trace of a river profile

A somewhat less lazy explanation of how to extract the trace of a river profile. [lazy explanation]

(1) Download the relevant file from the National Hydrography Dataset. (I recommend using the ftp site, which unfortunately only works on Internet Explorer.)

(2) Open the hydrology layer in arc.

(3) Determine the source latitude and longitude of your river of interest. You may be able to find this under the Geographic Names Information System entry for your river.

(4) Go to that lat/lon in the arc file and locate the source.

(5) Select the feature using Navigation [from this tutorial]

a. Click on Analysis in the Utility Network Analyst toolbar, click Options, and then Results.

b. Click on the Selection radio button, Apply, then OK.

c. Perform navigation. The navigation path will select and display NHDFFlowlines.

i. Click on View, Toolbars, and then check the Utility Network Analyst box.
ii. HYDRO_NET will appear automatically in the Network box.
iii. click the Add Edge Flag tool. The flag marks the start of the navigation path.
iv. click cursor at appropriate point on flowline (the source).
v. Select Trace Task, Trace Downstream
vi. Click on the Solve icon - it should highlight the river downstream of the flag

(6) Save the new shapefile. Right-click on NHDFlowline in the Table of Contents, scroll to Data, click on Export Data. Export selected entries, name the new shapefile.