Enhancing the National Hydrography Dataset for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Project ID: J8W07090023

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Fiscal Year: 2009

Initial Funding: $20,060

Total Funding: $20,060

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Physical

National Park: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve

Principal Investigator: Drazkowski, Barry

Agreement Technical Representative: Veach, Eric

Abstract: NPS staff at Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST) and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota (SMUMN) will collaborate on this technical assistance project to modify and enhance the US Geological Survey (USGS) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). WRST is in the midst of a front-country planning process and needs accurate geospatial data upon which to base management decisions. Water is a critical component of WRST and it is vital that NPS has reliable datasets for management decision-making. Much of the NHD in the WRST area is in need of work to make it useful and reliable. This project was created to capitalize on efforts of the larger Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for WRST that SMUMN is currently involved in. Thus, collaboration has already been established between the NPS and SMUMN. Once completed, this project will provide NPS and other government and scientific entities and the public with a hydrological dataset that is an accurate and valuable tool for many resource management decisions.