Calculating Stream Length-gradient Index (Hack Index) with the field calculator

Question

I'm trying to calculate the Stream Length-Gradient Index of a stream (example data below). Just started to get into python, but am struggling with a solution to this problem. I have 42 streams to run this code on and doing it by with excel is tedious. The stream is broken up into segments and I'd like to get a SL index for each stream.

The equation: SL = (10/Length of segment)*(sum(length of segments) * (length of segment/2))

In each stream attribute table I have:

Length

69.98 <-- top of stream

90.228

94.206

85.429

94.039

99.095

92.983

76.736

56.657 <----head of stream

Now the biggest hickup I have is that all the data is backwards I need to run the calculation from the head of the stream (bottom of the attribute table) to the top of the stream.

Thanks!

• Roland: so each row in your stream attribute table corresponds to a segment?
• user26439: Yeah, each row is a segment length
• Roland: does this table indicate the next downstream segment, too? Or is the routing topology stored elsewhere? If you have more to add, might just edit the original post.
• user26439: It does not, other than the last value is the furthest point down slope and the first is the hightest point upstream
• whuber: Your formula does not appear to compute a stream length index: this calculation depends on elevation differences as well as lengths, at least according to one of Hack's original papers (ees.lehigh.edu/ftp/retreat/outgoing/roma_tre_short_course/…). Is it possible that your stream has been broken into segments of equal elevation drop? Even then the last factor in the formula is mysterious; it does not seem to have any equivalent in the paper.

Answer 1

looking at the formula again, I'm realizing that there is no need for accumulation of lengths up/downstream. Makes things much simpler.

You can use Statistics to sum the length for the table/the stream in question. You can then use something like the following to capture that value

csr = arcpy.SearchCursor('TableViewOfStatsOutput)
row = csr.next()
sumLength= row.getValue("SUM_Length")

Then you should be able to write your formula into an CalculateField statement and get your answer.