RiverTools

Misc. Notes and tips:

Data Sources

Common format:

• ArcGIS format Ascii
• XYZ format Ascii
• ArcGIS binary Raster files

Those are some common formats. With the ArcGIS format Ascii it is worth your time to change the format like this using the Arc Toolbox:

1. Use the Ascii to raster Import tool to make a floating point grid of your data.
2. Then use the binary file created by ArcGIS for the Rivertools outputs.

RiverTools Procedure for creating TopoFlow-ready files

1. Start RiverTools
2. Import your DEM like this: File -> Import DEM -> Arc Binary Raster
3. After Importing set the DEM info, which usually gets buggered on the import: File -> View DEM Info
4. View the density plot of the DEM to make sure it looks right: Display -> Density Plot
5. If it looks right fine the proceed with the number crunching.
6. Extract a flow grid: Extract -> 1. Flow Grid (D8)
7. Extract a basin outlet: Extract -> 2. Basin Outlet
8. Extract a RiverTools Tree File: Extract -> 3. RT Tree File
9. Extract a RiverTools RiverNetwork File: Extract -> 4. River Network
10. Extract a RiverTools upstream area grid: Extract -> D8 - Based Grid -> Upstream Areas
11. Extract a RiverTools downstream slopes grid: Extract -> D8 - Based Grid -> Downstream Slopes
12. Extract the Horton-Strahler Order of the streams: Extract -> D8 - Based Grid -> Horton-Strahler Order
13. View the River network: Display -> RiverNetwork -> Name is the one with suffix _tree.rtv. Try hiding channels less than order 2.
14. Identify any errors.
15. Another handy viewing technique is to make a multi-layer plot. To do that: Display -> Multi-Layer Plot ... then click the Start button on the window that appears. After doing this step you can display the density plot and river network using the steps just outlined but they will show on the same window.

To edit a DEM in RiverTools:

1. From the main wintow: File -> Display -> Density Plot -> Display the DEM of interest
2. From the Density plot window just created: Tools -> Value Zoom
3. From the Value Zoom that just appeared: Options -> Allow Edit -> Yes
4. Then click on the map and start editing. However, before clicking on the arrows to move the value zoom window select from the Value Zoom window: Options -> Save Values

If you have DEM problems and need to make these mods I recommend deleting all the previously extracted stuff. I had trouble making edits on the right DEM file since there were so many copies and such floating around in the directory I never seemed to edit the correct DEM file.