Task A1-b: Transferring Stream Names from Native Format Basins (in xxxx_ref_basins or xxxx_ref_sl) to Downloaded Basins

The following steps will allow you to update the stream names in your new basins_all shapefile with those you have added or modified in your xxxx_ref_basins or xxxx_ref_sl shapefile.

This procedure will result in a direct transfer of all customized stream names to the basins_all shapefile.

For these instructions, we will use the xxxx_ref_basins shapefile (but you could also use the xxxx_ref_sl shapefile if it contains your customized names).

  1. Add the xxxx_ref_basins shapefile to your View. You should already have basins_all in the same View.

  2. Open the xxxx_ref_basins table.

  3. From the Table menu, select Properties and turn off (uncheck the Visible column) all fields except Shape, Pfaf_orig, and Streamname. Enter Pfaf_join in the Alias column for Pfaf_orig. Enter New_name in the Alias column for Streamname. Click OK.

  4. Select the Pfaf_join field in the xxxx_ref_basins table (click the field header to select it).

  5. Open the basins_all table and select the Pfaf_id field.

  6. Click the Join Tables button (or select Join from the Table menu). The Pfaf_join and New_name fields from xxxx_ref_basins will be appended to the basins_all table (the Pfaf_join field will not be visible).

  7. From the Table menu, select Properties and turn on (check the Visible column) the Pfaf_join field. Click OK.

  8. We will do a series of three queries in the same window to select the basins for which names will be transferred:

    a) Click the Query Builder button (hammer with question mark) or select Query from the Table menu. In the box that appears, build the following query:

    ( [Pfaf_join] <> "" )

    Click "New Set". This will select all records corresponding to the basins in the xxxx_aggr_basins shapefile.

    b) Replace the previous query in the Query Builder box with the following:

    ( [Streamname] <> [New_name] )

    Click "Select From Set". This will select all records from the current selection where the old and new stream names are different.

    c) Replace the previous query in the Query Builder box with the following:

    ( [New_name] <> "" )

    Click "Select From Set" and close the Query Builder window.

    The final query selects only the records in the New_name field that have names to avoid replacing named streams with blanks.

  9. Select Start Editing from the Table menu.

  10. Select the Streamname field in the basins_all table. Click the Calculate button (or select Calculate from the Field menu). In the Field Calculator box that appears, scroll down to the bottom in Fields and double-click on New_name. New_name should now be added to the box under [Streamname]=. Click OK.

    This will copy the names in the New_name field to the Streamname field for the selected records in the table.

  11. Select Remove All Joins from the Table menu to unjoin the tables.

  12. Select Stop Editing from the Table menu and click Yes to save the edits.

You are now ready to prepare the shapefiles for localization.

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