Drainage Basins - Saipan (2017)

These features represent the drainage basin boundaries for the Island of Saipan, CNMI. Acquisition of high resolution elevation data (LiDAR) since previous delineations of watersheds on Saipan enabled a more precise identification of watershed boundaries, subsequently allowing for more accurate analyses of surface hydrology and influences on water quality. This dataset was created primarily for use by natural resource managers and water quality specialists in the CNMI to provide input into delineation of broader watershed boundaries. Basins were identified through processing of 2007 U.S. Army Corps LiDAR (2.67 m. resolution), including DEM conditioning (filling), computation of surface flow direction and accumulation. These drainage units were used to aggregate basins to a best fit with the superseded (out-dated) watershed boundaries on Saipan. Detailed documentation of this process can be found in the document "Saipan_Watersheds_2017Update.PDF"