California Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee

CalWater Data and Maps

Status of CalWater

CalWater is still the official California Watershed map. It is currently the best available watershed data for California. In its present form it does not meet the FGDC Watershed Boundary Dataset mapping standards. But we are working hard so that the next version will. In the meantime, here is some information on Understanding and Working with CalWater 2.2

The CalWater committee is working to bring the CalWater linework into compliance with these standards, and then label these watersheds with the existing state system and the Federal system. Ideally, sometime in the future, you will be able to click on a watershed in CalWater and read the name and number of that watershed in both the state and Federal systems.

CalWater Maps

CalWater 2.0 Map
(8 1/2 x 11) Courtesy
of Andy Richardson,
Teale Data Center

CalWater 2.2 Map
(8 1/2 x 11) Courtesy
of Andy Richardson,
Teale Data Center)

CalWater Data

Are There Data for My Area?

As you can see from the image above, CalWater 2.2 has good watershed detail for many areas on the west and east sides of Northern California. Detailed watersheds are not complete for the Central Valley and Southern California areas. For a detailed view, go to ICEMaps2, developed by the University of California, Davis, Information Center for the Environment (ICE) to view the CalWater data. Follow these steps:

Choose Select Layers
Turn off checks on the current layers
Check CalWater and any other layers you would like to display
Zoom to Region to select your County, Jepson or CERES Ecoregion, or Watershed Name.

You can get a feel for what the data looks like by zooming in, and turning on and off data layers that are of interest to you. Click in the Frame to print it, and Click on the Legend button to print the accompanying map legend.

Download CalWater

The California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection, Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) makes every effort to provide its data to the public free of charge in a format that is useable by the largest number of potential users. Presently GIS data is provided in ARC/INFO export format (.e00 files) in the Teale Albers projection. CalWater 2.2 Metadata is also available.

The California Spatial Information Library (CaSIL) provides the CalWater dataset free for download. All data are maintained in an Albers projection to enable overlay and integration functions, and are organized by county, quad area, or statewide units.

How are CalWater data being used

Here are some examples of how the USGS HUC's and the CalWater dataset are being used:

Resource	Description
EPA Surf Your Watershed	EPA's tool for finding your local watershed.
THP MapMaker	ActiveX based interface designed to aid Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs) and others to locate and identify the CalWater Unit in which a Timber Harvest Plan (THP) is located.
ESU Internet Map Server and the Salmon and Watershed Query Tool	These tools are designed to allow anyone with a modem and a web browser to easily identify if a specific area is within a threatened or impaired watershed for the purpose of the new Forest Practice Rules.
FRAP projects address	Important issues within the State, such as project development patterns and associated impacts, monitoring vegetation change by magnitude of change and cause, and includes Watersheds. California Watersheds - Natural Resource and Community Integrators presents CDF's philosophy of Watersheds and their management.
CWAP Clean Water Action Plan	California Clean Water Action Plan Maps
UC Davis Information Center for the Environment (ICE)	Hosts many web sites that use CalWater data.
ICEMaps (California Interactive Mapping)	Interactive mapping service for California.
CARA - California Rivers Assessment	Computer-based data management system designed to give resource managers, policy-makers, landowners, scientists and interested citizens rapid access to essential information and tools with which to make sound decisions about the conservation and use of California's rivers.
SNEPMap/Data web site	The has been created in response to the recognized need for improved access to data files, records, digital data, and other information produced as part of the 1996 report to Congress of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project (SNEP).
GeoWBS database	Contains information about water bodies in California, uses CalWater in its ArcView Interface.

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