Riparian-Zone Boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment
Dates
Publication Date
2020-03-20
Start Date
2013
End Date
2017
Citation
Qi, S.L., and Nakagaki, N., 2020, Geospatial database of the study boundaries, sampled sites, watersheds, and riparian zones for the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Stream Quality Assessment: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90YQ9TW.
Summary
In 2013, the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) study was started as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and stream ecology and subsequently determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic biota within the streams (Garrett and others, 2017; Journey and others, 2015; Coles and others, 2019; Sheibley and others, 2017; May and others, 2020). The study was implemented in five regions across the United States (U.S.); the Midwest (MSQA) in 2013, the Southeast (SESQA) in 2014, the Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) in 2015, the Northeast (NESQA) in 2016, and California (CSQA) [...]
Summary
In 2013, the Regional Stream Quality Assessment (RSQA) study was started as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. One of the objectives of the RSQA is to characterize the relationships between water-quality stressors and stream ecology and subsequently determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic biota within the streams (Garrett and others, 2017; Journey and others, 2015; Coles and others, 2019; Sheibley and others, 2017; May and others, 2020). The study was implemented in five regions across the United States (U.S.); the Midwest (MSQA) in 2013, the Southeast (SESQA) in 2014, the Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) in 2015, the Northeast (NESQA) in 2016, and California (CSQA) in 2017. To meet this objective, a framework of fundamental geospatial data was required to develop physical and anthropogenic characteristics of each study region, sampled sites, and corresponding watersheds and riparian zones. This dataset represents the riparian-zone boundaries for 476 water-quality sites sampled for the RSQA and is one of the four fundamental geospatial data layers that were developed for the RSQA study.
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RSQARiparianZones.xml Original FGDC Metadata
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38.4 KB
application/fgdc+xml
RSQARiparianZones.zip
6.85 MB
application/zip
Purpose
As one of the four fundamental Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets used to summarize and compile GIS characteristics for the RSQA, this dataset was created to provide boundaries for which to summarize and compile environmental characteristics for the riparian-zone boundaries of the sites sampled for the RSQA (Qi and Nakagaki, 2020). The summarized characteristics assist with the analysis and interpretation of water-quality and biota data collected for the RSQA study and were also used as input into various ecological models.
