Welcome to DeKalb County Watersheds

HUC is the acronym for Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC). Every hydrologic unit is identified by a unique HUC consisting of 2 to 12 digits based on the levels of classification in the hydrologic unit system.

A hydrologic unit describes the area of land upstream from a specific point on the stream (generally the mouth or outlet) that contributes surface water runoff directly to this outlet point. Another term for this concept is drainage area. 

It is delineated by starting at a designated outlet point (usually the river mouth) and proceeding to follow the highest elevation of land that divides the direction of surface water flow (usually referred to as the ridge line). This boundary will follow the basin ridges until connected back at the outlet point. 

Hydrologic Unit Codes - ( HUC) 

HUC - 2 REGION 

Major land areas. The lower 48 states have 18 total, 1 additional each for Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. ( 21 Total in US)  

HUC - 4 SUBREGION 

Each Region has from 3 to 30 Subregions. The Missouri River Region has 30 Subregions. The lower 48 states have 204. ( 222 Total in US). 

HUC - 6 BASIN 

Accounting Unit. ( 352 Total in US). 

HUC - 8 SUBBASIN 

Cataloging Unit. The smallest is 448 K Acres (700 mi²). Most are much larger. National HQ compilations have this as the smallest size unit. ( 2,149 Total in US) 

HUC - 10 WATERSHED 

Typically from 40 to 250 K Acres (62 to 390 mi²) Work continues per new Interagency Guidelines presented to Federal Geographic Date Committee on December 2000. (Was formerly called HUC-11). 

HUC - 12 SUBWATERSHED 

Typically from 10 to 40 K Acres (15 to 62 mi²) Work continues per new Interagency Guidelines presented to Federal Geographic Date Committee on December 2000. (Was formerly called HUC14). 

 - dep.wv.gov