Extensive drainage network (RHE) built from the Carthage database

Abstract

The environmental characteristics of continental aquatic ecosystems are largely inherited along the drainage network. Their automated estimation requires the use of a digital drainage network of connected linear features. The network currently available in France (drain principal naturel) allowed several applications including the modeling of the natural flow, classification of river types and application of ecological models at the national level. However, this network is limited because of its lack of representativeness of headwater basins and small rivers. In order to provide a more comprehensive coverage of small rivers we present an extensive drainage network (RHE) that supplements the existing network. The RHE contains 2.5 times more arcs that the natural main drain, and provides a better representation of headwater basins (small rivers, short distances to the source, steep slopes).