Hydrologic Unit Map and Sub-Watersheds State of Tennessee

Frequently-asked questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title:
Hydrologic Unit Map and Sub-Watersheds State of Tennessee

Abstract:
This coverage contains Hydrologic Unit Areas and their associated coding for Tennessee watersheds.  The boundaries of these areas were hand delineated at a scale of 1:24,000 and then digitized on screen over DRG's obtained from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Soil Conservation Service, 1991, Hydrologic Unit Map and Sub-Watersheds State of Tennessee.

    Online links:
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    Bounding coordinates:
    West: -90.310379
    East: -81.646591
    North: 36.678162
    South: 34.983116

  3. What does it look like?

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Calendar date: 2000
    Currentness reference:
    publication date

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial data presentation form: vector digital data

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • G-polygon (1093)

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.000000. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.

      Vertical coordinate system definition:
      Altitude system definition:
      Altitude resolution: 1.000000
      Altitude encoding method: Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    GISDATA.watershed_HUC12_TN_24K
    OBJECTID
    Internal feature number.
    (Source:
    ESRI
    )

    Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

    GISDATA.watershed_HUC12_TN_24K.AREA
    Feature geometry.
    (Source:
    ESRI
    )

    Coordinates defining the features.

    PERIMETER
    DRAFTHUA_
    DRAFTHUA_I
    NAME8
    NAME6
    NAME4
    NAME2
    FLAGS
    NAME10
    HUC_10
    HUC_12
    A10DIGIT
    A12DIGIT
    STATES
    NCONTRIB_D
    DS_HUC
    HUC_8
    NAME
    HUC_6
    HUC_4
    HUC_2
    ACRES
    DRAFTACRE
    LABEL
    SHAPE
    Feature geometry.
    (Source:
    ESRI
    )

    Coordinates defining the features.

    SHAPE.AREA
    SHAPE.LEN
Back to Top

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)


  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

Back to Top

Why was the data set created?

These watershed and sub-watershed hydrologic unit boundaries provide a
        uniquely identified and uniform method of subdividing large drainage
        areas. These smaller sized hydrologic units are useful in many
        programs supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service
        and others public and private entities involved in natural resource work.
 
        This data set is intended as a tool for water-resource management and
        planning activities, particularly for site-specific and localized 
        studies which require the amount of detail provided by this data

Back to Top

How was the data set created?

  1. Where did the data come from?

    (source 1 of 1)

    Michael L. Hart, January 10, 2000, Hydrologic Units and Sub-Watershed Map of Tennessee: U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.


  2. What changes have been made?

    (change 1 of 2)
    This data set was developed between 1995 to 1999 following National
            NRCS procedures as outlined in National Instruction Number 170-304 
            and its related updates.  
    
            The HUA boundaries were first delineated by hand on USGS 7.5', 1:24K
            topographic maps of various dates.  These lines were checked by
            local NRCS field personal, local groups, units of government,
            or other county level entities who had an interest in the data.
    
            Next the maps were submitted to the NRCS GIS office in Murfreesboro
            Tennessee for further review and editing.  The line work was then 
            digitized on screen over DRG's produced by the Tennessee Valley 
            Authority.  The base map dates of the DRG's were the latest version
            available as of 1994 when the DRG production was completed by TVA.
            The HUA boundaries were digitized in Grass 4.13, in a NAD 83 UTM
            Zone 16 or 17 mapset.  HU Areas in UTM Zone 15 (extreme SW Tenn)
            were digitized as if they were in UTM Zone 16.  On screen digitizing
            scales were normally around 1:7500, but ranged from 1:5000 to 1:15000.
            This exceeded the stated accuracy of the DRGs but was done to produce
            a more visually appealing line and does not imply that the data contained
            is of that accuracy.  This HUA line work is certified to be accurate at
            1:24000.  Campbell and Anderson County HUA lines were digitized in UTM 
            zone16 mapset and Knox and Blount County HUA lines were digitized in
            a UTM zone17 mapset.
    
     
            After on screen digitizing was finished all line work was plotted
            to scale (1:24000) over DRG's and again check and edited.  Then
            HU coding was assigned as per National Instruction 170-304.  The
            data was then exported using the Grass command v.out.arc.  It
            was imported into ARC UTM-NAD83 projections and merged into this
            one dataset called _________________.e00 for official release and
            distribution.  This e00 files contains _______________ and is in
            a _________________ projection.  Quality checks and edits were made
            to ensure the data was still accurate at 1:24000 after conversion to 
            ARC e00 format.
    
            While the HUA line work was being digitized the county lines and state
            for Tennessee was also digitized from the DRG's.  This data is available
            from NRCS-TN also and meets the same standards as the HUA dataset.
    
            * NOTE: Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive
            purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
            Although this metadata file is intended to document the data set in non-
            proprietary form, some reference to various GIS licensed software products
            may occur and is for reference only.

    (change 2 of 2)
    Dataset copied.

Back to Top

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    Polygon identifiers are manually assigned and checked with the 
            original base map using the attribute file.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    The accuracy of this data is based on contour information derived 
              from the DRG's produced by the Tennessee Valley Authority.  The DRG's
              used to digitize the HU boundaries in this project were certified to
              meet National Federal Map Accuracy Standards.  HU boundary interpretations
              may be supplemented with site visits or local knowledge of HU boundaries; 
              needed to determine unusual or difficult terrain areas or due to drainage
              pattern changes by man's activities.  The differences in positional accuracy
              between the true hydrologic unit boundaries and their digitized map 
              locations is unknown.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    A Hydrologic Unit (HU) is an area of land upstream from a specific
          point on a stream (designated as the outlet).  The HU boundary includes
          all the source area that could contribute surface water runoff directly
          and indirectly to the outlet.  For the purposes of this effort, HU areas
          (not always pure hydrologic units) are grouped together depending upon
          their size.  Areas grouped together in size units between 40,000 and 
          250,000 acres are referred to as watersheds and assigned an appropriate 
          eleven (11) digit code.  The watersheds are then hydrologically subdivided
          into sub-watersheds and assigned a fourteen (14) digit code. The sub-watersheds
          typically range between 3,000 and 40,000 acres in size, but a small percentage
          may fall outside this range for various local reasons.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    Polygon and chain-node topology present.  The tests of logical consistency
          are performed using vendor software.  All internal polygons were tested for
          closure with vendor software and were checked on hard copy plots.

Back to Top

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access constraints: None
Use constraints:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
      should be acknowledged as the data source in products derived from these data.
      The data should not be used at scales greater than 1:24,000.

      This is public information and may be interpreted by organizations,
      agencies, units of government, or others based on needs;  however,
      they are responsible for the appropriate application of the data.
      Federal, State, or local regulatory bodies are not to reassign to the
      Natural Resources Conservation Service any authority for the decisions
      they make.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service will not
      perform any evaluations of these maps or purposes related solely
      to State or local regulatory programs. 
 
      Photographic or digital enlargement of these maps to scales greater than
      that at which they were originally delineated can cause misrepresentation
      of the data.  If enlarged, the maps will not include the fine detail that
      would be appropriate for mapping at the small scale.  Digital data files
      are periodically updated.  Files are dated, and users are responsible for
      obtaining the latest version of this data.

Distributor 1 of 1

  1. Who distributes the data set?

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

  4. How can I download or order the data?

    • Availability in digital form:


    • Data format:
      Size: 21.413

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

Back to Top

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 20040408

Metadata author:
Michael L. Hart
U.S.D.A. NRCS
Geographic Information Specialist
410 New Salem Road, Suite 105
Murfreesboro, TN 37129

(615) 893-9295 x. 114 (voice)
(615) 893-9106 (FAX)
mhart@tn.nrcs.usda.gov

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

Metadata extensions used:
  • http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html

  • Back to Top