New layer as part of Hydrologic Context Project - HLR

[joewheaton]

Hey @jtgilbert and @philipbaileynar. For BRAT and what will get pulled out into the new hydrologic context project (#649), we use Hydrologic Regions.

https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/hlrus.xml

Depending on when we prioritize this happening, it may or may not make sense to have this sucked into and exposed in RS_Context_US.

The attribute we want is HLR. I think we need to bring this in as an input, to where we specify hydorlogic regions for. Or is this a coverage you already have @philipbaileynar as part of sqlBRAT in someway? Either way, we need to

• [ ] Expose the geometry in Hydrologic Context Project; and
• [ ] Curate a symbology for the Hydrologic Regions for 20 regions
• [ ] Curate a symbology for the Lithological Groups of Principle Aquifers & Bedrock Permeability

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2.  Hydrologic landscape region (HLR) descriptions

(HLR number)   Description

(1)   Subhumid plains with permeable soils and bedrock
(2)   Humid plains with permeable soils and bedrock
(3)   Subhumid plains with impermeable soils and permeable bedrock
(4)   Humid plains with permeable soils and bedrock
(5)   Arid plains with permeable soils and bedrock
(6)   Subhumid plains with impermeable soils and bedrock
(7)   Humid plains with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
(8)   Semiarid plains with impermeable soils and bedrock
(9)   Humid plateaus with impermeable soils and permeable bedrock
(10)  Arid plateaus with impermeable soils and permeable bedrock
(11)  Humid plateaus with impermeable soils and bedrock
(12)  Semiarid plateaus with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
(13)  Semiarid plateaus with impermeable soils and bedrock
(14)  Arid playas with permeable soils and bedrock
(15)  Semiarid mountains with impermeable soils and permeable bedrock
(16)  Humid mountains with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
(17)  Semiarid mountains with impermeable soils and bedrock
(18)  Semiarid mountains with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
(19)  Very humid mountains with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
(20)  Humid mountains with permeable soils and impermeable bedrock
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

They also have a lithological grouping of 7 classes that really simplifies the geologic mapping down to its hydrolgoical signficance (i.e. permeability):

--------------------------------------------------------
Table 1. Lithologic groups of principal aquifers and bedrock permeability classes [1 is the 
lowest permeability and 7 is the highest]

Lithologic group (bedrock permeability class)

Not a principal aquifer (1)
Sandstone (2)
Semiconsolidated sand (3)
Basalt and other volcanic rocks (4)
Sandstone and carbonate rocks (5)
Unconsolidated sand and gravel (6)
Carbonate rock (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts?

FYI @lauren-herbine

[philipbaileynar]

No concerns getting these layers incorporated. sqlBRAT does not currently use these data, but I perhaps recall Wally referring to them when regional curves (that use different, custom, state specific polygons) don't fit very well. He might split the state polygons further using these HLRs and customize the curves.

[lauren-herbine]

I'm really excited to have these incorporated- taking a peak at one basin we visited on our trip and I'm already thinking this is going to really help us get at controls on process and form...