Scales for data in the National Hydrography Dataset:
- Conterminous United States, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands, medium resolution - 1:100,000-scale
- Conterminous United States, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands, high resolution - 1:24,000-scale
- Puerto Rico - 1:20,000-scale
- Alaska - 1:63,360-scale
Users are encouraged to work with their state's principal steward to produce and submit data at higher resolutions.
High-resolution data and local-resolution data are combined into a single, best-resolution product database, so some areas having larger than 1:24,000-scale data. For example, the state of Vermont has data scaled at 1:5,000 for the entire state.
Learn more: NHD Stewardship
Related Content
How do I download hydrography data products?
Download USGS hydrography data (datasets representing U.S. surface water for mapping and modeling applications) using The National Map Downloader or using download links that are listed at Access National Hydrography Products. Learn more: The National Map: Hydrography Training Videos National Hydrography Dataset User Guide For streamflow data, see: Where can I get real-time and historical...
How should I cite datasets and services from The National Map?
The USGS does not require a specific format when citing data obtained through The National Map. You should follow the citation guidelines provided by instructors or publication editors as appropriate. The following should help you find the information that you need: Citation for Datasets Author: U.S. Geological Survey Release date: the first four numbers of <pubdate> from dataset metadata for the...
What formats are available for hydrography data products in The National Map?
Depending on the product type, hydrography data are offered in Esri File Geodatabase 10.1, Shapefile or GeoPackage formats. National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) data is available as national extracts, state extracts, 4-digit sub-regions, 8-digit sub-basins, or in a specified extent from The National Map Downloader. A national extent of medium and high resolution NHD data in File Geodatabase format...
What is the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)?
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a digital vector dataset used by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to define the spatial locations of surface waters and is designed to provide comprehensive coverage of surface water data for the U.S. The NHD contains features such as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, canals, dams, and stream gages in a relational database model system. These data are...
What sources were used to produce the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)?
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a combination of USGS hydrologic digital line graph (DLG) files and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reach files, version 3.0 (RF3). U.S. Forest Service Cartographic Feature Files (CFF) and USGS Tagged Vector Hydro (TVH) captured from 7.5-minute printed maps were also used. Some states also contributed their own stream layer data to the compilation of...
User's guide for the national hydrography dataset plus (NHDPlus) high resolution
The National Map—New data delivery homepage, advanced viewer, lidar visualization
Description of the National Hydrologic Model for use with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS)
NHDPlusHR: A national geospatial framework for surface-water information
The National Map hydrography data stewardship: what is it and why is it important?
Related Content
- FAQ
How do I download hydrography data products?
Download USGS hydrography data (datasets representing U.S. surface water for mapping and modeling applications) using The National Map Downloader or using download links that are listed at Access National Hydrography Products. Learn more: The National Map: Hydrography Training Videos National Hydrography Dataset User Guide For streamflow data, see: Where can I get real-time and historical...
How should I cite datasets and services from The National Map?
The USGS does not require a specific format when citing data obtained through The National Map. You should follow the citation guidelines provided by instructors or publication editors as appropriate. The following should help you find the information that you need: Citation for Datasets Author: U.S. Geological Survey Release date: the first four numbers of <pubdate> from dataset metadata for the...
What formats are available for hydrography data products in The National Map?
Depending on the product type, hydrography data are offered in Esri File Geodatabase 10.1, Shapefile or GeoPackage formats. National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) data is available as national extracts, state extracts, 4-digit sub-regions, 8-digit sub-basins, or in a specified extent from The National Map Downloader. A national extent of medium and high resolution NHD data in File Geodatabase format...
What is the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)?
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a digital vector dataset used by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to define the spatial locations of surface waters and is designed to provide comprehensive coverage of surface water data for the U.S. The NHD contains features such as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, canals, dams, and stream gages in a relational database model system. These data are...
What sources were used to produce the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)?
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is a combination of USGS hydrologic digital line graph (DLG) files and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reach files, version 3.0 (RF3). U.S. Forest Service Cartographic Feature Files (CFF) and USGS Tagged Vector Hydro (TVH) captured from 7.5-minute printed maps were also used. Some states also contributed their own stream layer data to the compilation of...
- Multimedia
- Publications
User's guide for the national hydrography dataset plus (NHDPlus) high resolution
The National Hydrography Dataset Plus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) is a scalable geospatial hydrography framework built from the High Resolution (1:24,000-scale or better) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), nationally complete Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), and ⅓-arc-second (10-meter ground spacing) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) digital elevation model (DEM) data. The NHDPlus HR brings modelingThe National Map—New data delivery homepage, advanced viewer, lidar visualization
As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. The National Map is featuring direct links to new and improved GIS data access utilities on a refreshed data delivery homepage at https://wDescription of the National Hydrologic Model for use with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS)
This report documents several components of the U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrologic Model of the conterminous United States for use with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). It provides descriptions of the (1) National Hydrologic Model, (2) Geospatial Fabric for National Hydrologic Modeling, (3) PRMS hydrologic simulation code, (4) parameters and estimation methods used to compuNHDPlusHR: A national geospatial framework for surface-water information
The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a new geospatial hydrographic framework for the United States, called the National Hydrography Dataset Plus High Resolution (NHDPlusHR), that integrates a diversity of the best-available information, robustly supports ongoing dataset improvements, enables hydrographic generalization to derive alternate representations of the network while maintaining featurThe National Map hydrography data stewardship: what is it and why is it important?
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) were designed and populated by a large consortium of agencies involved in hydrography across the United States. The effort was led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The high-resolution NHD dataset, completed in 2007, - News