Rivers and Streams - Platte River Basin (2013)

The National Hydrography Dataset combines elements of the DLG and RF3: spatial accuracy and comprehensiveness from the DLG and network relationships, names, and a unique identifier (reach code) for surface water features from RF3. The NHD supersedes DLG and RF3 by incorporating them, not by replacing them. Users of DLG and RF3 will find the National Hydrography Dataset both familiar and greatly expanded and refined. The NHD provides a national framework for assigning reach addresses to water-related entities such as industrial dischargers, drinking water supplies, fish habitat areas, wild and scenic rivers. Reach addresses establish the locations of these entities relative to one another within the NHD surface water drainage network in a manner similar to street addresses. Once linked to the NHD by their reach addresses, the upstream/downstream relationships of these water-related entities and any associated information about them can be analyzed using software tools ranging from spreadsheets to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS can also be used to combine NHD-based network analysis with other data layers, such as soils, land use, and population, to help better understand and display their respective effects upon one another. Furthermore, because the NHD provides a nationally consistent framework for addresses and analysis, water-related information linked to reach addresses by one organization (national, state, local) can be shared with other organizations and easily integrated into many different types of applications to the benefit of all. The National Hydrography Dataset is designed to provide comprehensive coverage of hydrologic data for the US. While initially based on 1:100,000-scale data, the NHD is designed to incorporate and encourage the development of higher-resolution data required by many users. It will facilitate the improved integration of water-related data in support of the application requirements of a growing national user community and will enable shared maintenance and enhancement.