Learn About the 3D Hydrography Program
3D Hydrography Program
The implementation of 3D National Hydrography Program (3DHP) marks the start of a new era of water data - the first systematic remapping of the Nation’s hydrography since the original USGS 1:24,000-scale topographic mapping program was active. Community-wide coordinated investments will contribute toward a consistent set of national water data to answer the most demanding water resource questions.
Data Collaboration Announcement
The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders to share acquisition costs for topographic data in support of collective mission requirements. Building on the success of the 3DEP Broad Agency Announcement, NGP is changing its data acquisition partnership process beginning in FY 2024.
Benefits and Applications
The National Hydrography Requirements and Benefits Study was performed to establish a baseline understanding of national business uses, needs, and associated benefits for national hydrography data, and to inform the design of an enhanced future program that balances requirements, benefits, and costs.
The 3DHP will significantly improve the level of detail, currency, and content of hydrography data by deriving (1) three-dimensional (3D) stream network datasets and watersheds from high-quality 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) data and (2) other elevation derivatives to support applications like hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (Figure 1). The 3DHP will improve the ability to track information related to water as it moves through the hydrologic cycle by connecting surface-water features traditionally represented in the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) to data about wetlands, engineered hydrologic systems, and groundwater; it will also improve the attribution of important hydrologic characteristics like streamflow permanence.
