Data query from EPA's StreamCat Dataset to obtain catchment and watershed-scale metrics.
EPA's StreamCat Dataset contains over 600 metrics characterizing watersheds and catchments. Most of these values were derived via modeling and include predicted water temperature, predicted biological condition, landscape conditions and much more. For a full description of the dataset, visit EPA's website (https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/streamcat-dataset). To download StreamCat data, you can either visit their website or use this R script. This script was developed to download metrics for user-specifed areas of interest (i.e., watershed or catchment).
To get started, begin by specifying the user inputs listed at the top of the file: area of interest, metrics, county, and your computer username. Be sure to follow the formatting guidelines provided within the script. Once the user-specified inputs are provided, click on "Source" and watch the console to see if you run into any errors. If the script ran successfully, there will be an Excel file of StreamCat data in your Downloads folder.