NHD 4-digit hydrologic unit (HU4), NHD 8-digit hydrologic unit (HU8), NHD State, and WBD 2-digit hydrologic unit (HU2) products are now available for download in the GeoPackage format. File geodatabase and shapefile format products remain available.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

GeoPackage is an “open, standards-based, platform-independent, portable, self-describing, compact format for transferring geospatial information”. The USGS is distributing downloadable data in the GeoPackage format in support of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 and OPEN Government Data Act, which require government data to be available in an open formats. GeoPackage data is platform agnostic and can be utilized by a variety of commercial off the shelf and open-source software packages.

In support of adding the GeoPackage format, the Hydrography downloadable data folder directory structure has been updated and the following changes have taken effect for NHD and WBD products:

• The High-Resolution folder has been removed from the folder hierarchy.
• GeoPackage format data has been written to GPKG folders.

In phase two of the implementation, we will release GeoPackage format data for NHD National, WBD National, NHDPlus HR HU4, NHDPlus HR HU8, and NHDPlus HR National Release. We expect phase two to be completed over the next few months.

Contact National Hydrography Support with any questions or comments about the new GeoPackage format.

Please see the news releases below for more information on the downloadable hydrography products folder structure changes and what to expect with the GeoPackage format.