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Ask the Support Team nhd@usgs.gov Follow on Twitter @USGSNHD Follow Us Home ABOUT NATIONAL HYDROGRAPHY PRODUCTS Access Products Documentation and Specifications Resources Stewardship and Community Governance Benefits and Applications News FAQs Connect Home The USGS National Geospatial Program manages the Dataset (NHD) , Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) , and NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) . These geospatial datasets represent the surface water of the United States for mapping and modeling applications. Update National Hydrograpy with the Markup App Have a correction or update for the NHD, WBD, or NHDPlus High Resolution? Visit the Markup App! Go There NHDPlus HR - the Next Generation of Check out the NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) framework - a new, integrated hydrography and elevation dataset Learn More Get the NHD Newsletter to keep up with the latest Hydrography info Sign up to recieve the Dataset newsletters for updates, information, and the hydro quiz! Read More Hydrography for the Nation The USGS manages surface water and hydrologic unit mapping for the Nation as geospatial datasets. These include the Dataset (NHD) , Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) , and NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) . Hydrography data are integral to a myriad of mission critical activities undertaken and managed by government entities (Federal, state, regional, county, local, Tribal), nonprofit organizations, and private companies. Hydrography data make it possible for these groups to, for example: Manage water such as stream flow and stormwater Monitor, manage, and report water quality Assess water availability and water rights Model and map flood risk Conserve terrestrial and aquatic habitats Manage fisheries, rangeland, timberlands, and agricultural lands Assess coastal hazards Plan for future land development activities and infrastructure development Manage riverine and coastal navigation and safety Provide recreational opportunities for citizens Please see the About Products link for more detailed information on national hydrography products. Accessing Hydrography Products Direct download links and web-based map service information are available from the Access Products page. Downloads via interactive map are available from The National Map Download viewer , and all web-based map services are listed at The National Map Service Endpoints page. Resources and Tools Many resources and tools exist to support the Datasets. Tools include the Markup Application to suggest edits, or “markups”, to the NHD, WBD, and NHDPlus HR, as well as the Hydrologic Event Management (HEM) Tool to create, manage, and refresh of event data that is referenced to hydrography data. Tools are also available to stewards to edit and manage NHD and WBD data. A series of training videos on hydrography and other USGS geospatial data and products are also available. Stewardship Datasets are updated and maintained through a strong community of stewards and users who have local knowledge about the streams where they live and work. Edits and updates to the NHD and WBD are made by stewards and processed and made available in the national dataset distribution by the USGS. For more information, please visit the Stewardship and Community link. Governance The NHD and WBD are managed by the USGS under OMB Circular A-16 and as a part of the FGDC National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) Water-Inland Theme , with collaboration, support, and cost-sharing with many other Federal, state, and local entities. The Infrastructure Working Group (NHI WG) is a forum for Federal agencies with direct involvement in the Infrastructure to provide input and collaborate on the direction, development, priorities, management, technologies, use, and resources of the Infrastructure. Join Our Community! We communicate monthly through the NHD Newsletters and Hydrography Advisory Calls, and hold special seminars and workshops as well. Please visit the News tab on the left for more detailed information. For questions, please email nhd@usgs.gov . News Date published: February 21, 2020 January 2020 Newsletter released The USGS Dataset Newsletter, Vol. 19, No. 1, January 2020 has been released and posted for viewing. Date published: January 23, 2020 December 2019 Newsletter released The USGS Dataset Newsletter, Vol. 18, No. 12, December 2019 has been released and posted for viewing. Date published: December 20, 2019 November 2019 Newsletter released The USGS Dataset Newsletter, Vol. 18, No. 11, November 2019 has been released and posted for viewing. View All News Publications Year Published: 2015 The Open Water Data Initiative: Water information for a thirsty nation Initial efforts of the Open Water Data Initiative have focused on three use cases covering flooding, drought, and contaminant spill response, with a goal of identifying critical water data resources and making them more accessible. Significant progress has been made in the past year, although much remains to be done. Rea, Alan; Clark, Edward; Adams, Angela; Samuels, William B. Attribution: National Geospatial Program , United States of America , Year Published: 2014 The National Map hydrography data stewardship: what is it and why is it important? The Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) were desi...