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Digital database architecture and delineation methodology for deriving drainage basins, and a comparison of digitally and non-digitally derived numeric drainage areas

Techniques and Methods 11-C6
This report is Chapter 6 of Section C in Book 11, Collection and Delineation of Spatial Data, of the USGS Techniques and Methods series.
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/tm11C6

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Abstract

The drainage basin is a fundamental hydrologic entity used for studies of surface-water resources and during planning of water-related projects. Numeric drainage areas published by the U.S. Geological Survey water science centers in Annual Water Data Reports and on the National Water Information Systems (NWIS) Web site are still primarily derived from hard-copy sources and by manual delineation of polygonal basin areas on paper topographic map sheets. To expedite numeric drainage area determinations, the Colorado Water Science Center developed a digital database structure and a delineation methodology based on the hydrologic unit boundaries in the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. This report describes the digital database architecture and delineation methodology and also presents the results of a comparison of the numeric drainage areas derived using this digital methodology with those derived using traditional, non-digital methods. (Please see report for full Abstract)
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Digital database architecture and delineation methodology for deriving drainage basins, and a comparison of digitally and non-digitally derived numeric drainage areas
Series title Techniques and Methods
Series number 11-C6
DOI 10.3133/tm11C6
Year Published 2012
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Colorado Water Science Center
Description viii, 59 p.
Larger Work Title Collection and Delineation of Spatial Data (Book 11)
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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