San Francisco Bay Delta Bathymetric and Topographic Digital Elevation Model

A high-resolution 10-meter per pixel digital elevation model (DEM) for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta integrates bathymetry and topography data. The DEM was created by the U.S. Geological Survey and California Department of Water Resources, building upon a base DEM from 2004-2005 and incorporating newer single-beam, multibeam, and lidar surveys. It covers the entirety of Suisun Bay and surrounding river systems, with elevations referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1988.

Use Cases

• Modeling flood inundation based on the hydrologically correct elevation surface.
• Analyzing coastal erosion and sediment transport based on the integrated land/water interface data.
• Planning water resource and infrastructure projects based on the high-resolution bathymetric and topographic data.
• Studying habitat changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta based on the continuous elevation surface.

Strengths

• High-resolution 10-meter per pixel grid provides detailed elevation data.
• Integrates bathymetry and topography, providing a continuous land/water interface.
• Result of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and California Department of Water Resources.
• Incorporates the newest available bathymetry data at the time of its release.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

United States Geological Survey

Collection Method

Interpolation of single-beam and multibeam bathymetric surveys and lidar topographic data using ESRI ArcGIS Topo to Raster module.

Time Range

Base data from 2004-2005, with updates incorporating newer surveys; final version dated 2016.

Geography

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Bay, Carquinez Strait, Yolo Bypass, Sacramento River up to Knights Landing, American River up to Nimbus Dam, and areas around Tracy.