Minnesota River Basin Streams (mrbstrm)

Metadata for the

Developed by


These metadata were created using the Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines .


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1. Identification Information
2. Data Quality Information
3. Spatial Data Organization Information
4. Spatial Reference Information
5. Entity and Attribute Information
6. Distribution Information
7. Metadata Reference Information

Section 1

Identification Information
Originator Minnesota State University, Mankato, Water Resources Center
Title Minnesota River Basin Streams (mrbstrm)
Abstract The Minnesota River Basin Streams (mrbstrm) represent the surface water drainage system of the Minnesota River Basin. The data file consist of stream lines published on the USGS 24,000 scale topographic quadrangle maps. Line features include stream names, flowtype (perennial and intermittent), and some drainage ditch names.
Purpose These data were developed to provide a consistent GIS stream layer for the Minnesota River Basin.
Time Period of Content Date 1958 - 1994
Currentness Reference For any given area, the most recent USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle available at that time was used for digitizing the data.
Progress Complete
Maintenance and Update Frequency As needed
Spatial Extent of Data 12 major watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin.
Bounding Coordinates -97.364
-93.087
46.231
43.345
Place Keywords Minnesota River Basin, Blue Earth River Major Watershed, Chippewa River Major Watershed, Cottonwood River Major Watershed, Hawk Creek - Yellow Medicine River Major Watershed, Le Sueur River Major Watershed, Lower Minnesota River Major Watershed, Lac qui Parle River Major Watershed, Middle Minnesota River Major Watershed, Pomme de Terre River Major Watershed, Redwood River Major Watershed, Upper Minnesota River Major Watershed, Watonwan River Major Watershed, Big Stone County, Blue Earth County, Brown County, Carver County, Chippewa County, Cottonwood County, Dakota County, Douglas County, Faribault County, Freeborn County, Grant County, Hennepin County, Jackson County, Kandiyohi County, Lac qui Parle County, Le Sueur County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, McLeod County, Martin County, Murray County, Nicollet County, Otter Tail County, Pipestone County, Pope County, Ramsey County, Redwood County, Renville County, Rice County, Scott County, Sibley County, Steele County, Stevens County, Swift County, Traverse County, Waseca County, Watonwan County, Yellow Medicine County.
Theme Keywords Stream, River, Creek, Drainage, Watershed
Theme Keyword Thesaurus None
Access Constraints None
Use Constraints By accepting this data, the user agrees not to transmit this data or provide access to it or any part of it to another party unless the user shall include with the data a copy of this metadata.
Contact Person Information Cis Berg, GIS Director
Water Resources Center
184 Trafton Science Center S
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Phone: (507) 389-5492
FAX: (507) 389-5493
E-mail: cecilia.berg@mankato.msus.edu
Browse Graphic File Name None available
Browse Graphic File Description Not applicable
Associated Data Sets Streams, lakes, and watersheds of the Minnesota River Basin.

Section 2

Data Quality Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Attribute Accuracy The following attribute accuracy control checks have been performed: manual comparison of the hard copy topographic quadrangle maps with the computer digital display; comparison using USGS digital raster graphic images as a background to the line feature coverage and attribute data. Attibutes which identify stream segments that are part of a county or judicial public ditch system were manually checked during the 1991-1993 LCMR funded county surface hydrology altases for the South Central Minnesota Comprehensive County Water Planning Project.
Logical Consistency Data are topologically correct within ArcInfo 7.1.2. All intersecting arcs contain nodes.
Completeness All lines features representing streams on USGS 24000 series quadrangle maps were digitized for the Minnesota River Basin. The data were updated in 1993 with line features representing public open ditches for Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan counties; 13 counties in south central Minnesota. The update was developed to provide surface water drainage maps and information for the South Central Minnesota Comprehensive County Water Planning Project (SCMCCWPP). All lines are attributed.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Not available
Lineage Public drainage ditch systems for Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan counties were mapped onto USGS 24,000 series quadrangle maps from county drainage ditch maps. The channel location of public open ditch systems was reviewed and changed where appropriate, to update streams on the USGS 24,000 series quadrangle map.

All line features on the USGS quadrangle maps, representing perennial or intermittent streams and public ditch systems, were digitized using AutoCAD Release12 on a Calcomp 9100 digitizing table.

Both stream and public ditch data were imported into ARC/INFO and edited for node dangles at confluence locations. A complete stream coverage was compiled by appending the open ditches to the stream coverage. The line features were edited for node dangles at stream confluence locations. All lines were visually edited for proper flow direction.

Linework from Mn/DOT (State of Minnesota Basemap 98) peren, inter, and drain data files were visually compared with stream data on hard copy topographic quadrangle maps and USGS digital raster graphic images. Linework that closely followed the basemap linework was accepted and incorporated into the stream data file. Linework from Mn/DOT (State of Minnesota Basemap 98) that was not acceptable was deleted and digitized using AutoCAD Release12 on a Calcomp 9100 digitized table at Water Resources Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSUWRC).

A complete stream coverage was compiled by appending Mn/DOT and MSUWRC stream line work. The line features were edited for node dangles at stream confluence locations. All lines were visually edited for proper flow direction.
Source Scale Denominator 24000

Section 3

Spatial Data Organization Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Native Data Set Environment ARC/INFO version 7.1.2; UNIX platform
Geographic Reference for Tabular Data
Spatial Object Type Vector
Vendor Specific Object Types Arc, Node
Tiling Scheme Major Watershed

Section 4

Spatial Reference Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Horizontal Coordinate Scheme UTM
Ellipsoid GRS80
Horizontal Datum NAD83
Horizontal Units Meters
Distance Resolution
Altitude Datum Not applicable
Altitude Units Not applicable
Depth Datum Not applicable
Depth Units Not applicable
UTM Zone Number 15E

Section 5

Entity and Attribute Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Entity and Attribute Overview The data file represents linear hydrography features.
Attributes are MAJOR2, MAJOR-NAME, STREAM-NAME, DITCH, DITCH-NAME, FLOWTYPE, MILES, PEDIGREE, PEDYEAR, VERSION.
Entity and Attribute Detailed Citation Minnesota River Basin surface water drainage system linear features include the following list of attributes:


Arc attribute table:   MRBSTREM.AAT

ITEM NAME WIDTH OUTPUT TYPE DEC DESCRIPTION OF ITEM CONTENT
FNODE# 4 5 B - Internal number from node.
TNODE# 4 5 B - Internal number to node.
LPOLY# 4 5 B - Internal number left polygon.
RPOLY# 4 5 B - Internal number right polygon.
LENGTH 8 18 F 5 Length of arc in meters.
MRBSTRM# 4 5 B - Internal sequence number.
MRBSTRM-ID 4 5 B - User ID
MAJOR2 2 2 I - Minnesota unique 2 digit major watershed ID number.
MAJOR-NAME 50 50 C - Major watershed name.
STREAM-NAME 40 40 C - Stream name.
DITCH 8 8 C - Abbreviated version of DITCH-NAME.
DITCH-NAME 30 30 C - Name of the public open ditch.
FLOWTYPE 12 12 C - Perennial or intermittent stream designation.
MILES 6 6 N 2 Length in miles.
PEDIGREE 12 12 C - Acronym that identifies the source of the GIS coverage.
PEDYEAR 4 4 I - Year GIS coverage was created.
VERSION 4 4 I - Year GIS coverage was last updated.



STREAM-NAME is the name of the stream as displayed on the USGS 24,000 series topgraphic quadrangle map. Unnamed streams that have been assigned a name by local area residents are included in STREAM-NAME. If streams are not named, the item is blank.

DITCH and DITCH-NAME refer to the abreviation and the name of the public open ditch repectively. When these items are attributed, it indicates that this stream segment is also part of a public open ditch system. If the item is blank, the stream segment is not part of a public ditch system.

A stream coverage that includes the following counties in south central Minnesota contain public open ditch attributes: Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan.

Public ditch systems are not attributed for streams in the following counties; Big Stone, Carver, Chippewa, Dakota, Douglas, Grant, Hennepin, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Murray, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Scott, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, and Yellow Medicine.

FLOWTYPE is the intermittent or perennial stream designation as defined by the stream symbol on the USGS 24,000 series topographic quadrangle map.

Section 6

Distribution Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Publisher Water Resources Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Publication Date Periodically revised
Contact Person Information Cis Berg, GIS Director
Water Resources Center
184 Trafton Science Center S
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Phone: (507) 389-5492
FAX: (507) 389-5493
E-mail: cecilia.berg@mankato.msus.edu
Distributor's Data Set Identifier None
Distribution Liability These data have been developed and used by the Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato.   Although every effort has been made to validate data, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the Water Resources Center as to the accuracy of the data, the related maps or analysis created from such data; nor shall the fact of distribution constitute any such warranty.   The Water Resources Center continues to update or correct data when necessary.
Transfer Format Name ARC/INFO Export file and ArcView shape file.
Transfer Format Version Number ARC/INFO7.1.2 ArcView3.1
Transfer Size
Ordering Instructions These data are freely downloadable from the Minnesota River Basin Data Center Web Site. http://mrbdc.mankato.msus.edu
Online Linkage None available

Section 7

Metadata Reference Information - - - - - - Go back to top
Metadata Date 05/30/1999
Contact Person Information Cis Berg, GIS Director
Water Resources Center
184 Trafton Science Center S
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
Phone: (507) 389-5492
FAX: (507) 389-5493
E-mail: cecilia.berg@mankato.msus.edu
Metadata Standard Name Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines
Metadata Standard Version 1.2
Metadata Standard Online Linkage http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/gc/stds/metadata.htm
This page last updated 12/29/1998.

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