River Runner

Overview

The River Runner project visualizes the path of a rain droplet from any point in the world to its end point, usually an ocean or an inland water feature. It utilizes data from the River Runner API which is sourced from open-source projects and datasets such as USGS’s NHDPlus data and NLDI API. The visualization includes animations of the droplet moving along the downstream path of a river or stream flowline.

Features

• Global Visualization: Tracks rain droplets from any point in the world to their endpoint.
• Utilizes River Runner API: Data sourced from open-source projects like USGS’s NHDPlus data and NLDI API.
• Interactive Map: Uses Mapbox for animating the downstream path of the rain droplets.
• Elevation and Bearing Adjustments: Prevents jerky movements ensuring a smooth user experience.
• NHDPlus Value Added Attributes Dataset: Group flowlines into parent features for quick distance calculations.
• Beta Version: Global release in beta with plans to improve river name coverage outside the US.

Installation

If you want to run the River Runner project locally, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/sdl60660/river-runner.git
2. Navigate to the project directory: cd river-runner
3. Install dependencies: npm install
4. Start the development server: npm run dev
5. Visit the local server at http://localhost:5000
6. Replace the Mapbox Access Token strings in src/access_tokens.js with your own tokens generated from your Mapbox account.

Summary

The River Runner project visualizes the path of rain droplets using a combination of data from the River Runner API, NHDPlus dataset, and Mapbox for animations. With a global version in beta, it aims to provide an interactive and educational tool for tracking water flow paths from anywhere on Earth. Users can explore the journey of rain droplets to their endpoint, usually a body of water, enhancing their understanding of hydrology and geography.