Land Use Classification for Walnut Creek Watershed in Iowa

SMEX05 Land Use Classification Data provides land cover information for the Walnut Creek watershed area in Ames, Iowa. The dataset was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration using the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) Land Cover Estimate. It is available on multiple platforms, with the most recent metadata update noted in March 2026, though the underlying data appears to be from 2005.

Use Cases

• Analyzing agricultural land cover distribution within a specific watershed.
• Modeling hydrological processes based on land use types.
• Providing ground reference data for validating satellite-derived land cover products.
• Studying land management practices in an Iowa agricultural region.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the official NASS Land Cover Estimate, a standardized source.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized importance.
• Focuses on a specific, well-defined geographic area: the Walnut Creek watershed in Ames, Iowa.

Limitations

• Documentation was provided solely by the Principal Investigator(s) and not reviewed by NSIDC, limiting support.
• Critical metadata such as row count, column names, and exact data size are unknown.
• There is a conflict in reported update dates: NASA EarthData lists 2005, while Data.gov lists 2026 for metadata.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) Land Cover Estimate.

Time Range

2005

Freshness

2026-03 12 22:20:11.738943 (metadata update on Data.gov); underlying data appears from 2005.

Geography

Walnut Creek watershed area, Ames, Iowa, USA.