Hydrology Training Course:

Geographic Information System

(1) Topographic Analysis
(2) Hydrologic (Stream Order) Analysis
(3) Precipitation Analysis

What are we going to learn?

We will work with geographic data to create topographic maps, to

study stream system and precipitation distributioin in Kasumugaura
Watershed with a software called 'ArcGIS'. This is a standard GIS
software by ESRI probably most widely used in the world.
To get an general idea on what the GIS is, what you can do with it, etc.,
please refer to this site (among otherts).

Overview
• Topographic Analysis
o Contour Map
o Surface Analysis: height range classification
o
o 3D View
• Hydrologicl Analysis
o Stream net
o Stream Order Analysis
Stream Net and Stream Order

B: Horton's method, C: Strahler's method, A: Gravelius's method

According to the Horton's first law, the ratio of the number of stream N(i) of
the i-th order and that (N(i+1) of the (i+1)th order, Rb==N(i)/N(i+1) tends to
take a constant value of 4-5.

• Vegetation Map
 • Map created from National Survey on the Natural
Environment (Green Census)

• Precipitation Distribution
ο Annual precipitation map created from wather stations
observation
o Thiessen method to determine watershed mean
precipitation

o
o Annual precipitation map created from wather stations
observation and radar data
o Difference between the two
 「地理情報科学の教授法の確立」ホー ムページへ．

Let's Work!

Preparation
• Installation of ArcGIS

The University of Tsukuba has a site licence of ArcGIS;

thus you can download the software, install it to your own
PC and use it on campus free of cahrge. For installation,
the instruction manual is available here. Then for actual
downloading, please go visit the site at 「地理情報科学
の教授法の確立」ホー ムページ． First, you need to
supply your affiliation (Graduate School of Life and
Environmental Sciences), name and e-mail address. Then
choose ArcGIS9.1 (the latest version). (If you have
ArcGIS9.0 already installed on your PC, first you have to
uninstall 9.0 and then start installation of ArcGIS 9.1).
• Data Download
Create a working directory on your PC. Then download all the files
onto this directory
from http://www.envr.tsukuba.ac.jp/~sugita/gis/files. Keep everything
(file names and directroy structure) of the file server. This server is
accessible only from within the campus.
• Preparation of ArcGIS

The details of the ArcGIS use can be found in Users

Guide you downloaded from the above site.
o Extension
Star|ArcGIS|ArcMap, Select "A new empty map".
 Tools|Extension|Check "3D analyst" and "Spatial Analyst", Close
Tools|Customize|Check "3D analyst"と"Spatial Analyst", "Tools",
"Standard", "Layout", "Draw", "Editor", Close

Project #1．Topographic Analysis

• Topograpgy of Kasumigaura
o Add "Kasumigaura_Project_Clip.shp" onto ArcGIS

Click on "＋" symbol on the menu bar. First time you

do this, you need to sepcify your wroking folder by
clicking "connect to Folder" button and select your
folder. Then within "Add Data" menu,
select"Kasumigaura_Project_Clip.shp".

This is called a shape file, a standard file type used in

ArcGIS. This shape file contains the elevation data as a 50
m grid within Kasumigaura watershed. This was created
by extracting needed parts with ArcTool Box (one of the
ArcGIS utilitiess) from the Digital Map 2000 of the
Geographical Survey of Japan.
o Coordinate system and Projection o the Map

In general, a map has to be drawn wtih a certain type of

projection and coordinate system. Maps with different
system cannot be overlaid one over the other. However, in
ArcGIS, the newer map of different system will
automatically converted to the system of the existing map,
and thus they can be overlaid. So let's first check the
projection and coordinate system of the current map. In
arcGIS, unless you specify first, the projection and
coordinate system of the first data (in our case, those
of "Kasumigaura_Project_Clip.shp") you added will be selected.
Within the "Table of Contenst" (left panel of ArcMap), right click "layers"
choose "Propoerties|Coordinate System, and verify that it is
"JGD_2000_Japan_Zone_9" You can change this to different system by e.g.,
selcting "Predefined" system.

• Get a rough image of topography with TIN

TIN is the Triangulated Irregular Network, one of the features of ArcGIS,
to allow topography very easily by interporating data within the
triangles made from the data.

o Initial settings
Spatial Analyst|Option|
General|Analysis Coorinate System|".... same coordinate system as
the input...."
Extent|Same as Layer "Kasumigaura Project Clip"
Cell Size=Minimum of Inputs
o Create TIN
3D analyst|Create/Modify TIN|Create TIN from features|
Check Kasumigaura_Project_clip
Height source =ELEV
Others:keep default settings
o Edit/Modify
Within the "Table of Contenst" (left panel of ArcMap), right click "tin"
|Properties|Symbology|
Here you can change many things. For changing the number of
classes, Choose number in "Classes" of "Classification" in the right top
panel. To change the interval within each class, you can select
"Classify button , and cahnge the "Break Values" as you
like. To hide the triangles outside the watershed, you can do the
followings: In Table of content, first add basin_kasumi.shp. Then right
click "Layer" and select Property|Data Frame. Then you can check
"Enable" on "Clip to Shape" and then Clic on Specify shape button, and
choose basin_kasumi as outline features. This will hide everything
(i.e., not only tin but also other layers if there are some) outside the
"basin_lasumi".

• Contour Map
o Initial Settings
Spatial Analyst|Option|
General|Analysis Coorinate System|".... same coordinate system as
the input...."
Extent|Same as Layer "Kasumigaura Project Clip"
o Create Contours
3D Analysis|Surface Analysis|Contour|
Output features=contor.shp in your working folder
Others can remain as default values
o Edit/Modify
Within the "Table of Contenst" (left panel of ArcMap), right
click "contour"
Properties|Symbology|Categories|Unique values (Value
Field=Contour)| Here you can modify the color, contour intervals etc.

• Extraction of Watershed Area

o Add map of Watershed

Click on "＋" symbol on the menu bar. Select

"basin_kasumi.shp" , Click "OK" to the question from ArcGIS. Let's
remove TIN layer from the map. This can be done by remove
"Check"from "tin" of the main menu. Let's also remove
"Kasumugaura_Project_Clip"

Now we have contour layer and basin_kasumi layer. In order to see

both together, make the top layer transparent. (Top layer is the layer
that appears at the top within the "Table of Content." You can change
the order by moving the layer names in "Table of Content.".

Within the "Table of Contenst" (left panel of ArcMap), right click "tin"
|Properties|Display|Transparent

Change the default value of 0% to something like 40-50%.

• Extraction of Watershed Are

Start ArcTool Box by clicking button in the menu bar.

ArcTool Box|Analysis Tool|Extract|Clip

Input features= Contour.shp
Clip featers ー= basin_kasumi.shp
Output feature =Contour_clip.shp

Remove Contour.shp from the map. Now you only see contours within
Kasumigaura basin.

Now, you can create/custermize your own maps by

changing colors, classification scheme, etc. Once you are
done, you can add legend, scale, etc. Please try those.
This should be done, first choose View|Layout View fro
mthe main menu bar. This is the view you can make a print
out. The selec Insert|Legend, North arrow, Scale bar, etc.
Lat/Lon lines can be added from "Table of Contenst" , right
click "Layers" |Properties|Grids|New Grid.

• Other Maps.

When you finish the above works, please try the

following with the same data set.
o Topographic Analysis

3D Analyst|Surface Analysis|

 Slope (the rate of maximum change in z-value from each

cell, a value between 0 and 90)

 Aspect (the downslope direction of the maximum rate of

change in value from each cell to its neighbors; slope
direction, positive degrees from 0 to 359.9)
 Hillshade (The Hillshade tool creates a shaded relief raster
from a raster. The illumination source is considered at
infinity)
 Area and Volume (calculate area and volume of certain
category. For example, you can calcurate area with altitude
<2 m, where there is a danger of flood. You can determine
the area of Mt Tsukuba withaltitude <100 m where you
could obtan material easily for construction etc,) Create
your own problem and apply this option to calculate area
and/or volume.
o 3D visualization

3D Analyst ArcScene (Click this button within 3D analyst

menu bar)
  Within the new ArcScene Window, Click on "＋"

symbol on the menu bar. Select "contour_Clip.shp"

 Within the "Table of Contenst" (left panel of ArcMap),
right click "contour_clip"
|Properties|Base Heights|Click open file button and
select "idw"
 Change value in "Z Unit Conversion" from 1 to 10. When
this value is increase, the 3D topograpgy is magnified in z
direction. You can try different values later on.
 You can also add "basin_kasumi.shp" to show the area
of watershed in this 3D map.
 Similarly, you may want to add
"kitaura.shp", "Nishiura.shp", "sotona_sakura.shp", 3 major
lakes of Kasumigaura.
 You can change the way 3D looks like by click ing
navigation button in the menu bar and use mouse to
change the looks. This is fun!

Project #2．Hydrologic Analysis

Let's create a map of drainage net.. This is a map in which all river
system (both main and tributary) is expressed as lines. In practice,
this is determined by analysing the curveture of a contour map. When
there are a concave contour lines that would allows stream flow, the
curved portion of the contour can be connected with a line as part of
drainage net. Note that not all nets have river flow at all times; some
have water flow only during a peak runoff period.

• Drainage net
Start ArcMap, with "A new empty map"option. First, define
map projection. Within the "Table of Contenst", right click
"layers" choose "Propoerties|Coordinate System, and
select Predefined|日本周辺座標系|平面直角座標系|19 system|
Jgd2000|JGD 2000 第 9 系. Verify that wihtin the "Current
coorinate syetm" window, JGD_Japan_Zone_9 is selected."
Note that if you cannot find these, it is because your ArcGIS
 program is original English versioin. These files are usually
added to the disk when you install Japanese version; Please
come to see an instructor to obtain needed files.

o Conversion from a mesh altitude data to a raster

altitude file
 Click on "＋" symbol on the menu bar.
First time you do this, you need to sepcify
your wroking folder by clicking "connect to
Folder" button and select your folder.
Then within "Add Data" menu,
select"Kasumigaura_Project_Clip.shp".
 Initial settings
Spatial Analyst|Option|
General|Analysis Coorinate System|".... same
coordinate system as the input...."
Extent|Same as Layer "Kasumigaura Project Clip"
Cell Size=Minimum of Inputs
 On 3D analyst, Select Interporate to Raster|Inverse
Distance Weighted.
Select "Kasumigaura_Project_Clip.shp" as Input
points. Output raster name should be changed to
"idw" in your working directory. Other options can
remain as default values. Select "OK". This will
created raster file containing altitude by interpolating
mesh data. Note that this will take some 10-15
minutes.
 Extraction of the Kasumigaura watershed

parts. Open ArcTool Box Window by clicking .

Select Spatial Analyst Tools|Extraction|Extract by
Mask. Input: idw, feature mask data:
basin_kasumi.shp, Output: Extract_idw1.
 Let's remove "idw" and "kasumigaura_Project_clip"
from "Table of content"

o Drainage net from IDW

 Remove "hollows"within the watershed. This is necessary
so that all water goes out of watershed.
Within ArcTool Box Menu
Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology|Fill
input=extract_idw1, output=Fill_extract1

• Calculate direction of flow

Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology|Direction

input=fill_extract1, output=FlowDir_fill1

• Evaluate whether or not there is an incoming flow flom neighbor cell.

Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology|Flow Accumulation

input=flowdir_fill1, output=FlowAcc_flow1

• Let's define river when the flow amount is more than 5. Flow amount is
a number of cells from which there is an incoming flow to a particukar
cell . The resulting file has １ when there is a flow, and 0 otherwise

Spatial Analyst Tools|Conditional |Con

input=flowacc_flow1, Input true raster or constant value=1, Expressiobn Value
>= 5 （Note that there is a space on both side of >=）, Output=con_flowacc_1

• Drainage net

Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology||Stream to Feature

Input stream raster=con_flowacc_1 input flow direction=FlowDir_fill1,
output=StreamT_con_flo1.shp

• Stream order

Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology||Stream Order

Input stream raster=con_flowacc_1, input flow direction=FlowDir_fill1,
output=streamo_con_1

Now you ca edit the map to make it look nice. This can be done by changing
colors, adding other files such as Lasumigaura lakes, etc. Save a map.
Please also try other options in Spatial Analyst Tools|Hydrology. They include
"Basin" to create a raster delineating all drainage basins, and "Watershed" to
determine the watershed area. They are usually used to create a watershed
boundary from flow direction/flow accumulation files created above.
Note however, it is more convenient to use "Hydrological Modeling extension"
provided by ESRI as a samle extension. This can be done as follows.

• In your PC, try to locate a folder C:\Program

Files\ArcGIS\DeveloperKit\samples\SpatialAnalyst. There are several
samples in it. You should unzip a file called
Hydrologic_ModelingVisual_Basic.zip; the resulting folders
"Hydrologic_ModelingVisual_Basic" can be moved to "C:\Program
Files\ArcGIS\".
• Within ArcGIS, Tools|Extension|Customize| , Click on "Add from file"
button. Select "esrihydrology_v2.dll"
within "Hydrologic_ModelingVisual_Basic\Visual_Basic" folder. Then
check "Hydrology Modeling" , Close. View|Tool bar| check "Hydrology
Modeling"

• To create a watershed boundary above a certain point (Pour point), click

on Hydrolgy Menu. Choose "Interactive Properties". Specify your flow
direction and flow accumulation files. Then click on . Select your
poring point by clicking a mouse.
• To create sub-basins within the specified flow direction and flow
accumulation files, choose "watershed" in Hydrology menu. The
Minimum number of cells for a basin is the flow accumulation value
above which the watershed boundary is to be created.
• The description of this sample extension can be found in C:\Program
Files\ArcGIS\Hydrologic_ModelingVisual_Basic\Visual_Basic\Hydrolo
gyAnalysis.doc.

Project #3．Vegetaion Map

Let's create a map of vegetation in Kasumigaura region from National

Survey on the Natural Environment (Green Census) . Data (shape file)
in Ibaraki prefecture can be downloaded
from http://www.envr.tsukuba.ac.jp/~sugita/gis/vegetation/ You can
use these files only for this lecture. You may not distribute these files
to other people (you need to obtain permission). Files by the name of
vg3*.* are from 3rd survey in 1983-1986; vg4*.* are from 4th survey in
1989-1992; vg5*.* are from 5th survey in 1995-1999. In vg3*.*, all
data are included, while in vg4*.* and vg5*.*, only data that were
found different from previous survey are included. In the file
vegetationb_type.csv, you can find a list of "major (属性 1）" used in
the shape file and name of vegetaion. Sorry, the information is given
in japanese only. Please use these files to create a vegetation map of
Kasumigaura watershed, based on what you have learned from Project
#1 and Project #2.

Hint: This data set gives very detailed vegetation all over Japan. This
is sometimes very useful. But for hydrological purposes, often we do
not need this detailed information. All we need may be the difference
of forest, grassland, houses, water and so on. To create this kind of
map from the detailed information, you can assign the same color for
the similar vegetation category. The result will look like this map. The
category numbers in this map correspond to the number in the "H"
column （植生自然度 vegetation_class 1) of vegetation_class_all sheet in
"vegetaion_class1.xls". The English names can be found in
vegetation_class1 sheet.

This can be accomplished by useing additional file which list not only
the detailed classification, but also classification of less detailed
information. Add this file onto the map. The table can be joined to the
vegetation shape file of vg3*.*, vg4*.*, and vg5*.* as follows

o Right click on the vegetation shape file (vg3, 4, or 5).

o Join and Relates| Join |
o Select as follows: "Join attributes from a table", "Major1",
"VG_a.csv" and "Major1". This will create a table that combine
both files.
o Then doble click Vg* shape file and select Symbo | Categories |
植生自然度 | Add all values.
o You can assign appropriate colors to each category.

Project #4．Precipitation analysis

• A map of annual precipitation over Kasumigaura lake

basin
Start ArcMap, with "A new empty map"option. First, define map projection.
Within the "Table of Contenst", right click "layers" choose "Propoerties|
Coordinate System, and select Predefined|日本周辺座標系|平面直角座標系|
19 system|Jgd2000|JGD 2000 第 9 系. Verify that wihtin the "Current
coorinate syetm" window, JGD_Japan_Zone_9 is selected." Note that if you
cannot find these, it is because your ArcGIS program is original English
versioin. These files are usually added to the disk when you install Japanese
version; Please come to see an instructor to obtain needed files.

Click on "＋" symbol on the menu bar. First time you

do this, you need to sepcify your wroking folder by
clicking "connect to Folder" button and select your
folder. Then within "Add Data" menu,
select "basin_kasumi.shp.
o Data Preparation

Let's add "Amedas_precip_monthly2001.csv" which contain monthly and

annual precipitation (ID, Lat, Lon, Jan...Dec,year) data.
Tools||Add xy data|File=Amedas_precip_monthly2001.csv|x Field=Lon,
y Field=Lat
oatial reference|Edit|Select|Japan|Geographic Coordinate System|JGD 2000.prj

• Isohyet (Contour lines of precipitation)

（１）Interporation
Spatial Analyst|option|General
Analysis Coordinate System=Analysi output will be....as the active data frame
Extent=Same as layer "basin_Kasumi"
Cell size=Minimum of inputs
Spatial Analyst|Interpolate to raster|Inverse Distance weighted
Input points=Amedas_precip_monthly2001.csv
z value field=Annual
Output raster=C:\Products\doc\GIS\P_year_inter

• Isohyet (Contour lines of precipitation)

（２）Spline method

Spatial Analyst|option| General

Analysis Coordinate System=Analysi output will be....as the active data frame
Extent=Same as layer "basin_Kasumi"
Cell size=Minimum of inputsAnalysis Coordinate System=Analysi output will
be....as the active data frame

Spatial Analyst || Interpolate to raster| Spline

Input points=Amedas_precip_monthly2001.csv
z value field=Annual
Output raster=C:\Products\doc\GIS\P_year_spline

o Extraction of basin region

Spatial Analyst Tools|Extraction|Extract by Mask

Input=P_year_inter
feature mask data=basin_kasumi.shp
Output raster=Extract_p_yeI

• Thiessen Method to Determine Watershed Mean

Precipitation
In this approach, we will use one of the script
(program, macro) file constructed for this purpose.
o Script installation
 download the file by accessing http://arcscripts.esri.com/.
 Search for "thiessen"; choose "Create Thiessen Polygons
3.0", download this file, and install this onto your ArcGIS
by following instruction in "Create
ThiessenPoly_readme.txt" file.
o Right crick "Amedas_precip_monthly2001.csv Events" and select
Data| Export data. Export=All features, Use the same coorinate
system as the data frame, and output file "Export_Output_2".
o Right crick "Export_Output_2"; choose properties. In Layer
Properties Menu, select "Annual" as "Value Field", and click on
"Add All Values" in the Symbology menu. Also choose "Annual"
in Primary Display Field in "Field" menu.
o Click on the Create Thiessen Polygons 3.0 icon . A Menu
should appear, and insert appropriate values. See below as an
 example.

o Start, and you wil see the polygons.

o Extraction of basin region

 Spatial Analysis Tools|Extractt| Clip

 Input=Thiessen.shp
 Clip feature=basin_kasumi.shp
 Output raster=thiessen_clip.shp

Determine the annual average precipitation of the Kasumigaura

watershed based on the above three methods.

• RADAR/AMeDas data
 • Add "p_year_spline"

o Tool| add xy data | File=radarP1-3A.csv (Total of Jan-

March),raderP4-12A.csv (total of April-Dec)

x field=Lon, y filed=Lat
Coorinate sytemJGD 2000.prj
Spatial Analyst|Analysis Coordinate System=Analysi output will be....as the
active data frame
Extent=same as layer p_year_spline
Cell size=Smallest of input data

Spatial Analyst| Interporate to raster | Spline

Input =raderP1-3A.csv event , raderP4-12A.csv
z field=P
Output raster=output:radarP4-12b,radarP1-3b

Raster Calculater to Derive total precipitation for Jan-Dec

Spatial Analyst| Raster calc| In layers, Click on Radar1-3b,+,radar4-12b in this
order.
Make sure that the resulting expressions is "[radar1-3b] + [radar4-12b]"
Click on "Evaluate"