StreamNet Mixed-Scale routed Hydrography (MSHv1- draft3)

This whole-stream routed hydrography layer serves as the base hydrography for the StreamNet project's Linear Referencing System (LRS). To distinguish this hydrography layer from the previous system(s), StreamNet refers to it as "MSHv1" (Mixed-scale hydrography, version 1).

At version1: this dataset includes all routed streams present in the PNW River Reach Files (PNWRF3), StreamNet's previous base hydrography. In addition, those features within the state of Washington are now depicted at a higher resolution (24k scale) and densified to include all named streams present in Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's 24k hydrography layer, and additional unnamed streams from that source where fish data exists and is compiled across the region. Future versions of this dataset will include similar improvements for StreamNet's other partner states (Oregon, Idaho, and Montana). In addition, the extent of StreamNet's regional hydrography has expanded to include integration with the 1:100k scale routed hydrography for California (CalHydro). While the StreamNet project does not manage fish data for California, the integration of California hydrography facilitates collaboration with StreamNet's partner project, "CalFISH". For more information about the CalFISH project, visit http://www.CalFISH.org. For more information about the source data contributing to this dataset, see the lineage section of this metadata record.

The primary purpose of this dataset is to provide a route system ideal for storing, organizing, and displaying stream related fisheries and habitat data across the Pacific Northwest and California at the best practically available source scale. An on-going effort involves improving the resolution of the source datasets that makeup this regional layer. In addition to providing a regionally standard LRS, the MSHv1 can support many different types of GIS analysis including: buffering around reaches, stream network routing, and basin characteristics analysis.