5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

Technical Support

Share URL

HOW TO

Create a watershed model using the

Hydrology toolset in ArcGIS Pro
Last Published: August 3, 2022

Summary Related
A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common
outlet along a stream. The Hydrology toolset can be used to
Information
extract hydrologic information from a digital elevation model
ArcGIS Pro: Exploring
(DEM) to create a watershed model. This model is helpful in
digital elevation models
watershed analysis, which is important in fields such as
regional planning, agriculture, and forestry.
ArcGIS Pro: An overview of
This article provides a workflow to create a watershed model the Hydrology toolset
using the Hydrology toolset, and convert the model to a
watershed bounding polygon using the Raster to Polygon tool. How To: Create a
watershed model using the
Hydrology toolset
Procedure
1. Run the Fill tool.
a. Open the Fill tool.
Discover more on
b. For Input surface raster, select the desired DEM layer. this topic
In this example, the DEM layer is 'Lower Lake
Sonoma Creek_HYDRO_DEM.tif'.
c. For Output surface raster, specify an output name in
the desired geodatabase location. In this example, Esri Community
the output name in the default geodatabase is Search for related information
'Fill_DEM'.
d. Leave Z limit at default.
e. Click Run.
Training
Find training related to this topic

ArcGIS Ideas
Explore ideas and give feedback

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 1/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

Note:
The Fill tool fills sinks to remove imperfections in the
DEM. Esri recommends specifying the Z limit, if the
depths of the sinks are known. The Sink tool can be used
to identify sinks and their depths before using the Fill
tool. If a Z-limit is not specified, all sinks are filled,
regardless of depth. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: How Fill works
for more information.

2. Run the Flow Direction tool.

a. Open the Flow Direction tool.
b. For Input surface raster, select the DEM output from
Step 1. In this example, it is 'Fill_DEM'.
c. For Output flow direction raster, specify a raster
output name in the desired geodatabase location. In
this example, the output name in the default
geodatabase is 'FlowDir_Fill1'.
d. Ensure Flow direction type is D8.
e. Leave other parameters at default.
f. Click Run.

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 2/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

Note:
The Flow Direction tool using the D8 flow method aligns
flow direction to the steepest downslope neighbor. This is
the default option. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: How Flow
Direction works for more information.

3. Run the Flow Accumulation tool.

a. Open the Flow Accumulation tool.
b. For Input flow direction raster, select the raster
output from Step 2. In this example, the input is
'FlowDir_Fill1'.
c. For Output accumulation raster, specify a raster
output name in the desired geodatabase location. In
this example, the output name in the default
geodatabase is 'FlowAcc_Flow1'.
d. Leave other parameters at default.
e. Click Run.

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 3/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

Note:
The Flow Accumulation tool calculates the accumulated
flow into each cell, as determined by the accumulated
weight of cells that flow into each downslope cell. Refer to
ArcGIS Pro: How Flow Accumulation works for more
information.

4. Create a point feature representing the pour point of the

watershed.
a. Create a point feature class with the same coordinate
system as the DEM layer in Step 1. Refer to ArcGIS
Pro: Create a feature class for instructions. In this
example, the point feature class Name and Alias are
'PourPoint' and 'Pour_point', respectively.
b. Create a point feature. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Create
point and multipoint features for instructions.

Note:
Determine the location of the pour point on the map
using the flow accumulation raster layer as reference.

5. Run the Snap Pour Point tool.

a. Open the Snap Pour Point tool.
b. For Input raster or feature pour point data, select the
feature output from Step 4. In this example, the input
is 'Pour_point'.
c. For Input accumulation raster, select the raster
output from Step 3. In this example, the input is
'FlowAcc_Flow1'.
d. For Output raster, specify an output name in the
desired geodatabase location. In this example, the

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 4/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro
output name in the default geodatabase is
'SnapPourPoint'.
e. Leave other parameters at default.
f. Click Run.

Note:
Pour points are points at which water flows out of an area.
The Snap Pour Point tool snaps these points to the cell of
highest flow accumulation within a specified distance.
Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Snap Pour Point (Spatial Analyst) for
more information.

6. Run the Watershed tool.

a. Open the Watershed tool.
b. For Input D8 flow direction raster, select the raster
output from Step 2. In this example, the input is
'FlowDir_Fill1'.
c. For Input raster or pour point feature data, select the
raster output from Step 5. In this example, the input is
'SnapPourPoint'.
d. For Output raster, specify an output name in the
desired geodatabase location. In this example, the
output name in the default geodatabase is
'Watershed_raster1'.
e. Leave Pour point field at default.
f. Click Run.

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 5/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

Note:
The Watershed tool delineates the upslope contributing
area with flow direction input created from a DEM surface.
Refer to ArcGIS Pro: How Watershed works for more
information.

7. Run the Raster to Polygon tool to convert the watershed

raster output to a polygon.
a. Open the Raster to Polygon tool.
b. For Input raster, select the raster output from Step 6.
In this example, the input is 'Watershed_raster1'.
c. For Output polygon features, specify an output name
in the desired geodatabase location. In this example,
the output name in the default geodatabase is
'Watershed_polygon1'.
d. Leave other parameters at default.
e. Click Run.

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 6/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro
The image below shows the comparison of the DEM layer of
the larger watershed area, the raster output created from the
watershed model using the Hydrology toolset, and the
watershed bounding polygon.

Article ID:000023169

Software:

ArcGIS Pro 2 x

Get help from ArcGIS experts

Contact technical support

Download the Esri Support App

Go to download options

ARCGIS

About ArcGIS
Mapping
ArcGIS Pro
ArcGIS Enterprise
ArcGIS Online
Developer APIs
ArcGIS Platform
Esri Store

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 7/8
5/10/23, 3:44 PM How To: Create a Watershed Model Using the Hydrology Toolset in ArcGIS Pro

COMMUNITY

Esri Community
ArcGIS Blog
Industry Blog
User Research and Testing
Esri Young Professionals Network
Events

UNDERSTANDING GIS

What is GIS?
Location Intelligence
Training
ArcUser
ArcNews
ArcWatch
Esri Press
Esri Videos

COMPANY

About Esri
Contact Us
Careers
Open Vision
Partners
Code of Business Conduct
Esri Merch Store

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

ArcGIS for Personal Use

ArcGIS for Student Use
Conservation
Disaster Response
Education
Nonprofit
COVID-19
Racial Equity

English (Global)

Privacy

Accessibility

Legal

Sitemap

Trust Center

Manage Cookies

Do Not Share My Personal Information

https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-create-a-watershed-model-using-the-hydrology-too-000023169 8/8