California Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee

California WBD Watershed Boundary Dataset

The California Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is the watershed delineation map for California that will be part of a National seamless Watershed dataset called the "WBD."

The National W B D is a multi-agency effort to create a seamless, hierachical and integrated set of hydrologic units for the Nation. The national effort is being coordinated by the USGS and the NRCS.

The W B D is a single, seamless, hierarchical hydrologic unit dataset based on scientific, hydrologic mapping principles.

Consistent base scale of 1:24,000
Cohesive GIS dataset with multi-functional attributes
Will be served and mantained by a single agency (entity)
Vertically and horizontally integrated with other key national datasets (such as NHD, NED, etc...)
Common reporting unit for different levels of management needs

The WBD has SIX levels of Hydrologic Units:

Region, 2 digits, avg: 177,560 sq miles
Sub-Region, 4 digits, avg: 16,800 sq miles
Basin, 6 digits, avg: 10,596 sq miles
Sub-basin, 8 digits, avg: 703 sq miles
Watershed, 10 digits, avg: 63-391 sq miles
Sub-watershed, 12 digits, avg: 16-63 sq miles

More information can be found at http://www.ncgc.nrcs.usda.gov/branch/gdb/products/watershed/

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