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Data Series 650

Geodatabase of Sites, Basin Boundaries, and Topology Rules Used to Store Drainage Basin Boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center

By Jean A. Dupree and Richard M. Crowfoot

Thumbnail of COBasinsBrowseGraphic.jpg Abstract

This geodatabase and its component datasets are part of U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 650 and were generated to store basin boundaries for U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and other sites in Colorado. The geodatabase and its components were created by the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, and are used to derive the numeric drainage areas for Colorado that are input into the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (NWIS) database and also published in the Annual Water Data Report and on NWISWeb. The foundational dataset used to create the basin boundaries in this geodatabase was the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. This geodatabase accompanies a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods report (Book 11, Section C, Chapter 6) entitled "Digital Database Architecture and Delineation Methodology for Deriving Drainage Basins, and Comparison of Digitally and Non-Digitally Derived Numeric Drainage Areas." The Techniques and Methods report details the geodatabase architecture, describes the delineation methodology and workflows used to develop these basin boundaries, and compares digitally derived numeric drainage areas in this geodatabase to non-digitally derived areas.

1. COBasins.gdb: This geodatabase contains site locations and basin boundaries for Colorado. It includes a single feature dataset, called BasinsFD, which groups the component feature classes and topology rules.

2. BasinsFD: This feature dataset in the “COBasins.gdb” geodatabase is a digital container that holds the feature classes used to archive site locations and basin boundaries as well as the topology rules that govern spatial relations within and among component feature classes. This feature dataset includes three feature classes: the sites for which basins have been delineated (the “Sites” feature class), basin bounding lines (the “BasinLines” feature class), and polygonal basin areas (the “BasinPolys” feature class). The feature dataset also stores the topology rules (the “BasinsFD_Topology”) that constrain the relations within and among component feature classes. The feature dataset also forces any feature classes inside it to have a consistent projection system, which is, in this case, an Albers-Equal-Area projection system.

3. BasinsFD_Topology: This topology contains four persistent topology rules that constrain the spatial relations within the “BasinLines“ feature class and between the “BasinLines“ feature class and the “BasinPolys“ feature classes.

4. Sites: This point feature class contains the digital representations of the site locations for which Colorado Water Science Center basin boundaries have been delineated. This feature class includes point locations for Colorado Water Science Center active (as of September 30, 2009) gages and for other sites.

5. BasinLines: This line feature class contains the perimeters of basins delineated for features in the “Sites“ feature class, and it also contains information regarding the sources of lines used for the basin boundaries.

6. BasinPolys: This polygon feature class contains the polygonal basin areas delineated for features in the “Sites“ feature class, and it is used to derive the numeric drainage areas published by the Colorado Water Science Center.

First posted October 4, 2012

For additional information contact:
Center Director, Colorado Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, Mail Stop 415
Denver, CO 80225
http://co.water.usgs.gov

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Suggested citation:

Dupree, J.A., and Crowfoot, R.M., 2012, Geodatabase of sites, basin boundaries, and topology rules used to store drainage basin boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 650.




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