[Talk-us] NHD status?

Doug Morrison-Cleary lists at hildormen.net
Thu Oct 2 15:51:15 BST 2008


On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 08:34:02 -0500
"Ian Dees" <ian.dees at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 8:25 AM, John Callahan
> <john.callahan at udel.edu>wrote:
> 
> >  I am also very interested in getting the NHD data into OSM.  We
> > have a few people here with plenty of experience working with USGS
> > data, especially NHD, and I'll try to get their reactions.  I am
> > new to tagging and OSM in general but would like to get involved,
> > particularly with roads and hydro. A few quick questions:
> >
> >
> > 1) I would like to load our states (Delaware) NHD data using one of
> > Ian's converters.  Ian, does it make sense for us to start now and
> > let you know which HUCs we've loaded, or should we wait until your
> > data gets in?
> >
> 
> I would prefer to wait until we figure out the tagging scheme before
> we start a mass import. On the main OSM discussion list they are also
> talking about a "code of conduct" for mass import/changes to the
> database, so we might want to wait a little to see what comes out of
> that.

Nooooooo. I live in northern MN and all we have around here are lakes!
I really want them in yesterday <grin>. Please :-)

More seriously, this is an important dataset that happens to be in the
public domain and fills out the second most important feature of any
usable map (in this area, anyway): where the water is. It is also the
far more difficult map feature for us volunteers to map thoroughly and
effectively. I would vote that this is a priority dataset and that even
if the tags are not perfect or fully approved yet, it is sometimes
better to do something and apologize after than to wait for approval
first...

We are, after all, still without a thorough-going consensus regarding
US highway tagging. If we try to wait until we have a consensus on the
NHD data, then we could be waiting a long time. The tagging will never
be perfect, the world is too complex to ever fall into a few neat
categories, so we make it do the best we can and then go for it.

Just my 0.02 worth! (Or whatever its worth today ;-)

Doug Morrison-Cleary




More information about the Talk-us mailing list