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The “Incremental Effective Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project– 2013” dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the portions of each incremental gross drainage area of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project that could be expected to contribute to surface runoff under average runoff conditions.

An ‘incremental gross drainage area’ is a hydrometric gauging station's drainage basin, less that of the next upstream gauging station(s)’. ‘Effective drainage’ occurs in areas that are expected to supply surface runoff in an average runoff.

The “Non-contributing Portions of the Incremental Gross Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project – 2013” dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the areas within each incremental gross drainage area of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project that DO NOT contribute to average runoff. The Project is subdivided by hydrometric gauging station. The maximum area that could contribute runoff to each gauging station, less that of its upstream neighbour(s) is called an “incremental gross drainage area”. The “incremental gross drainage” areas can be subdivided into portions that either supply surface runoff to an average runoff, or do not.

The “Major Basins of the AAFC Watersheds Project - 2013” dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the 23 major basins of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project. The Project is subdivided by ‘incremental gross drainage areas’ associated to individual hydrometric gauging stations. The maximum area that could contribute runoff to each gauging station, less that of its upstream neighbour(s) is called an ‘incremental gross drainage area’. Conceptually, the major basins are collections of the “incremental gross drainage areas” associated with particular major river or lake reach (for example, reaches of the Saskatchewan or Athabasca River).

A drainage basin is an area that drains all precipitation received as a runoff or base flow (groundwater sources) into a particular river or set of rivers. Canada’s major drainage regions are the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Rivers are organized into networks, each with its own recharge area upstream, and drainage channel and mouth downstream. Networks are ordered from ocean to main river to secondary rivers to streams which correspond to ocean basins, river basins, sub-basins, sub-sub-basins, and so forth.

This map depicts the region around the Great Lakes drainage basin, including populated places, roads, railways, and political boundaries.

The "Total Gross Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project - 2013" dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the maximum area that could contribute surface runoff (total gross drainage areas) for each gauging station of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project. These polygons overlap as upstream land surfaces form part of multiple downstream gauging stations’ total gross drainage areas. Drainage area includes all land whose surface runoff contributes to the same drainage outlet or gauging station. Many gauging stations share the same headwaters, thus the overlapping areas (or polygons).

Originating in the United States and flowing north to Lake Winnipeg, the Red River has a long history of flooding. This map depicts the greater portion of the Red River drainage basin including that of the Assiniboine River to the point at which the rivers meet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The "Total Effective Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project – 2013” dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the areas within the “total gross drainage areas” of each hydrometric gauging station of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project that would contribute to average runoff.

A ‘total gross drainage area’ is the maximum area that could contribute runoff for a single gauging station – the ‘total effective drainage areas’ are those parts of that ‘total gross drainage area’ that would contribute surface runoff to an average runoff. For each “total gross drainage area” there can be only one “total effective drainage areas”.

These polygons may overlap with those from other gauging stations’ “total gross drainage area”, as upstream land surfaces form part of multiple downstream gauging stations’ “total gross drainage areas”.

The “Incremental Gross Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project - 2013” dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the incremental gross drainage areas of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project.

The Project area is subdivided by hydrometric gauging station. The maximum area that could contribute runoff to each station, less that of its upstream neighbour(s) is called an ‘incremental gross drainage area’.

The "Areas of Non-Contributing Drainage within Total Gross Drainage Areas of the AAFC Watersheds Project - 2013" dataset is a geospatial data layer containing polygon features representing the areas within the “total gross drainage areas” of each gauging station of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Watersheds Project that DO NOT contribute to average runoff.

A “total gross drainage area” is the maximum area that could contribute runoff for a single gauging station – the “areas of non-contributing drainage” are those parts of that “total gross drainage area” that DO NOT contribute to average runoff. For each “total gross drainage area” there can be none to several unconnected “areas of non-contributing drainage”.

These polygons may overlap with those from other gauging stations’ “total gross drainage area”, as upstream land surfaces form part of multiple downstream gauging stations’ “total gross drainage areas”.