Minnesota DNR Catchments are the smallest delineated and digitized drainage area mapped by the Minnesota DNR Watershed Delineation Project. The overall goal of this mapping effort is to produce the best drainage area delineations available that reflect the current hydrology of the landscape as interpreted from as many data sources necessary to derive acceptable watershed delineations. Minnesota DNR Catchments are delineated from the perspective of hydrologists who refrained from allowing cartography to drive the delineation linework. This was accomplished by excluding political boundaries and cartographic esthetics during the delineation procedure, focusing instead, on landscape hydrology.

Minnesota DNR Catchments contain all of the land area(s), including noncontributing inclusions, and all water features upstream from, or between DNR Pour Points. Therefore, Minnesota DNR Catchments are not scale dependent. There is no size limit as to how large or small the delineation may be, an individual DNR Catchment in the dataset may represent the drainage area of a 1-acre prairie wetland or a 100-acre recreational lake.

CLIPPING & INTERSECTING:
- It is recommended that users/distributors of this data not clip or intersect the DNR Catchment dataset with political boundaries if the resulting product are intended to be used for any type of watershed assessment, hydraulic design or GIS hydrologic analysis. Clipping and intersecting DNR Catchments alters the hydrologic representation of the landscape these delineations were intended to represent. A suggested alternative would be to identify and create a subset of all DNR Catchments internal to the political boundary of interest and all of the DNR Catchments contributing to the political boundary.

LAKE WATERSHEDS:
- Minnesota DNR Catchments aggregate to define DNR Basin (lake) Watersheds.
- Individual DNR Catchments are not DNR Basin (lake) watersheds unless the DNR Catchment is DNR Headwaters Catchment.
- DNR Catchments with a item value in the DOWLKNUM field represent DNR Lake Catchments (DNR Direct Contributing Areas) from which DNR Basin Watersheds are derived.

Initial work on this dataset began in July 1998 and continued through July 2008. Additional catchment delineations, updates and general data maintenance continue on a regular basis. Theses manually derived, human interpreted, watershed delineations were created from a sophisticated methodology that incorporated information from as many as 30 different datasets, sources of information and field review. Primary datasets that had the most influence on catchment delineations were 1991 ? 1-meter ground resolution USGS digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) photography, 2003-2004 ? 1-meter ground resolution FSA DOQ series photography, Minnesota DNR hydrologically corrected DEMs and 1:24,000 scale USGS Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs).

The principle basemap for watershed arc delineation alignment is the 24 K DRGs. DRGs are a scanned version of the USGS 1:24,000-scale, 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps. Topographic feature content of the original USGS quadrangle maps were interpreted by using stereophotographs from the National Aerial Photography Program. Like the 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps, DRGs are a static cartographic representation of the landscape locked in time when the off-site topographic interpretation was made. In fact, a large portion of Minnesota is covered by 1:24,000-scale, 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps that are 30 years old and older. Select Topo-Maps have been updated as part of the USGS Revision Program for 7.5-Minute Topographic Maps. Due to the high cost of production, contours are not usually revised under the revision program.

To overcome the deficiencies of the DRG contours, the delineation methodology utilizes as many as 30 other sources of data and information during the delineation procedure to improve the discrepancies of the DRGs. As a result, a review of Minnesota DNR Catchment data, as compared exclusively to DRGs, may appear to conflict with the cartographic topography illustrated by the contours.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
- As defined in the DNR License Agreement, users of this data must credit the Originator on published maps and analysis.
- The user shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Title (name).
- The user shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Publication Date.
- For example, Source: DNR Watersheds - DNR Level 08 - All Catchments, Originator: Minnesota DNR - Division of Waters - Watershed Delineation Project, Publication Date: 4/7/2009).

USE CONSTRAINT COMMENTS:
- See Cartographic Lineage, Logical Consistency, Positional Accuracy, and Currentness Reference for further discussion of data capture.
- The DNR Catchment dataset is specific to the state of Minnesota and is not part of the NRCS Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD).
- As a whole, DNR Catchment delineations do not represent DNR Lake Watersheds. Individual DNR Catchments are not lake watersheds (lakesheds) unless the DNR Catchment is a DNR Headwaters Catchment.

Minnesota DNR Catchments are the smallest delineated and digitized drainage area mapped by the Minnesota DNR Watershed Delineation Project. The overall goal of this mapping effort is to produce the best drainage area delineations available that reflect the current hydrology of the landscape as interpreted from as many data sources necessary to derive acceptable watershed delineations. Minnesota DNR Catchments are delineated from the perspective of hydrologists who refrained from allowing cartography to drive the delineation linework. This was accomplished by excluding political boundaries and cartographic esthetics during the delineation procedure, focusing instead, on landscape hydrology.

Minnesota DNR Catchments contain all of the land area(s), including noncontributing inclusions, and all water features upstream from, or between DNR Pour Points. Therefore, Minnesota DNR Catchments are not scale dependent. There is no size limit as to how large or small the delineation may be, an individual DNR Catchment in the dataset may represent the drainage area of a 1-acre prairie wetland or a 100-acre recreational lake.

CLIPPING & INTERSECTING:
- It is recommended that users/distributors of this data not clip or intersect the DNR Catchment dataset with political boundaries if the resulting product are intended to be used for any type of watershed assessment, hydraulic design or GIS hydrologic analysis. Clipping and intersecting DNR Catchments alters the hydrologic representation of the landscape these delineations were intended to represent. A suggested alternative would be to identify and create a subset of all DNR Catchments internal to the political boundary of interest and all of the DNR Catchments contributing to the political boundary.

LAKE WATERSHEDS:
- Minnesota DNR Catchments aggregate to define DNR Basin (lake) Watersheds.
- Individual DNR Catchments are not DNR Basin (lake) watersheds unless the DNR Catchment is DNR Headwaters Catchment.
- DNR Catchments with a item value in the DOWLKNUM field represent DNR Lake Catchments (DNR Direct Contributing Areas) from which DNR Basin Watersheds are derived.

The upstream ? downstream relationship of the DNR Catchment polygons is maintained in the dataset attributes. For example, Minnesota DNR Catchments with upstream contributing catchments aggregate upwards within a DNR watershed hierarchal classification system to define hydrologic units of larger sizes. In particular, Minnesota DNR Catchments share coincident boundaries that combine to define Minnesota DNR Basin Watersheds, Minnesota DNR Minor Watersheds and Minnesota DNR Major Watersheds. Minnesota DNR Catchments can also be combined to define Minnesota DNR Level 01-HUC 1 through Minnesota DNR Level 12-HUC 12 watersheds. The Minnesota DNR Catchment dataset is the maintenance version of watershed delineations in Minnesota.

Initial work on this dataset began in July 1998 and continued through July 2008. Additional catchment delineations, updates and general data maintenance continue on a regular basis. Theses manually derived, human interpreted, watershed delineations were created from a sophisticated methodology that incorporated information from as many as 30 different datasets, sources of information and field review. Primary datasets that had the most influence on catchment delineations were 1991 ? 1-meter ground resolution USGS digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) photography, 2003-2004 ? 1-meter ground resolution FSA DOQ series photography, Minnesota DNR hydrologically corrected DEMs and 1:24,000 scale USGS Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs).

The principle basemap for watershed arc delineation alignment is the 24 K DRGs. DRGs are a scanned version of the USGS 1:24,000-scale, 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps. Topographic feature content of the original USGS quadrangle maps were interpreted by using stereophotographs from the National Aerial Photography Program. Like the 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle maps, DRGs are a static cartographic representation of the landscape locked in time when the off-site topographic interpretation was made. In fact, a large portion of Minnesota is covered by 1:24,000-scale, 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps that are 30 years old and older. Select Topo-Maps have been updated as part of the USGS Revision Program for 7.5-Minute Topographic Maps. Due to the high cost of production, contours are not usually revised under the revision program.

To overcome the deficiencies of the DRG contours, the delineation methodology utilizes as many as 30 other sources of data and information during the delineation procedure to improve the discrepancies of the DRGs. As a result, a review of Minnesota DNR Catchment data, as compared exclusively to DRGs, may appear to conflict with the cartographic topography illustrated by the contours.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
- As defined in the DNR License Agreement, users of this data must credit the Originator on published maps and analysis.
- The user shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Title (name).
- The user shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Publication Date.
- For example, Source: DNR Watersheds - DNR Level 08 - All Catchments, Originator: Minnesota DNR - Division of Waters - Watershed Delineation Project, Publication Date: 4/7/2009).

USE CONSTRAINT COMMENTS:
- See Cartographic Lineage, Logical Consistency, Positional Accuracy, and Currentness Reference for further discussion of data capture.
- The DNR Catchment dataset is specific to the state of Minnesota and is not part of the NRCS Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD).
- As a whole, DNR Catchment delineations do not represent DNR Lake Watersheds. Individual DNR Catchments are not lake watersheds (lakesheds) unless the DNR Catchment is a DNR Headwaters Catchment.

Note: Majors 6, 45, and 64 do not exist.

MINOR5: Minnesota DNR Minor Watershed ID number. The first charactors of this field are the the DNR Major Watershed ID number.

CATCH_ID: Primary ID field. DNR Catchment IDs, same as HPOI_ID except it is a string.

DOWLKNUM: Minnesota DNR Division of Waters unique lake and wetland identification number for basins of Public Waters.

HYDROID: DNR CATCH_ID plus two digits. Created for Arc Hydro integration.

LAKE_AC: Recorded lake acres from Protected Waters dataset.

DOWN_CAT: DNR Catchment(CATCH_IDs) of adjacent downstream receiving DNR Catchments.

NEXTDOWNID: HYDROID of adjacent downstream receiving DNR Catchments. Created for Arc Hydro Integration.

UP_COUNT: Total number of adjacent upstream contributing DNR Catchments.

UPADJ_CAT: List of adjacent upstream contributing DNR Catchments.

CATCH_AC: This field contains the spatial extent of individual DNR Catchment polygons in ACRES as represented by each record.

TOT_SHED_A: Total Acres of all upstream contributing DNR Catchment polygon(s) to this individual polygon as represented by this record.

NCONTRB_A: Not Available

CONTRIB_A: Not Available

PW_AC: Total of all acres of DNR Protected Waters contained within the DNR Catchment represented by this record.

NWI_AC: Total of all acres of NWI polygons contained within the DNR Catchment represented by this record.

DCA_RATIO: DNR DCA/Catchment to Lake area ratio.

TOT_RATIO: Standard watershed to lake basin ratio.

LK_RATIO: DNR Basin Watershed minus all PW polygon areas to lake basin ratio.

STO_RATIO: DNR Total Watershed storage to lake ratio.

CONTB_RAT: Not Available.

HUC_2: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 1, 2 digit Administrative Watershed.

HUC_4: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 2, 4 digit Administrative Watershed.

HUC_6: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 3, 6 digit Administrative Watershed.

HUC_8: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 4, 8 digit Administrative Watershed.

HUC_10: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 5, 10 digit Administrative Watershed.

HUC_12: DNR Hydrologic Unit Level 6, 12 digit Administrative Watershed.

STATES: Includes the names of all state(s) that the DNR Catchment falls within.

HU_10_DS: 10-digit code of the 5th level hydrologic unit that is receiving the majority of the flow from the watershed that the 6th level HU falls within.

HU_10_NAME: A unique name for each 5th level hydrologic unit that relates to the major water feature within the polygon or the major water body it contributes to.

HU_10_MOD: Identifies modifications that modify natural overland that alters the location of the HU boundary for a 10-digit subwatershed.

HU_10_TYPE: This field identifies the type of watershed.

HU_12_DS: 12-digit code of the 5th level hydrologic unit that is receiving the majority of the flow from the watershed that the 6th level HU falls within. Outlets created by ditching or other artificial drainage were not considered for this field.

HU_12_NAME: A unique name for each 6th level hydrologic unit that relates to the major water feature within the polygon or the major water body it contributes to.

HU_12_MOD: Identifies modifications that modify natural overland that alters the location of the HU boundary for a 12-digit subwatershed.

HU_12_TYPE: This field identifies the type of watershed.

HU_10_GNIS: GNIS Feature Identification Numbers for each feature in the 5th level hydrologic unit name separated by a space.

HU_12_GNIS: GNIS Feature Identification Numbers for each feature in the 6th level hydrologic unit name separated by a space.

HPOI_CLASS: Combination of digits representing types of HPOIs.

1 - Basin (DNR Lakes & Wetlands)
2 - Sub-basin (bay)
3 - Dam
4 - Gage
5 - Minnesota DNR Minor Watershed
6 - Minnesota DNR Major Watershed
7 - Frontal Watersheds (Lake Superior)
8 - Tailings Basin (Ore mining)
9 - Semi-permanent HPOI (Fisheries survey locations, Water Quality monitoring site etc.)

Possible values, not limited to: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 34, 35, 45, 99, 134, 135, 136, 345, 1345, 1346 etc.

E.g 135 = DNR Basin (1) and Dam (3) and DNR Minor Watershed Outlet (5).

HPOI_ID: DNR Hydrologic Points Of Interest Ids.

This unique identification number is derived by adding two trailing digits to the DNR MINOR5 ID.

Second Party Distribution Metadata
- The user/distributor shall credit the Originator.
- The user/distributor shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Title (name).
- The user/distributor shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Publication Date.
- The user/distributor shall include the Minnesota DNR source data Cartographic Lineage.