USGS Perspective on

The Ele-Hydro Concept

Adapted from a presentation by Jeff SimleyUSGS National Hydrography Data Manager

Erosion and Resistance

Integration and registration

Contours integrated with Hydro

Heads-up Digitizing

http://letters-sal.blogspot.com/2011/05/digitizing-wacom-way.html

How we think and collect now. . .

Elevation

Separate funding mechanisms $$$Indiana LiDAR $3.3millionIndiana Hydro $2.6million

Data housed separately (raster vs vector)

Separate data standards

Managed separately

Separate collection methods

HydroNational Hydro Data• 100k• 24k• Local Data• Watersheds

Vector

National Elevation Data PointCloud

DEM

Raster

Stovepiped

EmpiresTurfs

High Resolution lidar DEM

Indiana’s National Hydrography Data Update Project

Illinois - Indiana

LiDAR Point Cloud

DEM

Veg

Infra-structur

e

Soils

Hydro Hydro-FlattenHydro-Enforced

Forest Canopy

Forest Health

Crop HealthGrasslands

Building footprintsUtilities

Roof analysisTransportation

signage

Watershed

Boundaries

Drainage features

Wetlands

Catchments

SubbasinsFloodplains

Hydro

Elevation

Combined

USGS Apps:

StreamStats

NHDPlus

U.S. Topo

How we think now -Some integration

occurring. . .

Forcing integration by “burning” the Hydro data into the Elevation data

U.S. Topo

Elevation

Vegetation

Landcover

Catchments

Wetlands

NHD

Packaging the Data

Derive hydrography from the terrain

Indiana’s Local-Resolution NHD streams and lidar DEM

Integration – What does it mean?

1) Alignment of elevation and hydrography such that streams flow in channels

2) Interoperability such that a levee can be connected to a river

3) Data Model that links elements and features4) Synthesis such that streamflow can be estimated5) Derivatives such that gradient, channel dimensions, etc.

can be calculated6) Program where a DEM and Hydro can be jointly produced

and funded7) Synchronization so that data are temporally coincident8) Product in a way that both elevation and hydro can be

packaged together9) Delivery of data to be accessed in unison

Integration – Why?

1) Reduce cost2) Provide improved credibility3) Produce accurate data4) Increase the value of the data5) Empower science-based decisions6) Challenge and drive research

An Integrated Landscape

“All geospatial software is moving to 3D. It is now an expectation.”

Steve Snow, ESRIImagingnotes.com, http://www.imagingnotes.com/go/article_freeJ.php?mp_id=292