

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Difference between a Watershed and a Hydrologic
Unit

• Classic Watershed is defined as a land and
  water area that has all the surface drainage
  within its boundary converging to a single
  point. (FGDC 2002)
• Once created, there will be remaining remnant
  areas, non-contributing area and diverted
  waters.
• Hydrologic Units can be any drainage area
  delineated to nest in a multi-level,
  hierarchical drainage system and can accept
  surface water directly from upstream drainage
  areas and indirectly from associated surface
  areas to form a drainage area with a single or
  multiple outlet points. (FGDC 2002)
• Hydrologic Units and Classic Watersheds are the
  same only when their boundaries include all the
  source area contributing surface area to a single
  defined outlet point. (FGDC 2002)

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California Work on the Watershed Boundary
Database (WBD)

• California efforts with respect to the National
  Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)
• Following FGDC guidelines hydrologically
  correct watersheds
• Nested watershed hierarchy (Federal System)
• Improves old USGS Hydrologic Unit Maps
• The WBD will be available nationally on the
  National WBD website.

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National WBD Procedure

• Review Procedure (FGDC Guidelines)
• State Coordinator submit completed dataset
  (linework and names) to NCGC
• Review Committee checks dataset (pass/fail)
• Problems fed back to state until dataset passes
• State makes final corrections and submits dataset
  and FGDC metadata
• Dataset accepted and integrated
• Official release as National WBD

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National WDB Status
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WBD New Names and Numbers

• Level 1 - Region 2-digit HUC
• Level 2 - Subregion 4-digit HUC
• Level 3 - Basin 6-digit HUC (was "accounting
  unit")
• Level 4 - Subbasin 8-digit HUC (was "cataloging
  unit")
• Level 5 - Watershed 10-digit HUC (was 11-digit
  in NRCS)
• Level 6 - Subwatershed 12-digit HUC (was
  14-digit in NRCS)
• For local planning and mapping purposes,
  California plans to extend the watershed
  hierarchy down two more levels, to include Levels
  7 and 8.
• This will require additional funding and
  commitment to complete.

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WDB Hierarchy
Level Name Number Area (approx.) California StateCodes Description California Approx. Area
Level 1 Region 2 digit 180,000 sq miles115,193,577 acres    
Level 2 Sub-region 4 digit 16,844 sq miles10,779,559 acres Hydrologic Region 12,735 sq miles 8,150,000 acres
Level 3 Basin 6 digit(used to be "accounting unit") 10,600 sq miles6,783,622 acres Hydrologic Units 672 sq miles 430,000 acres
Level 4 Sub-basin 8 digit(used to be "cataloging unit") 703-1,735 sq miles449,895 1,110,338 acres Hydrologic Areas 244 sq miles 156,000 acres
Level 5 Watershed 10 digit (used to be 11 digit in NRCS) 63-391 sq miles40,000 to 250,000 acres Hydrologic Sub-areas 195 sq miles 125,000 acres
Level 6 Sub-watershed 12 digit (used to 14 digit in NRCS) 16-63 sq miles10,000 to 40,000 acres Super Planning Watershed 78 sq miles 50,000 acres
Level 7 Drainage 14 digit 15 sq miles10,000 acres Planning Watersheds 5-16 sq miles 3,000-10,000
Level 8 Site 16 digit 1 sq mile650 acres California acknowledges the need for local watersheds to delineate in more detail than planned for by the National Guidelines. We propose that Drainage and Site levels be added to California's guidelines to allow for this local detail. California acknowledges the need for local watersheds to delineate in more detail than planned for by the National Guidelines. We propose that Drainage and Site levels be added to California's guidelines to allow for this local detail.
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Watershed Delineation Workshops

• To move towards these goals, over the last three
  years the CalWater committee has completed SEVEN
  Watershed Delineation Workshops

• Workshop 1 Portland (May - June 2001)
• Workshop 2 Sacramento (December 2001)
• Workshop 3 Fresno (March 2002)
• Workshop 4 Shasta (June 2002)
• Workshop 5 Reno (November 2002)
• Workshop 6  San Bernardino (March 2003)
• Workshop 7 San Francisco Bay Area (August 2003)

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Watershed Workshops

• Have been held in areas through-out the state
• Invited local participation for hands on heads
  up delineation
• Participants debate and decide literally where
  to draw the line

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Watershed Workshops Draft Linework Completed
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Delineation Workshops and Draft Linework to Date
DRAFT WBD Watersheds
Draft Watershed Delineations from Workshops
through August 2003.
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Accomplishments

• Seven workshops held throughout state
• Most of the State has had a first pass
  delineation
• In-kind donations of staff time, equipment,
  hardware and software from CalWater MOU agencies.
• in funding from USGS, BLM, NRCS, and USFS

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2004 Work Plan

• Review Draft-lines completed in Workshops 1-6,
  returned from Contractor
• Edit to get on contour and on pour point
• Complete editing and attributes for 4th Level
  Watersheds
• Submit for USGS/NRCS Review
• Public Pre-Release to generate interest and
  funding
• Train additional Committee Members in
  Delineation, Review and Attribute Development
• Hold additional workshops for 5ths and 6th
• Complete review, editing and attributes for 5th
  and 6ths
• Submit for USGS/NRCS Review
• Public Release of Completed California WBD
• Simultaneously seek funding to support these
  efforts.

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The Future CalWater 3.0

• The CalWater committee has agreed to use the WBD
  standards and watershed linework in the next
  version of CalWater.
• The CalWater 3.0 will be the WBD watershed
  delineations, with the CalWater 2.2 names and
  numbers included in the attribute table.
• CalWater 3.0 will require a lot of
  behind-the-scenes GIS work to complete.

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Deliverables

• WBD Viewable version for review purposes via
  ArcIMS Image Server (Spring 2004)
• WBD Level 4 pre-release after FGDC review (Fall
  2004?)
• WBD available on National WBD website, and
  CaSIL (ETA Early 2005)
• CalWater 3.0 WBD linework with both Federal WBD
  and California State watershed names and numbers.
  (Late 2005)
• Web based Watershed map, clickable to find your
  watershed by name and number. (2006)
• Legacy data CalWater 2.0 and 2.2 will continue
  to be available. (Currently on CaSIL)

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What Do We Need to Get There?

• Funding
• Staff time (i.e. )
• ArcSDE Server and Programmer ()
• Updates and Maintenance of dataset
• Storage and distribution
• Data Stewardship
• Next Meeting January 30th, 2004 NRCS,
  Davis, CA Contact Robyn or Lorri!!

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CalWater Website

• More information can be found at the CalWater
  Watershed web site http//www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/fe
  atures/calwater
• (Not to be confused with the Cal-Fed California
  Bay-Delta Authoritys URL http//calwater.ca.gov)