California's Watershed Delineation Effort - Watershed Delineation Workshop Series
Working toward CalWater Version 3.0
The CalWater committee is committed to updating the current
CalWater dataset CCalWater 2.2), and bringing it into
compliance with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Watershed Delineation Guidelines. A Watershed Delineation
Workshop Subcommittee was formed to coordinate this effort in California. Our plan
is to conduct Delineation Workshops that allow heads up digitizing, so that those
assembled can make the best possible decisions on literally where to draw the
lines. Workshops may take three forms:
- Statewide Delineation Workshops and reviews (held in Sacramento/Davis
area) -- these may be a few hours to a few days
- Regional Delineation Workshops to bring in local expertise (held in Areas
throughout state) -- generally week long
- Local Delineation Workshop to support local group efforts (half or full day
workshops held in a local office)
Representatives from this committee attended the First California Delineation
Workshop, held in Portland, OR and hosted by the Regional
Ecosystem Office (REO) in June 2001. The REO developed the workshop strategy and ArcView
tools that the California team has adopted. They also arranged the contract with
Titan (TSC/Averstar). We want to thank Dale Guenther of the REO for his leadership
and development of this process, and for assisting our team with the transition
of his strategy and software for use in California. They then began planning Delineation
Workshops for California for the coming year. The second workshop was held in December
2001 in Sacramento, to review the work from the Portland workshop, and begin editing
4th level HUCs in the Central Valley. The next workshop is planned for March in
Fresno, with several others to follow throughout the year in different areas of
the state.
The CalWater IWMC (Interagency Watershed Mapping Committee) has been coordinating
the watershed delineation process for many years. With support and direction from
the National USGS and NRCS new, more consistent, guidelines have been provided for
completing the 5th and 6th level delineations.
Because California is complex geographically and politically, some areas are
easier than others to complete. Areas where hydrology in geographically easier
to interpret cause little political discussion. Areas with more complex hydrology
often require more decisions in how to apply the delineation rules to a particular
situation, and become more politically complex as well.
As a result, the CalWater committee agreed to work on the 5th and
6th level delineations for the easy areas, while working to identify
the Problem Areas (with a sub-committee led by Lorri Peltz-Lewis), and what local
entities and individuals we would like to include in the process (with a Outreach
Committee, led by Dave Hansen). These more complex areas will take more time to
develop, and will likely require local delineation workshops to bring all the local
experts together.
In late May/early June, members of the CalWater committee (see minutes from 9/27/01
CalWater meeting) represented California at the REO
Delineation Workshop in Portland, Oregon.
The basic strategy was to coordinate the development of a single set of 5th
and 6th level watersheds based on the expert knowledge of local hydrologists,
and the boundaries they have already developed. In the workshops they reviewed existing
boundaries, then drafted changes and new boundaries based on the concurrence of
the hydrologists attending. The Region Ecosystem Office (REO) then coordinated the
data provided from the workshops to a contract digitizing service (Titan
Corporation).
The contractor then develops a seamless set of watersheds, with appropriate naming
and metadata attributes. (See Description of
Titan's Work.)
This is draft data set that we will be reviewing the week of December 10th,
to ensure it met the guidelines agree to in the workshops. The contractor will then
correct the draft and REO will help to distribute the final product.
For this project the REO has pulled together the funding from various
agencies, to digitize the watersheds for the entire Pacific Northwest –
including funds from Federal Agencies California. Titan is a major Government Contractor,
and the REO already has a contract for this work in place. By following the requirements
of the contract, we can use these same contract services. The biggest commitment
we are asking of the folks here in California is for our time in the workshops to
draft watershed boundaries, and to review the final product.
- Workshop 1: Portland (May - June 2001) -- Covered North State FS
land -- Completed.
- Workshop 2: Sacramento (December 2001) -- Reviewed North State,
Edited Central Valley 4th's -- Completed.
- Workshop 3: Fresno (March 2002) -- FS Southern Sierra (Sequoia,
Inyo, etc...), Mono Lake/Owens Valley, 4ths for rest of Central Valley &
Mojave -- Completed.
- Workshop 4: Shasta (June 2002) -- Local review of the northern
portion of CA, Sacramento Valley, BLM areas in Northern NV --Completed.
- Workshop 5: Reno (November 2002) - Review of California and
Nevada watersheds, Tahoe Basin and Southern Sierras. -- Completed.
- Workshop 6: San Bernardino (March 2003) -- Covered Southern
California Low Desert/Mojave Desert and Coastal areas -- Completed
- Workshop 7: SF Bay and Delta
(Summer 2003) -- Covered the SF Bay and Delta area, but the data has not
received final processing due to limited funding.
- Workshop 8: Not scheduled.
See the Entire Proposed Workshop Schedule (12/01)
and Map of Areas, and read a more complete description of each workshop and
what was accomplished.
The general goals of the CalWater Watershed Delineation Workshop Series are to:
- Edit/Create 5th and 6th level watersheds for compliance with FGDC standards
- Complete a review, and Edit, 4th level delineation for Northern California,
the Central Valley, and the rest of the state, and make suggested changes where
they are hydrologically needed.
- Review work returned from Titan completed in prior workshops.
- Finalize metadata and attributes for delineation work.
- Complete revision of 4ths, and delineation of 5th and 6ths Statewide by December
2003, and submit to NRCS for certification.
- Complete California WBD - Watershed Boundary Database (January 2004)
- Release CalWater 3.0 (mid 2004?)
The agenda for each workshop will be the same: flexible -- and will be determined
in detail the first morning -- based on attendance. If you will only be able to
attend for one or two days, please contact Lenore or Lorri and let them know.
We will try to adjust the flow of work to accommodate your area
of expertise for when you can be there.
Monday:
Morning - for travel
1:00 – 2:00 - Introductions, logistics, and review of the project.
2:00 – 4:30 - Review drafts 5th and 6th Level watersheds returned from contractor.
Tuesday:
8:00 – 12:00 - Review past work
1:00 – 4:30 - Review past work
Wednesday:
8:00 – 12:00 - Begin new work (review old HUCs)
12:00 – 4:30 - Continue review and revision of new areas
Thursday:
8:00 – 12:00 - Complete review and revision of new areas
12:00 – 4:30 - Complete review and revision of new areas
Friday:
8:00 – 12:00 – Finalize Reviews, Revisions and New Delineations
Afternoon – for return travel
Also in the Afternoon: Workshop
Committee Wrap Up – debriefing, and planning for next workshop.
Delineation Guidelines and Documentation
Background Data Needed for the Upcoming Workshops
Lorri Peltz-Lewis, BOR, (lpeltzlewis@mp.usbr.gov)
will be compiling all hydrography, ownerships, and any known 5th Levels
and 6th Level watersheds for each of the workshops. If you have local
data, paper maps or information that may help your delineation process, please get
it to Lorri as soon as possible.
Results and Documentation from Past Workshops
View the Draft Linework with ArcIMS -- Coming Soon
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Rules as Applied to California 
Portland,
May/June 2002: Notes on the Portland Workshop
