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Collaboration and Partnerships

By 3D Hydrography Program

National Hydrography Datasets

Discontinuation Schedule

The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) is implementing the new 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) in Fiscal Year 2023. The 3DHP will significantly improve the level of detail, currency, and content of hydrography data by deriving updated stream networks and watersheds from high-quality 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) data. 

Data Collaboration Announcement

Digital elevation model of Laguna Creek, AZ.

The USGS National Geospatial (NGP) program 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. 

DCA Portal

Have Data Acquisition Plans?

Group photograph of NGP User Engagement Office members. including National Map Liaisons & Managers.

Share your plans and areas of interest by contacting your regional National Map liaison.

Propose an Area of Interest

3DHP For The Nation (FTN) Information Hub

Elevation-derived hydrography drainage network in the mountainous region of the Big Thompson watershed of Colorado.

The USGS and National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) have established a 3DHP FTN cooperative project to engage states and other partners in modernizing national hydrography by deriving new data from 3DEP data. The NSGIC 3DHP FTN hub is intended to serve as a workspace for the collection and dissemination of project information and products.

3DHP FTN Information Hub

The 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) is a new initiative that updates, improves, and integrates USGS elevation and hydrography data to support the most demanding scientific requirements and enable data-driven decisions across user communities. Key elements of the 3DNTM are in place or under active development. 

As part of the transition, the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) is changing its process for finding and selecting partnerships beginning in Fiscal Year 2024. The revised and streamlined structure is called the 3DNTM Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA), which is planned to be released in September 2023 (subject to change). More information about the DCA is available at on the DCA Portal. The DCA replaces the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and is intended to include data acquisition partnerships for both the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP). 

The BAA was established for 3DEP acquisition beginning in 2015 with the purpose to provide a fair and open process for developing 3DEP partnerships and to provide increased visibility of the process to the broadest stakeholder community possible. The best practices established in the BAA are essential to and will be leveraged in the new process.