The NHD Partnership

The NHD is a large and comprehensive database. Building it required the cooperation of many government agencies at the Federal, state, and local level. These agencies banded together into a partnership to share data and resources, making it possible to complete nationwide coverage. The U.S. Geological Survey played a key role in coordinating the partnership. Agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, along with state agencies played key roles in developing and building the NHD. These partnerships will remain intact to continue to maintain the NHD.