River margin and braid shapefiles for the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Elwha River, Washington, 2006 to 2022

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
River margin and braid shapefiles for the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Elwha River, Washington, 2006 to 2022
Abstract:
This dataset provides GIS shapefiles of river margins and braids derived from 30 aerial imagery datasets of the Elwha River, Washington spanning June 2006 through September 2022. The extent of the river's recently active flow zone, or margins, and river braids was manually digitized in a GIS using aerial orthoimages to capture changes in the river prior to, during, and after the removal of the Glines Canyon and Elwha dams, which started in 2011 and ended in 2014. We used aerial orthoimages collected by the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Washington State Department of Transportation, and the National Agriculture Imaging Program, including 24 orthoimages derived from Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry using a plane-mounted camera system designed for the Elwha River Restoration Project (Ritchie and others, 2025). Five of the image sets were collected before dam removal (2006-2011) and 25 represent conditions during and after dam removal. To document changes associated with dam operations and dam removal, river margins and braids are provided for three separate reaches of the Elwha River: 1) the lower river, downstream of the historic Elwha Dam site, 2) the middle river, located between the former Lake Aldwell reservoir and the historic Glines Canyon Dam site and 3) a control reach located upstream of the former Lake Mills reservoir, at the downstream end of Geyser Valley where there is no influence of dams or dam removal on channel evolution.
Supplemental_Information:
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?
    Foxgrover, Amy C., East, Amy A., and Ritchie, Andrew C., 2025, River margin and braid shapefiles for the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Elwha River, Washington, 2006 to 2022: data release doi:10.5066/P13RXGHA, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Foxgrover, Amy C., East, Amy A., and Ritchie, Andrew C., 2025, River margin and braid shapefiles digitized from aerial images of the Elwha River, Washington, 2006 to 2022: data release doi:10.5066/P13RXGHA, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested Citation: Foxgrover, A.C., East, A.E., and Ritchie, A.C., 2025, River margin and braid shapefiles digitized from aerial images of the Elwha River, Washington, 2006 to 2022: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P13RXGHA.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -123.618082
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -123.536187
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.154180
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.940374
  3. What does it look like?
    https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/67102a7ad34edd269209626c?name=Elwha_margins_and_braids_overview.png&allowOpen=true (PNG)
    Sample map of Elwha River margins and braids overlying 2013 NAIP imagery.
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2006
    Ending_Date: 2022
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition at time data were collected
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data (polyline)
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • String (4839)
    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: -123.0
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.0
      False_Easting: 500000.0
      False_Northing: 0.0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.6096
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.6096
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is NAD83_National_Spatial_Reference_System_2011.
      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.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Attribute Table
    Polyline shapefile attribute table information for the specified time period and river reaches. (Source: Producer defined)
    FID
    Internal feature number (Source: Esri) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated
    Shape
    Feature geometry (Source: Esri) Shape type
    Length_m
    Length of the polyline segment, in meters (Source: Producer Defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.1
    Maximum:9624.6
    RiverReach
    Specific reach of the Elwha River. (Source: Producer defined)
    ValueDefinition
    LRlower river, downstream of the historic Elwha Dam site
    MRmiddle river, located upstream of the historic Elwha Dam, but downstream of the historic Glines Canyon Dam
    CRcontrol reach, located upstream of both dams, at the downstream end of Geyser Valley
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Polyline shapefiles of: 1) the river margins which denote the bounds of the recently active flow zone and 2) the approximate midline of the mainstem channel and associated braids with surface-water connections to the mainstem for the Elwha River, Washington. The shapefiles were manually digitized from 30 different orthoimagery datasets spanning 2006 through 2022 and capture the geomorphic evolution of the river before, during and after dam removal.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    The entity and attribute information were generated by the individual and/or agency identified as the originator of the data set. Please review the rest of the metadata record for additional details and information.

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Amy C. Foxgrover
    • Amy A. East
    • Andrew C. Ritchie
  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?

Two large dams were removed from the Elwha River in Washington, starting in 2011 and ending in 2014. The Elwha and the Glines Canyon dams were located approximately 7 kilometers (km) and 20 km upstream, respectively, from the Elwha River's mouth on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Dam removal changed the river's sediment budget and water flow, which affected the river's morphology. Variability in channel width and river braiding derived from 30 aerial imagery datasets collected from 2006 to 2022 are provided here to document geomorphic change before, during, and after dam removal. These data are intended for science researchers, students, policy makers, and the general public. These data can be used with geographic information systems or other software to assess spatial and temporal variability along the lower, middle, and upper reaches of the Elwha River.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    NAIP imagery (source 1 of 4)
    USDA-FSA Aerial Photography Field Office, 2013, National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) ortho imagery: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), online.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: online database
    Source_Contribution:
    NAIP orthomosaic imagery from 20060625, 20090827, 20110903, and 20130831 was used to digitize the location of river margins and braids for the study area.
    DOT imagery (source 2 of 4)
    Washington State Department of Transportation, Unpublished material, WA Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Photos 0534-0-16, Photos 016-42 to 016-46, 1:12,000 scale: Washington State Department of Transportation, Olympia, Washington.

    Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Resources
    Source_Contribution:
    DOT aerial photos collected on 20080403 were used to digitize the location of river margins and braids for the study area.
    Border Area imagery (source 3 of 4)
    Orthoimagery, Border Area, 2008, 3001, Inc. High Resolution Orthoimage USNG 10UDU575325, Olympic NP WA AOI, OBP Sector Blaine: 3001, Inc., Peachtree City, GA.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Resources
    Source_Contribution:
    U.S. border area orthomosaic imagery collected on 200800813 was used to digitize the location of river margins and braids for the study area.
    USGS plane cam orthoimagery (source 4 of 4)
    Ritchie, Andrew C., Winter, Brian D., and Warrick, Jonathan A., 2025, Elwha PlaneCam - Aerial imagery and derivatives from periodic and event-response surveys of the Elwha River, Olympic Mountains, and Washington Coast: U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: Digital Resources
    Source_Contribution:
    USGS orthomosaic imagery datasets collected from April 2012 through September 2022 used to digitize the location of river margins and braids for the study area. Imagery collected at comparable river discharge was selected whenever possible. The range of daily, average discharge for the 25 sets of images selected is 8-56 cubic meters per second (median 26) at USGS gauge 12045500 (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory). Images are from 20120407, 20120810, 20121108, 20121127, 20121224, 20130116, 20130213, 20130327, 20130430, 20130831, 20140201, 20140930, 20150303, 20150923, 20160111, 20160930, 20170922, 20171212, 20180905, 20190903, 20200220, 20200909, 20210908, 20220309, and 20220912.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2017 (process 1 of 4)
    The processes and methods used for deriving the Elwha River margins and braids are outlined in East and others (2018); please refer to that for more information beyond the general overview summary provided in this document
    Date: 2022 (process 2 of 4)
    Download orthomosaic imagery and project into UTM, Zone 10N, NAD83(2011) Data sources used in this process:
    • NAIP imagery
    • DOT imagery
    • Border Area imagery
    • USGS plane cam orthoimagery
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • UTM imagery
    Date: 2022 (process 3 of 4)
    River margins were digitized for the lower, middle, and (or) control reaches of the Elwha River for all 30 sets of orthomosaic imagery. Margins were delineated based upon the assumption that riparian vegetation colonizes and resprouts rapidly after disturbance in this environment and that unvegetated areas of the bankfull channel and floodplain had recently been occupied by river flow. As such, the margins denote the bounds of the recently active flow zone. Note that precise placement of the margin was challenging in areas of thick vegetation and that digitization was further aided by on-the-ground knowledge of the site. Local knowledge was also used in distinguishing if water visible inside channels was either connected to the mainstem channel but obscured by vegetation, or groundwater-generated and outside of the recently actively flow zone. Data sources used in this process:
    • UTM imagery
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Elwha margins
    Date: 2022 (process 4 of 4)
    The midline of the mainstem channel and associated braids with surface-water connections to the mainstem of the Elwha River were digitized for lower, middle, and (or) control reaches of the Elwha River for all 30 sets of orthomosaic imagery. Note that the mainstem channel was digitized as a single, continuous line for each reach to aid in sinuosity calculations. The location of the mainstem channel was approximated for very short segments of the 20121127 and 20130116 imagery that did not capture the full width of the river channel. Data sources used in this process:
    • UTM imagery
    Data sources produced in this process:
    • Elwha braids
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    East, Amy E., Logan, Josh B., Mastin, Mark C., Ritchie, Andrew C., Bountry, Jennifer A., Magirl, Christopher S., and Sankey, Joel B., 2018, Geomorphic evolution of a gravel-bed river under sediment-starved versus sediment-rich conditions: River response to the world's largest dam removal.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    East, A. E., Logan, J. B., Mastin, M. C., Ritchie, A. C., Bountry, J. A., Magirl, C. S., and Sankey, J. B. (2018). Geomorphic evolution of a gravel-bed river under sediment-starved versus sediment-rich conditions: River response to the world's largest dam removal. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 123, 3338-3369. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004703
    East, Amy E., Pess, George R., Bountry, Jennifer A., Magirl, Christopher S., Ritchie, Andrew C., Logan, Joshua B., Randle, Timothy J., Mastin, Mark C., Minear, Justin T., Duda, Jeffrey J., Liermann, Martin C., McHenry, Michael L., Beechie, Timothy J., and Shafroth, Patrick B., 2015, Reprint of: Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: River channel and floodplain geomorphic change.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    East, A. E., Pess, G. R., Bountry, J. A., Magirl, C.S., Ritchie, A.C., Logan, J.B., Randle, T.J., Mastin, M.C., Minear, J.T., Duda, J.J., Liermann, M.C., McHenry, M.L., Beechie, T.J., and Shafroth, P.B., (2015). Reprint of: Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: River channel and floodplain geomorphic change, Geomorphology, 246, 687-708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.04.027
    Ritchie, Andrew C., Curran, Christopher A., Magirl, Christopher S., Bountry, Jennifer A., Hilldale, Robert C., Randle, Timothy J., and Duda, Jeff J., 2018, Data in support of 5-year sediment budget and morphodynamic analysis of Elwha River following dam removals.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Ritchie, A.C., Curran, C.A., Magirl, C.S., Bountry, J.A., Hilldale, R.C., Randle, T.J., and Duda, J.J., 2018, Data in support of 5-year sediment budget and morphodynamic analysis of Elwha River following dam removals: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7PG1QWC
    Ritchie, Andrew C., Warrick, Jonathan A., East, Amy E., Magirl, Christopher S., Stevens, Andrew W., Bountry, Jennifer A., Randle, Timothy J., Curran, Christopher A., Hilldale, Robert C., Duda, Jeffrey J., Gelfenbaum, Guy R., Miller, Ian M., Pess, George R., Foley, Melissa M., McCoy, Randall, and Ogston, Andrea S., 2018, Morphodynamic evolution following sediment release from the world's largest dam removal.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Ritchie, A.C., Warrick, J.A., East, A.E., Magirl, C.S., Stevens, A.W., Bountry, J.A., Randle T.J., Curran, C.A., Hilldale, R.C., Duda, J.J., Gelfenbaum, G.R., Miller, I.A., Pess, G.R., Foley, M.M., McCoy, R., and Ogston, A.S., (2018). Morphodynamic evolution following sediment release from the world' largest dam removal. Sci Rep 8, 13279. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30817-8

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    No formal attribute accuracy tests were conducted.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    We estimate a spatial (horizontal) uncertainty of less than 7 m, calculated using the 5-m uncertainty of the NAIP imagery (the image with the largest uncertainty; Ritchie and others, 2018; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2013) and assuming an additional 3-meter digitizing error arising from difficulty identifying some channel features obscured by shadows. We then summed these independent uncertainty values in quadrature. Horizontal uncertainty in areas obstructed by vegetation can be much greater.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    A formal accuracy assessment of the vertical positional information in the data set has either not been conducted or is not applicable.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Data set is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No formal logical consistency tests were conducted.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints No access constraints
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 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 - ScienceBase
    Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302
    Denver, CO

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
    sciencebase@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Zip files (Elwha_River_braids_2006_2022.zip, Elwha_River_margins_2006_2022.zip) contain shapefiles of river margins and braids for the time period and river reach indicated. The shapefile naming convention indicates the feature digitized (either margins or braids), followed by imagery date (YYYYMMDD) and the river reaches included (LR, MR, and/or CR). For example, Elwha_braids_20130213_LR_MR_CR.shp. Note that all three reaches are not included in every dataset. Shapefiles of the control reach are not provided for six of the USGS plane-cam datasets (20121127, 20130116, 20130327, 20130430, 20140201, 20140930) even though the imagery covers this reach and the 20120407 imagery does not cover the control reach. The 20080403 imagery collected by WA state DOT only covers the lower reach.
  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?
  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These data can be viewed with GIS software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or Global Mapper.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 23-Apr-2025
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/ScienceBase/DR_P13RXGHA/Elwha_margins_braids_metadata.faq.html>
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