Using selective drainage methods to hydrologically-condition and hydrologically-enforce lidar-derived surface flow

The methods to extract surface flow from coarse elevation data are well documented; however, the methods to extract surface flow from high-resolution, high-vertical accuracy digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) are less documented, but yet more complex. As lidar data are increasingly used to generate DEMS, the demand for lidar-derived surface flow escalates. Thus, the US Geological Survey has developed semi-automated selective drainage methods to extract continuous surface flow from lidar-derived DEMs. This integrated network is important in understanding surface water movement and runoff, flood inundation, and erosion.