California Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee
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CalWater is a spatial dataset of watersheds in California, developed by the Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee (IWMC). For many years, State and Federal agencies have been working with through committee to map the watersheds and hydrologic units in the State of California. This web site documents the history and current status of this interagency effort.

Click on the image to the left to view a full size map of California Watersheds.

To avoid any confusion, please note that the California Bay Delta Authority uses the word calwater in its website URL:  http://calwater.ca.gov.

  For these purposes, the word CalWater means the California Watershed Dataset:

• "CalWater" as California Watersheds is the official California State hierarchical Watershed maps, and GIS dataset.  There have been several versions leading to the one currently available: CalWater Version 2.2.1.

General Information 

December, 2008. Full certification of California Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is complete. Geodata may be downloaded from CAL-ATLAS Geospatial Clearinghouse: http://www.atlas.ca.gov/download.html

• Announcements
• What's the latest with CalWater?
• Commonly Used Acronyms - A List of the Acronyms found in these web pages.

California Watersheds: The Data and Maps

     CalWater 2.2.1 and other Past Watershed Data

• Download CalWater 2.2.1 - AKA: CalWater or the California Interagency Watershed Map of 1999 (CalWater 2.2.1)
• CalWater Data and Information - Where to get a copy of CalWater 2.2.1 Maps and Data
• How to Use CalWater 2.2.1 - Understanding the attributes, labeling watersheds, and metadata.
• The Federal and State Watershed Hierarchy Tables - With a cross walk to the California system
• History - IWMC and CalWater - Nearly 20 years of working together to map the State Watersheds.
• The USGS 1:250K Hydrologic Unit Maps -- The source of the "8 Digit HUC" map.
• CalWater FAQs - The what, whys, how and wherefores.
• How is CalWater Being Used - Examples of how the data is used in projects.

      The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) for California

The Watershed Boundary Dataset is a national contiguous watershed map for the United States.  The California WBD is under development, and will be available at the National WBD website.  The linework from this map will form the basis of any future versions of CalWater, which will have watershed attributes that follow both the State and Federal naming and numbering systems.

• California Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)  - California's part of the National WBD Mapping Effort
• California Watershed Boundary Dataset Factsheet
• Watershed Delineation Workshops - Working toward CalWater's Version 3.0
• CalWater Delineation Workshops: Proposed Schedule and Map (12/01)
• National (Federal Geographic Data Committee) Watershed Mapping Standards
• The Rules as Applied to California - How to interpret the guidelines when our landscape is the exception to the rules.
• WBD Strategy Workshop - June 2004 Meeting with National Team

California Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee (IWMC)

• IWMC CalWater Committee - Contact List
• IWMC CalWater Interagency MOU - Copy of the MOU and Addenda
• Meeting Agendas and Minutes - Archive
• Working Sub-Committees - Information Page
• IWMC CalWater Agency Links - and other links of interest

CalWater Communications

  Yahoo Groups

• CalWater IWMC MOU Representative Committee List - Members Only
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/calwatercommittee/
  

This NBII Hosted site is developed and maintained
on behalf of the CalWater Committee by
the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.