FY24 3DHP Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA) Selected Projects (2024)

Despite its size, Delaware has diverse topography with the steep hills of the Piedmont in the northern portion of the state that gradually transition to the flat coastal landscape in the south. The state of Delaware had quality level 1 (QL1) lidar elevation data acquired in the Spring of 2023 through the DE_Statewide_B23 project, which is updating the state's elevation data holdings to better represent the state's diverse landscape. The state would like to update its hydrography data to match the newly acquired elevation data by investing in elevation-derived hydrography from lidar (EDHL). The purpose of this data acquisition submission is to update the state's hydrography data with EDHL so that the data accurately represent (1) the newly acquired lidar data collected through the DE_Statewide_B23 project, and (2) the state's tax ditch data, most of which should be able to be captured through the EDHL process.

The State of Michigan launched a new hydrography advisory group in 2021 and has begun a statewide elevation derived hydrography project with NV5 Geospatial as the contractor developing 3DHP data. Michigan is a Great Lakes State with over 11,000 inland lakes and abundant river and stream networks, so having a robust hydrography data layer is critical for organizations and programs that need to leverage the location-based aspects of GIS hydrography datasets. Programs dependent on an accurate and well-maintained hydrography dataset include invasive species, habitat management and modeling, land and forest management, wetland mitigation, nutrient loading, endangered species, coastal management, and fish stocking. Hydrography data is critical for emergency management specifically flood management and response, wildfire protection, and spill response. Critical infrastructure and assets such as dams, culverts, water, sewer, stormwater, bridges, roads, trails, rail benefit from more accurate hydrography data for better predictive flow modeling to assess impacts to infrastructure based on changes in flow volumes and water levels.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is proposing a multi-agency effort over the next five years to update Missouri’s digital riverine and wetland data to be better prepared for future disasters and aid in natural resource planning and delivery. We began this work last year FY23 by focusing in south-central Missouri. This proposal is phase 2 of this long-term effort.

The Ohio 3DHP - Phases 1 and 2 is a two-year initiative (first two years of a proposed four year program, with Phase 1 occurring in 2024 and Phase 2 occurring in 2025) based financially upon the state of Ohio's Biannual Budget (Capital Budget Request) to utilize recently procured statewide 3DEP QL1 Lidar to complete the replacement of the existing USGS NHD. Having new 3DHP covering the entire state of Ohio will deliver benefits and provide transformational data necessary for Ohio to gain a better understanding of over 41,276 terrestrial square miles of the state. Along with the State of Ohio (OGRIP Office), four Ohio Counties have also contributed funding to support Ohio 3DHP. These counties include Ashland, Champaign, Gallia and Morgan

Pennsylvania proposes to develop elevation-derived hydrography (EDH) for the four HU10s that comprise the Pennsylvania portion of the Chautauqua-Conneaut HU8. QL2 lidar data is available for the entire project area. There are two lidar-derived hydrography layers in the study area, ca. 2008 and 2015. Both datasets include culverts delineated as individual features. Pennsylvania's entire Lake Erie coastal zone lies within the watershed. The data will have many immediate applications including coastal zone hazards along Lake Erie, bluff recession, erosion and sediment control, planning and stormwater management, and use in Great Lakes regional studies. The data will also contribute to the effort spearheaded by DCNR Bureau of Geological Survey to develop a standard statewide EDH dataset for Pennsylvania.

The State of Tennessee is pursuing the goal of acquiring 3DHP datasets over the next 5 years to replace the aged and inaccurate NHD data in Tennessee. Working with the Department of Environment and Conservation, along with the Department of Transportation, significant funding has been secured to support 3DHP projects over the next 5 years. Additional funding will come from local government and funding from other federal agencies. The data products from 3DHP will support a variety of use cases in TDEC and TDOT, including Dam safety, hydraulic design, environmental compliance and enforcement, long range planning, water resource protection, and many others. The middle TN sub-basins were selected based on a variety of factors including, local government funding, TDEC priorities, and federal interests in this geography. This project is the first of five planned projects to collect hydrography data supporting the USGS 3DHP efforts.

The extensive flooding that took place in Vermont in July 2023 underscores the critical need for current and correct digital hydrography for the state. The partnership between the State of Vermont and the USGS will result in 3DHP-compliant hydrography data for the Lamoille River HUC8 watershed. This area is comprised 721 square miles and is one of the most flood-impacted watersheds in the state. Elevation-derived hydrography has broad stakeholder support and will be used to facilitate activities identified in Vermont's Strategic Plan related to improved water quality, watershed management, floodplain management, stormwater management, transportation planning, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Washington Department of Ecology received funding for a pilot project to identify the technologies, methodologies, datasets, and resources needed to improve the accuracy of the Washington Hydrography Dataset (WASHD). The pilot project tested Elevation Derived Hydrography (EDH) specifications published by USGS. Results of the pilot project demonstrate that this dataset significantly improves the accuracy of surface water mapped locations. Based on the evaluations of the pilot dataset, the transition to 3DHP, and the recommendation of our steering committee. State funding has been approved to complete EDH updates statewide. This project will purchase EDH datasets that meet USGS specifications that can be incorporated into the 3DHP. The proposal will first update WASHD in the Puget Sound region based on prioritization from stakeholders, available data, and technical considerations. The first year also includes the Walla Walla Watershed to test methodologies in the arid eastern Washington environment.