Current News: What is the latest with CalWater?
CalWater 2.2.1,
also known as the California Interagency Watershed Map of 1999 (CalWater
2.2.1), is (still) the official California Watershed map. It is the
"best available data" for most uses. In its present form it does not meet the
FGDC Watershed Boundary Dataset mapping standards. The CalWater IWMC is
working hard to update so the next release (CalWater 3.0) will meet National
FGDC linework standards, and provide both the State and Federal naming and
numbering systems.
The California Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is also under
development by the CA IWMC (aka CalWater Committee). The goal of the WBD is
to build a nationally consistent, seamless, topographically-based set of
hierarchical watersheds that are designed to integrate with other national
efforts such as the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the National
Elevation Dataset (NED). The nested hydrologic unit delineations are
based on, and accurate to, the USGS 1:24000 scale quadrangle maps. The WBD
follows the national Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).
September 1,
2006: Work is continuing on the CA WBD. Please check the CA IWMC
YahooGroups site for current updates: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalWater-IWMC/
Over the last several years the CalWater IWMC has accomplished a number of goals:
- In 2006: A strategy was developed early in the year for
prioritizing the CA WBD draft linework by basins and to seek funds for
individual basins. Some funding was secured and the work of
finalizing the CA WBD Basins along the Northern, Eastern and Southern
borders is underway through USGS and the University of Wyoming WyGISC.
We hope to continue the process in 2007.
- January 2005: We applied for funding with a grant
proposal to the Cal-Fed Bay Delta program to complete the WBD
dataset for California. While we made it past the first cut in the
review process, we were not selected for the grant. We are
re-doubling our efforts to keep applying, and improving our applications.
- December 2004: We completed an Addenda to the MOU, stating
our commitment to update our linework, naming and numbering system to meet
FGDC guidelines, and a long range plan of work. This Addenda was mailed
out to the MOU Signatories in December 2004.
- June 2004: We held a National Strategy and Training Workshop in June 2004 where
we met with the National WBD. Documents relating to last summer's
strategy sessions are also located at the
YahooGroups
CalWaterCommittee site in the "Files" section.
- May 2004: We decided that discussion of the Strategy and seeking of funds is best handled by
the steering committee, what we call the CalWater IWMC MOU Signatory
Representatives. A YahooGroups members-only list was set up for
discussions of this steering committee. See
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/calwatercommittee/
.
- May 2004: A more general open member YahooGroups lists was also created for open
discussions on past and future workshops, data reviews, comments on the
data or areas that need further work -- anything relating to watershed
delineations in California, CalWater and the WBD. See
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/calwater
- March 2004: We applied for our first grant submitting a
proposal to the Bay-Delta
Science Consortium to complete the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed
delineations for the WBD. While our application was well received,
we were not selected for the Grant. But it helped us to organize our
thinking, strategies, and served as a basis for our next proposal.
- 2004: The CalWater Committee held
meetings in January, April, June and December. We had the
Watershed Delineation Strategy and Workshop
in June 2004. Updates were made on CalWater 2.2 to the attributes and to clean up
some of the linework resulting in a release of
CalWater 2.2.1.
Since 2000
In recent years, the CalWater Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee has
accomplished a number of activities -- including updating and maintaining the
official California Watershed dataset: CalWater 2.2.1. In addition:
- Since 2000: We have been operating as two groups -- the "greater" CalWater
Committee, which is open to anyone and everyone interested in Watershed
data for California, its maintenance and development. And steering
committee of the CalWater IWMC MOU Representatives that meets to make
decisions and guide the progress of the overall committee.
- 2001-2003: We have held a series of
Watershed
Delineation Workshops around the state to get local expert input on the
delineation process. A group of CalWater committee members attended the
First Delineation Workshop in June 2001 -- it was held in Portland, OR and
hosted by the Regional Ecosystem Office. Since then we have had seven
interactive workshops in different regions of the state.
- 2001: We have created Supplemental Delineation Guidelines as they apply to California, and
have extended the
nested watershed levels down to the local level.
- We have formed (and un-formed when work is completed) sub-committees
to facilitate various tasks of editing documents, the existing linework, and delineating 5th
and 6th level watersheds statewide. A Watershed Delineation Workshop committee
still exists with the folks who coordinated and led the series of Workshops
noted below. See the
Subcommittee page.
Prior to 2000
A lot of work went into the the early versions of CalWater by the same
agencies, but different representatives. You can learn more about the
history of the dataset and the committee, that
forms the basis of what we work with today.
Agencies Involved
In 1997, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted to facilitate the
interagency delineation effort. Members include:
- California Department of Forestry (CDF)
- California Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
- California Department of Water Resources (DWR)
- California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
- US Geological Survey (USGS)
- US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- US Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- US Forest Service (USFS)
Other supporters include the UC Davis Information Center for the
Environment, and local water districts. The MOU was finally signed by all
signatories in 1999.
The commonly used USGS
1:250,000 Federal 8 digit Hydrologic Unit Maps (HUCs) developed in the
1970's are still available from the USGS
For More Information Visit Our Other CalWater Links
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