Projections of compound floodwater depths for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington State

Metadata also available as - [Outline] - [Parseable text] - [XML]

Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Projections of compound floodwater depths for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington State
Abstract:
Computed flood depths associated with the combined influence of sea level position, tides, storm surge, and streamflow under existing conditions and projected future higher sea level and peak stream runoff are provided for the lower (Reach 1) of the Nooksack River and delta in Whatcom County, western Washington State. The flood-depth projection data are provided in a series of raster geotiff files. Flood-depth projections were computed using a system of numerical models that accounted for projected changes in climate forcing including sea level rise, storm surge, and stream discharge in the 2040s and 2080s based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) Global Climate Model (GCM) projections. Additionally, the models were run with modifications to land surface elevations to represent proposed flood hazard reduction and salmon habitat restoration strategies (alternatives) under existing and future conditions. Variations of the models also simulated changes to the stream bed to reflect recently observed decadal-scale sedimentation patterns that affect flow conveyance and flood risk.
Supplemental_Information:
This work is part of ongoing research and modeling efforts to evaluate hazards and inform resilient planning for our Nation's coasts, and in particular, evaluate the potential benefits and tradeoffs of nature-based solutions to address flood risk management. This work was funded by the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District and the United States Geological Survey as part of the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) and Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) Projects. The work was coordinated closely with the Nooksack Indian Tribe and Lummi Nation. Although this Federal Geographic Data Committee-compliant metadata file is intended to document the data set in nonproprietary form, as well as in Esri format, this metadata file may include some Esri-specific terminology. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this Federal Geographic Data Committee-compliant metadata file is intended to document the data set in nonproprietary form, as well as in Esri format, this metadata file may include some Esri-specific terminology.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Grossman, Eric E., vanArendonk, Nathan R., Nederhoff, Kees, and Parker, Kai A., 20230831, Projections of compound floodwater depths for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington State: data release DOI:10.5066/P9DJM7X2, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Grossman, Eric E., vanArendonk, Nathan R., Nederhoff, Kees, and Parker, Kai A., 2023, Model input and projections of compound floodwater depths for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington State: data release DOI:10.5066/P9DJM7X2, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.70768
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.48246
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.84569
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.73793
  3. What does it look like?
    f2009.png (PNG)
    The graphic is showing the study area for projected flood extents
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2019
    Ending_Date: 2023
    Currentness_Reference:
    start of project work through publication year
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: geotiff
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a raster data set.
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 10
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -123.00000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.00000
      False_Easting: 500000.0
      False_Northing: 0.00
      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 5
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 5
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meters
      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS 1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222101.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum of 1988
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.01
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method:
      Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    flood depth projections
    geotiffs contain projections of flood-hazard water depths (Source: Producer defined)
    waterDepth
    water depth associated with corresponding sea-level position, storm surge, stream discharge and individual and cumulative effects of flood mitigation strategies and decadal scale sedimentation (Source: model-derived)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.05
    Maximum:24.50
    Units:meter
    Resolution:0.05
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    The data contain computed floodwater depths (depth of water level over the land surface) from associated tides, storm surge, and streamflow observed during the Jan 8, 2009, and Feb 2, 2020, floods on the Lower Nooksack River and the extent of flooding estimated with proposed flood mitigation alternatives. Additional projections include the flood extent of those two events accounting for sea level rise and changes in runoff in the 2040s and 2080s with and without the mitigation alternatives and for all scenarios with and without recently observed decadal scale stream channel bed aggradation patterns.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: U.S. Geological Survey

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Eric E. Grossman
    • Nathan R. vanArendonk
    • Kees Nederhoff
    • Kai A. Parker
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)
    pcmsc_data@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

These data represent cumulative effects analyses of impending compound flood exposure to provide identified information needs and help inform resource managers, policy makers, scientific researchers, students, and the general public. The projections of flood depths accounting for the combined effects of future sea-level rise, tide, storm surge and stream flooding provide emergency responders and coastal planners with critical hazards information that can be used as a screening tool to increase public safety, mitigate physical damages, and more effectively manage and allocate resources within complex coastal settings. These data can be used with geographic information systems or other software to identify and assess possible areas of exposure to flooding and vulnerability.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 15-Jan-2021 (process 1 of 4)
    Generated a numerical unstructured grid consisting of a set of one-dimensional (1D) nodes as cross-channel transects along the mainstem river and distributary channels of the lower Nooksack River and two-dimensional horizontal (2DH) nodes across the coastal embayments and floodplains using Delft3D Flexible Mesh (Delft3D FM). Numerical grid node spacing ranges between 6 and 50 m with highest resolution in areas of greatest concern to flood model outputs, namely along the floodplain in the vicinity of greatest flood exposure and identified mitigation alternatives for assessment. The grid nodes and transects were attributed with elevations derived from a seamless topographic and bathymetric digital elevation model (Tyler and others, 2020). Modifications of model grid elevations for identified flood mitigation/habitat restoration alternatives were made by prescribing channels across the floodplain following specifications in Whatcom County Public Works (2017) and by raising mainstem channel stream bed elevations to represent recent observed decadal scale bed aggradation patterns (Anderson and Grossman, 2017; Anderson and others, 2019).
    Date: 15-May-2021 (process 2 of 4)
    Generated boundary condition forcing for the marine and freshwater boundaries of the model. The marine boundary was prescribed tidal harmonics and nontidal residual values (anomalies) derived from the 27-year observational record at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cherry Point tide gage (station 9449424). The freshwater boundary was forced with measured stream discharge at the USGS stream gage Nooksack River at Ferndale (Station 12213100) for historical flows. Modifications for future conditions included elevating sea level position following Miller and others (2018) and increasing stream discharge following the future hydrologic projections of Hamlet and others (2013) for mean and high change scenarios described in Grossman and others (2023).
    Date: 15-Sep-2021 (process 3 of 4)
    Ran model simulations of existing conditions for validation and calibration period of 2017 for comparison to measured water levels in Anderson and others (2019) and for two historical floods of Jan 8, 2009, and Feb 2, 2020, to test model performance for extreme events (Grossman and others, 2023). Ran model simulations of all individual and combined effects of existing and future 2040 and 2080s changes in sea level and stream flooding, flood mitigation/habitat restoration alternatives, and bed sediment aggradation scenarios.
    Date: 15-Jan-2022 (process 4 of 4)
    Generated floodwater level outputs, and in turn, calculated water depth by subtracting CoNED land elevations (Tyler and others, 2020) for all individual and combined effects of sea level-tide-storm surge and streamflows, flood mitigation/habitat restoration alternatives, and bed sediment aggradation scenarios in the form of geoTIFF. Final geoTIFFs were transformed from unstructured grids to uniform grids with 5 meter cell size and organized by the two historical floods (2009 and 2020) for existing conditions, 2040s and 2080s.
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Grossman, Eric E., vanArendonk, Nathan R., and Nederhoff, Kees, 2023, Compound flood model for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington--Assessment of vulnerability and nature-based adaptation opportunities to mitigate higher sea level and stream flooding.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Grossman, E.E., vanArendonk, N.R., and Nederhoff, K., 2023, Compound flood model for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington—Assessment of vulnerability and nature-based adaptation opportunities to mitigate higher sea level and stream flooding: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2023–5047, 49 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20235047.
    Anderson, Scott W., and Grossman, Eric E., 2017, Topographic and bathymetric elevation data for the Nooksack River, Fall 2015.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Anderson, S.W., and Grossman, E.E., 2017, Topographic and bathymetric elevation data for the Nooksack River, Fall 2015: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F72B8W7M.
    Anderson, Scott W., Konrad, Christopher P., and Grossman, Eric E., 2019, Sediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006--15.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Anderson, S.W., Konrad, C.P., Grossman, E.E., and Curran, C.A., 2019, Sediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006--15: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019-5008, 43 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195008.
    Hamlet, Alan F., Elsner, Marketa M., Mauger, Guillaume S., Lee, Se-Yeun, Tohver, Ingrid, and Norheim, R. A., 2013, Overview of the Columbia Basin Climate Change Scenarios Project: Approach, Methods, and Summary of Key Results.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Hamlet, A.F., Elsner, M.M., Mauger, G.S., Lee, S., Tohver, I., and Norheim, R.A., 2013, An Overview of the Columbia Basin Climate Change Scenarios Project: Approach, Methods, and Summary of Key Results: Atmosphere-Ocean, v. 51, p. 392-415, https://doi.org/10.1080/07055900.2013.819555.
    Miller, Ian, Morgan, Harriet, Mauger, Guillaume, Newton, Tyler, Weldon, Ray, Schmidt, David, Welch, Mark, and Grossman, Eric, 2018, Projected Sea Level Rise for Washington State--A 2018 Assessment.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Miller, I.M., Morgan, H., Mauger, G., Newton, T., Weldon, R., Schmidt, D., Welch, M., Grossman, E. 2018. Projected Sea Level Rise for Washington State--A 2018 Assessment. A collaboration of Washington Sea Grant, University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, Oregon State University, University of Washington, and US Geological Survey. Prepared for the Washington Coastal Resilience Project, 24 p., https://cig.uw.edu/projects/projected-sea-level-rise-for-washington-state-a-2018-assessment/, last accessed, 3/2/2023.
    Tyler, D.J., Danielson, J.J., Grossman, E.E., and Hockenberry, R.J., 2020, Topobathymetric Model of Puget Sound, Washington, 1887 to 2017.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Tyler, D.J., Danielson, J.J., Grossman, E.E., and Hockenberry, R.J. 2020. Topobathymetric Model of Puget Sound, Washington, 1887 to 2017: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P95N6CIT.
    Whatcom County Public Works, 2017, System-Wide Improvement Framework: unpublished report prepared for Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District.

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Whatcom County Public Works, 2017, System-Wide Improvement Framework: unpublished report prepared for Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District, 67 p.; https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/26159/Nooksack-SWIF--Revised-for-ACOE-Comments-Mar-2017?bidId=, last accessed, 6/15/2022.

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Attribute values are model-derived flood depths due to the combined influence of plausible sea-level rise, tides, storm surge, and peak stream flooding under existing conditions that are validated by observations, and future climate and land-use change conditions that cannot be validated against observations.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Data are concurrent with the referenced Digital Elevation Model (Tyler and others, 2020).
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Model-derived data for existing conditions are accurate at available observation sites within published uncertainty bounds of ~0.3 m (~1 ft). Error accounts for total uncertainty from water and land surface elevations and other contributing data sources, model processes, and vertical land motion. This value is spatially variable and dependent on scenario.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented (as described in the abstract). Users are advised to read the metadata record and cited references carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Data have undergone quality checks and meet standards.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints None
Use_Constraints USGS-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain from the U.S. Government and are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize and acknowledge the U.S. Geological Survey and Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District as the originator(s) of the dataset and in products derived from these data. This information is not intended for navigation purposes.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - CMGDS
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)
    pcmsc_data@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? This dataset consists of a zipped folder with two subfolders containing flood depth rasters; one for the 2009 flood, the other for the 2020 flood. Each flood folder contains three subfolders; one for projections of the observed flood, the others for the 2040s and 2080s. Within each folder are outputs for each alternative and for future projections output for the mean and high future change scenario. Outputs reflecting the effects of sedimentation are also included. Files are named as follows waterDepth_nk_<fYear>_<FutureYear><ChangeScenario>_<Alternative>_<SedimentationScenario>.tiff, where waterDepth=Flood depth over land surface elevation, nk=Nooksack, fYear=flood year either 2009 or 2020, FutureYear=2040s or 2080s, ChangeScenario=mean (m) or high (h), Alternative=3 or 4, and SedimentationScenario=3 or 4, each reflecting modeled scenarios in Grossman and others (2023).
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: Zip file contains Geotiffs of projected flood extent and water depths. in format Geotiff Size: 621.4
      Network links: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9DJM7X2
    • Cost to order the data: None.

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These data can be viewed with GIS software.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 31-Aug-2023
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
2885 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA

831-427-4747 (voice)
pcmsc_data@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/pcmsc/DataReleases/CMGDS_DR_tool/DR_P9DJM7X2/nooksack_floodDepth_projections_metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Fri Sep 8 14:11:41 2023