Indiana NHD - Geographic Names

Information System Updates

March 1, 2011

Lacey DuncanEnvironmental Manager - DNR Water

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Introduction

• History of Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) in the United States

• GNIS updates to the Indiana National Hydrography Dataset

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Need for the Standardization of Geographic Names

Late 19th Century Surge in the demand of mapping and

scientific reporting because of mining, exploration, and settlement of the West

Inconsistencies and contradiction among names and spellings

Became a serious detriment to mapmakers and scientists who required uniform and non-conflicting geographic nomenclature

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Standardization of Geographic Names

• Widely available nationally • Strongly related to local usage• Contributes to savings and

efficiency in: Government Business & Industry Communications Education

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US Board on Geographic Names

• 1890 - HarrisonRecognition that conflicts in naming geographic feature were a serious detriment to the orderly process of exploring and settling the country

• 1906 - RooseveltExtended the Boards responsibility to include the standardization of all geographic names for Federal use

• 1947- TrumanSigned into Public Law 80-242

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US Board on Geographic Name

Function under Department of Interior National network of State and

academic authorities Conjointly establish and maintain

uniform geographic names for Federal Government

Work to improve body of names by approving new names and changing existing in a responsible manner

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Proposing a Name for Unnamed Domestic Features

• US Board does not initiate naming of unnamed features

• Any person or organization, public or private may submit a proposal

• Board coordinates with local, State, and Federal agencies to determine Appropriateness Acceptability Need (relative to feature, location,

and community)

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Guidelines for Proposing New Names

• Recommended Kinds of Proposed Names

• Duplication of Names• Recommended Name Form• Qualifying Words in Names• Generic Terms• Personal Names• Wilderness Areas• Lands Administered by State and Local

Jurisdictions• Derogatory Names

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Submitting a Name Proposal

Propose or Change Name

Feature Information Supporting Materials States and Counties Geographic Coordinates Administrative Areas Maps and Documents

with name Other Names and Their

Source Authorities Submitters and/or

Preparers

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Indiana GNIS Updates to NHD

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Indiana GNIS Updates

• GNIS Corrections for High-resolution NHD

• $25,000 Grant from US Geological Survey

• Critical step prior to upgrading NHD to local resolution

• Correct names in GNIS• Match GNIS names to NHD Features• Add missing names, fix bad names

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Obtaining the Data

• Check Out NHD database from USGS

• Complete review• Submit to David Nail• Submit to USGS• Accepted by USGS• Loaded into NHD Database

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Data Needed

• NHDFlowlines• NHDWaterbody• GNIS Data

Point Polyline

• HUC 8 Basin• USGS Quadrangle Maps• Imagery

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Indiana GNIS Data

• 33,000 Point Features

• 355 Line Features

To begin GNIS review:

- Data should be clipped to Basin

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Prepping Data

• Create New Field

“IGIC_Checked”

• Select All Features-

“Not Checked”

• Join features with

GNIS- matched

features “Checked”

• Select all features

outside State border-

“Skipped – Outside

State”

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Searching for Errors

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Error

GNIS Exists in Database

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Changes to NHD

• Fixed- Incorrect GNIS

• Missing GNIS- No GNIS but exists on QUAD

• Skipped- Outside of State

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Status Table Updated

• Any changes are noted in the NHDStatus table

• The COMID is entered into the Status table

• Submitted to David Nail before final submission to USGS

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Status of Updates

HUC Name HUC 8 Upper Wabash 5120101

Little Calumet-Galien 4040001 Mississinewa 5120103

St. Joseph (MI) 4050001 Eel (WR) 5120104

St. Joseph (OH) 4100003Middle Wabash-

Deer 5120105

St. Marys 4100004Middle Wabash-Little Vermilion 5120108

Upper Maumee 4100005 Vermilion 5120109

Auglaize 4100007Middle Wabash-

Busseron 5120111

Upper Great Miami 5080001 Highland-Pigeon 5140202

Lower Great Miami 5080002 Kankakee 7120001

Whitewater 5080003 Iroquois 7120002

Middle Ohio-Laughery 5090203 Chicago 7120003

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Sources

• Orth, Donald J. and Roger L. Payne. Domestic Names - Principles, Policies, and Procedures. Online Edition (revised) 2003. 23 June 2010. Web.

• Monmonier, Mark. Drawing the Line: Tales of Maps and Cartocontroversy. New York: 1995. Print.

• US Department of the Interior. Geographic Names Information System – GNIS. USGS. 03 January 2011. Web.