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	Vol. 15, No. 1		Summer 2010

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The National Hydrography Dataset - Coming to a Town Near You

By Vicki Schmidt
GIS Environmental Specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Those who manage towns and cities in Maine might wonder why something as expansive as The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) would be worth their attention. The fact is, in this day and age, financial and other incentive based water quality awards are highly dependant on comprehensive characteristic analysis and scientific data.  Research often shows that money spent on improving water quality has a positive trickle up affect on a regions economic viability, especially with regards to tourism, recreation, and quality of life.  By aligning state and local water quality data to NHD, Maine is poised to attract and enable increased efficiency for funding projects, as well as future improvements.

For over a decade Maine has used geographical Information Systems (GIS) for representation of spatial data, especially with regards to environmental monitoring. NHD represent our nation’s waters and is the hydrography layer for the National Map. In the fall of 2008, the lead agencies of the United States Geological Society (USGS), the Maine Office of Geographical Information Systems (MEGIS) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection signed a stewardship agreement for Maine’s adoption NHD as the States official hydrography dataset. While the average cartographer using mapping data from MEGIS will notice no change, those needing “intelligence” behind the data will have access to a multitude of data with just the touch of a keyboard.

What does this mean for cities and towns in Maine? First off, and on the minds of many water quality mangers as well as taxpayers; where do we put environmental improvement money and ensure the greatest positive impact?  This is the type of question NHD is primed to answer.  Monies that are targeted for road improvements often include culvert upgrades. These enhancements not only assist to sustain transportation efforts, they work to reduce erosion and ensure the efficient removal of flash flood waters.  Mike Smith of MEGIS explains, "One impressive aspect of NHD is the ability for municipalities to feed changes to the data, via the state stewards.  It puts the mapping of water bodies into a partnership at all levels, and gives local governments the opportunity to participate in all aspects of water management."

Just a few of the ways NHD is improving efficiencies for water management programs in towns and cities include:

Identification and planning of local emergency water supply infrastructure for lowered Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings

Documentation for mapping and marketing water related attractions related to recreation and tourism

Monitoring and management of flood water and flood water controls

Calculations and charting of characteristics for areas and populations served by water treatment facilities

Administration and retrieval of upstream monitoring information to detect possible sources of contaminants in local drinking water

Tracking of real-time flow conditions chemical and biological components in municipal water supplies

The data structure behind NHD compiles data by individual water segments. Cooperating agencies can choose a section of water course, and immediately identify its upstream and downstream characteristics.  Further more, we can learn what specific impacts that section of water is subject to.  Does it hold sediment from washouts upstream, or does it contribute to sediment downstream? Is it part of a pooling area for rain water, and is it part of a wildlife corridor or recreational area.  By knowing all variables experienced by each section of our states waters we can better formulate strategic plans and target spending for the best use of resources.  

NHD spans political boundaries and enables water quality networking from all sources and impacts within a watershed. Towns along the Androscoggin River in Maine will now have the ability to better manage waters that enter from upstream and neighboring New Hampshire.

As Maine enhances its ability to target tax dollars to best meet the needs of improved
water quality, small towns and cities will also have the opportunity to attach “home town” knowledge to NHD.  “The goal is to get data at the town level into the system” notes Dave Courtemanch of the DEP Bureau of Water Quality. “NHD will easily show where waters meet roadways. If there are culverts subject to repetitive loss or that act as barriers for fish passage, we can efficiently target those areas for mitigation funding.”

The NHD structure also compliments the sharing of interstate and international water characteristics. Whereas many towns in Maine are impacted by waters that flow from other states and countries, knowing what’s happening to these waters before they enter Maine is important information with regards to management activities. 

Vicki Schmidt is a GIS Environmental Specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Land & Water Quality. Her work with NHD involves characteristic and classification data management for Maine waters.  Vicki can be reached at 287-7812 or Vicki.L.Schmidt@maine.gov.  For additional NHD stewardship information contact Anji Redmond, Maine Office of GIS at 624-9487 or Anji.Redmond@maine.gov

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