NetMap's Watershed Assessment
Watershed Attribute: Stream order (Strahler 1957).
Data Types: Line (stream layer)
Field Name: Order
Units: 1 – 7+
NetMap Level 1 Module/Tool:Fluvial Processes/Network Variables
Model Description: NetMap classifies streams according to stream order using the Strahler method (1957). The confluence of two first-order channels creates a second-order stream. Two second-order streams create a third-order channel, and so forth (see diagram, Figure 1). The intersection of lower order channels to a higher-order stream does not change the downstream order.
Figure 1. NetMap contains a stream order parameter that can be displayed for the entire river network (shown above) or only for the defined fish bearing channels.
