4.31 - GUI-Specific GIS Shape Files

Several GIS files can be used by the StateCU GUI for display purposes, but are not required for StateCU analyses. The GIS file names are defined in the response file (*.rcu), as presented in Section 4.3. The StateCU GUI uses ArcGIS shapefiles to display climate station locations, structure locations, hydrology, water district boundaries, and state and division boundaries. These themes where developed for the CDSS project for each of the completed basins and statewide and have consistent attribute field names used by StateCU. The structure and climate station themes require these standard CDSS attribute field names in order to indicate which structures/stations are both included in the shape files and used in the scenario. For climate stations, attribute fields of [STATION_ID] and [NAME] must exist in order for the GUI to highlight the climate stations included in the scenario. For diversion structures, attribute fields of [ID_LABEL6], [ID_LABEL7], and [NAME] must exist in order for the GUI to highlight the structures included in the scenario. The following list designates the type of shapefile expected by the GUI for each GIS shapefile:

  • State and Division Boundaries (gis_state) is a polygon shapefile
  • Water District Boundaries (gis_basin) is a polygon shapefile
  • Hydrology (gis_rivers) is a polyline shapefile
  • Diversion Structures (gis_structures) is a point shapefile
  • Stations (gis_climate_stations) is a point shapefile

The name and file paths of the GIS files that define the geographic layers (state and division boundaries, water district boundaries, the hydrology, the structures specific to the simulation, and the CDSS climate stations) are contained in the response file and read by the GUI. Consistent with other ESRI products, each GIS theme requires available files with the extensions *.dbf, *.sbx, and *.shp in order to display correctly. Note that although the GIS names are included in the base StateCU scenarios available on the CDSS website, the GIS files must be downloaded separately and it is recommended that they be stored on a local directory.