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The water theme identifies important issues associated with water quality and quantity, as well as some of the stressors that have been identified. These stressors should be evaluated against the economic services that are being provided to the local community when making decisions that may impact the riparian buffer, wetlands or aquatic health of the streams in the watershed.
Watersheds
A data set used to show watershed boundaries. A watershed includes all the land where water, from rain or runoff, drains to a specific river or water body. Ridges of high land separate watersheds from each other. Also, every waterway has its own watershed and every person lives within a watershed. For example, if rain that falls on your yard flows down the street and into a creek that eventually ends in the Hillsborough River, then you live in the Hillsborough Watershed. This data set was developed using US Geological Survey data for 8-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs) (this size shows watersheds for large rivers). Information for smaller watersheds (i.e. 11-digit HUCs which includes smaller streams) can be found at Site1. For information on pollution sources within your watershed, check out EPA's Surf Your Watershed at Reference 2.
Reference 1 , Reference 2 , Reference 3 , Funding Information (search by # 10.906 or keyword Watershed)
Dams
A data set showing the location of dams along streams and rivers. Such information can be useful in finding places where the natural flow of a stream or river may be impeded or altered. The data set also shows locations of farm ponds created by stream dams. A national inventory of dams can be obtained from the Army Corp of Engineers at Site1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information
Rivers
The rivers data set was obtained from the US Geological Survey's National Hydrologic Data (NHD) set and provides the most accurate national coverage of rivers and streams in the United States to date. For more information you can go toSite1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by # 66.454 or keyword Watershed)
303D_(state abbreviation)
The 303d data set identifies impaired waterways within the mapped area. Impairment may be from excess nutrients, sediments, chemical pollutants, animal wastes or other forms of contamination. The criteria for determining which waterways are impaired varies significantly from state to state so this data should be used with some caution. However, the information does identify those streams that a particular State considers impaired and the possible sources of stress. For instance, streams listed for sedimentation may be found in areas with high land conversion rates while streams listed for nutrients may have significant amounts of agricultural land along their banks. For more information on the water quality in your State of interest go to Site1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by # 66.454 or keyword Water Quality)
Surface_Intake
The Surface_Intake coverage depicts segments of rivers that are located near surface water intakes. This coverage is important in protecting the drinking water quality for the local population. Information related to drinking water can be found at Site1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by # 66.419 or keyword Water Pollution)
Water_Bodies
The Water Bodies data set represents lakes, ponds and impoundments from the USGS National Hydrography Database (NHD). Up stream and surrounding development are important aspects to the health and economic viability of these resources. Additional information is available at Site1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by # 66.454 or keyword Water Quality)
Riparian_Mask
This data set shows the different land types (agricultural, forest, urban, etc.) within a 100-foot buffer along the banks of a particular waterway. A riparian buffer is the area along a stream or riverbank that is covered by natural vegetation (i.e. trees, bushes, etc.). The riparian buffer helps filter pollutants and contaminants from water flowing into the waterway and reduce destructive riverbank erosion. This data set was created using National Land Cover Data (NLCD) and US Geological Survey data. This data can help identify riparian buffer areas that are either in their natural state and need preservation, have been altered by rural, urban or agricultural activities or are under possible threat of alteration or removal. The University of Nebraska in Lincoln has excellent documentation on riparian buffers in agricultural landscapes at Site1. The National Agroforestry Center identifies 50 feet in their riparian buffer design for croplands. For more information on this issue you can read their report at Site2.
Reference 1 , Reference 2 , Funding Information (search by # 66.419 or keyword Water Pollution)
Flood Zone
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) delineates flood zone areas. The data enclosed here is a subset of that information. Areas not included were not available at the time the GeoBook was cut. Site1 contains additional information on flood plan mapping.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by # 10.904 or keyword Flood)
Land_Cover
The land cover data set shows the different types of land cover within the mapped area. Land cover types vary widely and include everything from residential areas to grasslands to forests to pasture lands. This data provides you with an overview of where each land cover type is located within a watershed or county. The data also allows you to see where land uses, such as residential, are encroaching on other land types (i.e. agricultural lands). The information is obtained from the National Land Cover Data developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For more information on the NLCD visit Site1.
Reference 1 , Funding Information (search by key word # 66.463 or Water Quality)
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