Additional Ecological Datasets for Planning

Updated 05/29/2008

(1) Watershed boundaries

(2) Soil Surveys

(3) Spatial data

(1) Watershed boundaries

Hydrologic unit boundaries define the areal extent of surface water drainage to a point. The goal of this initiative is to provide a hydrologically correct, seamless, and consistent national geographic information system (GIS) database at a scale of 1:24,000, that has been extensively reviewed and matches the USGS topographical 7.5 minute quads. The new levels are called watershed (5th level, 10-digit) and subwatershed (6th level, 12-digit).

The watershed level is typically 40,000 to 250,000 acres, and subwatershed level is typically 10,000 to 40,000 acres with some as small as 3,000 acres. An estimated 22,000 watersheds and 160,000 subwatersheds will be mapped to the 5th and 6th level. The GIS coverages will be available by the Internet to any person, including researchers, private companies, utilities, environmental groups, concerned citizens, and Federal, State, and local government agencies.

The database will assist in planning and describing water use and related land use activities:

http://www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov/products/datasets/watershed/

(2) Soil surveys

SOILS is part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, an effort of Federal and State agencies, universities, and professional societies to deliver scientifically based soil information. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service leads the National Cooperative Soil Survey and hosts this site:

http://soils.usda.gov

(3) Spatial data

http://fgdc.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/NRCSgateway.html

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