NOHRSC Technology > NOHRSC GIS Applications > IHABBS

Last updated 10/15/03

While it is still possible and encouraged to send basins in GISRS format, it is now additionally possible to send basins that have been formatted using other GIS packages. We now have the ability to take any basins which are delivered in ESRI shapefile format. The .dbf, .shx, and .shp files should be tarred, compressed and ftp'ed following the procedure listed below. Please note that while we can now ingest shapefiles for our operational data processing, any basins modified outside of IHABBS cannot be brought back into IHABBS or be used with Unit Hydrograph.

IHABBS is currently running in all of the RFCs and is used by the RFCs to create, update, change, edit, delete, modify, export, and generally manage the RFC's vector hydrologic basin boundaries. The RFC-generated basin boundaries are used by each RFC as well as the NOHRSC, OH, AWIPS, and others.

In an effort to minimize the pain of distributing the RFC-generated IHABBS basins boundary data sets from the RFCs to the NOHRSC and other end-users, we suggest the following procedure: (1) RFCs ship the basin data set directly to the NOHRSC, (2) the NOHRSC will immediately convert the basins to shapefile format and post them, by RFC, to the NOHRSC web site, and (3) end-users can pick them up from the NOHRSC web site for use in various applications.

The NOHRSC has developed procedures to immediately incorporate RFC-generated IHABBS basins into the various NOHRSC operational procedures. Consequently, RFCs are strongly encouraged to ship to the NOHRSC IHABBS basins soon after each significant update has been completed by the RFC. We will immediately convert the RFC-updated IHABBS basins to Arc/Info and post them to our web site for general consumption by other end-users. In this way, both the NOHRSC applications and the NOHRSC web site will always have the most current RFC IHABBS hydrologic basin boundary data sets.

This process for the RFCs to update their IHABBS basins and ship them to the NOHRSC is described in following three steps:

1. Using the "NOHRSC Application" tool (enter nohrsc at the command line), navigate to Database Administration. Using the "Database Administration" tool, navigate to:

   Files
   -> Archive/Share GIS Layer

   Select the appropriate GIS Layer located in the "IHABBS Hydrologic Basin Boundaries" GIS Layer Group.

   Depress the Share button. This will take a couple of seconds to complete.

2. The resulting shared file will be written to your GISRS_ARCHIVE directory. The file is named with a timestamp (so it will look something like this: basinfilename.19990615123456).

   Tar and compress the file:

   tar -cvzf xxrfcbasins.tar.gz basinfilename.19990615123456
   

   Note: If your file name contains parentheses, those filenames should be bound by quotation marks in most UNIX commands. An example:

   tar -cvzf xxrfcbasins.tar.gz "basinfilename(1999).19990615123456"

   The resulting file will have the name xxrfcbasins.tar.gz. This file should be posted to the NOHRSC ftp site.

   ftp ftp.nohrsc.nws.gov
   anonymous login
   cd incoming
   binary
   put xxrfcbasins.tar.gz
   bye
   

3. Notify Carrie Olheiser in the NOHRSC office of your delivery at or (952)-368-2503.

RFC-updated basin files will be converted to shapefile format and subsequently posted to the NOHRSC web site (https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/gisdatasets/) RFCs can deliver basins to the NOHRSC at any time and are urged to do so after significant changes so that the most current basins are reflected in NOHRSC products and on the NOHRSC web site. Give us a call if you have any questions or suggestions.

National Weather Service National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center Office of Water Prediction 1735 Lake Drive W. Chanhassen, MN 55317
Contact NOHRSC Glossary Credits Information Quality Page last modified: Oct 27, 2022 - cloud	About Us Disclaimer Privacy Policy FOIA Career Opportunities