About National Hydrography Products

By National Hydrography

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD), and NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) are digital geospatial datasets that map and model the surface water of the United States.

NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR)

Mt. Washington, New Hampshire showing NHDPlus High Resolution streams

The NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) is a scalable geospatial hydrography framework built from the high resolution National Hydrography Dataset, nationally complete Watershed Boundary Dataset, 3D Elevation Program data.

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National Hydrography Dataset

The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), a component of The National Map, represents the water drainage network of the United States with features such as rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, coastline, dams, and streamgages.

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Watershed Boundary Dataset

The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is a seamless, national hydrologic unit dataset, with hydrologic units representing the area of the landscape that drains to a portion of the stream network.

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3DHP

The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) implemented 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. 3DHP will also improve the ability to track information about water as it moves through the hydrologic cycle.

At the end of September 2023, NGP published static versions of the NHD, WBD, and NHDPlus HR which will remain available for user applications as downloadable products and web services for several years while 3DHP is populated.

NHD and WBD

The NHD and WBD are geospatial datasets that map the Nation’s surface water network and hydrologic drainage areas. The NHD, at 1:24,000-scale or larger, represents the Nation’s rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, glaciers, coastlines, dams, and streamgages, and related features. The WBD represents drainage areas of the country as eight nested levels of hydrologic units. The NHD and WBD are the most up-to-date and geographically inclusive hydrography datasets for the Nation.

The NHD and WBD are managed by the USGS under OMB Circular A-16 and as a part of the FGDC NGDA Inland Water Theme, with collaboration, support, and cost-sharing with many other federal, state, and local entities. This includes formalized Stewardship Agreements with partners to improve the NHD and WBD locally. Many tools exist to help with editing of the data, and user resources are also available.

NHDPlus High Resolution

The NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) is a nationwide, integrated hydrography and elevation geospatial dataset that includes the NHD stream network, WBD hydrologic units, local drainage areas or “catchments”, flow direction and flow accumulation rasters, and Value-Added Attributes (VAAs). The NHDPlus HR is built using the NHD at 1:24,000-scale or better, nationally complete WBD, and 1/3 arc-second seamless 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) data. Additionally, a new attribute, VisibilityFilter, is being calculated for the NHD and NHDPlus HR data, allowing stream network features in the NHD and NHDPlus HR to be displayed at eight approximate map scales.