Note this tool is part of a WhiteboxTools extension product. Please visit Whitebox Geospatial Inc. for information about purchasing a license activation key (https://www.whiteboxgeo.com/extension-pricing/).
This tool can be used to resolve many of the topological errors and inconsistencies associated with manually digitized vector stream networks, i.e. hydrography data. A properly structured stream network should consist of a series of stream segments that connect a channel head to a downstream confluence, or an upstream confluence to a downstream confluence/outlet. This tool will join vector arcs that connect at arbitrary, non-confluence points along stream segments. It also splits an arc where a tributary stream connects at a mid-point, thereby creating a proper confluence where two upstream triburaries converge into a downstream segment. The tool also handles non-connecting tributaries caused by dangling arcs, i.e. overshoots and undershoots.
The user must specify the name of the input vector stream network (input
) and the output file (output
). Additionally, a distance threshold for snapping dangling arcs (snap
) must be specified. This distance is in the input layer's x-y units. The tool works best on projected input data, however, if the input are in geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude), then specifying a small valued snap distance is advisable. Notice that the attributes of the input layer will not be carried over to the output file because there is not a one-for-one feature correspondence between the two files due to the joins and splits of stream segments. Instead the output attribute table will only contain a feature ID (FID) entry.
Note: this tool should be used to pre-process vector streams that are input to the vector_stream_network_analysis tool.
vector_stream_network_analysis, fix_dangling_arcs