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Mainstem Rivers of the World based on MERIT hydrography and Natural Earth names

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Catalog Last Checked: August 01, 2026 at 06:01 AM | Dataset Last Updated: June 22, 2022 at 12:00 AM
Mainstem rivers are the backbone of a connected network of hydrologic units that cover the landscape. A mainstem connects a headwater source area to an outlet. This data release identifies the same mainstem paths in hydrographic datasets for the world based on the MERIT hydrography and the Natural Earth river names. Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. See "Blodgett et al., 2021, Mainstems: A logical data model implementing mainstem and drainage basin feature types based on WaterML2 Part 3: HY Features concepts https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104927" for mainstems data model details.

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