Abstract

NHDPlus – A Tool for SPARROW Watershed Modeling
Track: Water Resources
Authors: Richard Moore

This presentation describes NHDPlus content and how it can be used to support watershed modeling. The Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic SPARROW nutrient model (Chesapeake Bay drainage northward to Gulf of Maine drainage) is an example of how NHDPlus content has been used to develop a watershed model. This model is the first of a series of NHDPlus-based SPARROW models being developed across the US. NHDPlus is a suite of geospatial data products that incorporates many of the best features of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD); Watershed Boundary Dataset; and National Elevation Dataset. NHDPlus is the outcome of a multi-agency effort, and includes a stream network (based on the 1:100,000-scale NHD) with value-added attributes, such as hydrosequence numbers. NHDPlus also includes elevation-derived catchments (drainage areas) for each NHD flowline, a flow direction grid, a flow accumulation grid, catchment characteristics, and streamflow estimates.