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Trace Downstream (Ready To Use Tools)

Summary

Determines the path water will take from a particular location to its furthest downhill path.

Usage

  • Tools in the Ready To Use toolbox are ArcGIS Online geoprocessing services that use hosted data and analysis capabilities in ArcGIS Online.

  • A downstream trace line feature will be returned for each input point.

  • An output downstream trace is the downstream path to the ocean. For example, an input point anywhere in the Mississippi River watershed will result in a downstream trace that ends in the Gulf of Mexico.

  • No downstream trace feature will be returned if the point does not fall within the extent of the specified data source.

  • If no point identification field is specified, the unique ID field will be used by default.

  • There is limit of 1,000 input point features or 30 minutes per request. If more than 1,000 input features are provided, the service will immediately return an error and stop processing the input. If the run time exceeds 30 minutes, the service will terminate and return an error.

  • The pour point identification field must be of type integer or string. It is most useful to use a field consisting of unique values.

  • This tool creates an output feature layer containing the downstream trace line or lines. The line features layer will contain various fields including the following:

    • PourPtID—The values supplied in the point identification field if specified. If no values are specified, it corresponds to the unique ID field from the input points feature layer.

    • Data Resolution—The resolution of the pre-processed data (in native units) used internally to generate the output.

    • Length Kilometers—The length of each downstream trace in kilometers.

  • To provide feedback on this service, visit the Hydro forum.

Parameters

Label Explanation Data type

Input Points

The point features that will be used for calculating the downstream trace.

Feature Set

Point ID Field

(Optional)

An integer or string field used to identify the input points.

The default is to use the unique ID field.

Field

Data Source Resolution

(Optional)

Specifies the source data resolution that will be used in the analysis. The values are an approximation of the spatial resolution of the digital elevation model used to build the foundation hydrologic database. Since many elevation sources are distributed in units of arc seconds, an approximation is provided in meters for easier understanding.

  • Blank—The hydrologic source, built from a 3-arc second data source, which is approximately 90-meter resolution elevation data, will be used.

  • Finest—The finest resolution available at each location from all possible data sources will be used. This is the default.

  • 10 meters—The hydrologic source, built from a 1/3 arc second data source, which is approximately 10-meter resolution elevation data, will be used.

  • 30 meters—The hydrologic source, built from a 1-arc second data source, which is approximately 30-meter resolution elevation data, will be used.

  • 90 meters—The hydrologic source, built from a 3-arc second data source, which is approximately 90-meter resolution elevation data, will be used.

String

Generalize

(Optional)

Specifies whether the output downstream trace lines will be smoothed into simpler lines or conform to the cell centers of the original DEM.

  • Checked—The lines will be smoothed into simpler lines.

  • Unchecked—The lines will not be smoothed. Each trace line of the output downstream trace will have more vertices since they conform to the original DEM cell centers. This is the default.

Boolean

Derived output

Label Explanation Data type

Output Trace Line

The output trace line features.

Feature Set

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

  • Basic: Requires an ArcGIS Online organization subscription and Spatial Analysis privilege
  • Standard: Requires an ArcGIS Online organization subscription and Spatial Analysis privilege
  • Advanced: Requires an ArcGIS Online organization subscription and Spatial Analysis privilege