diff --git a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network_utilities_v02.py b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network_utilities_v02.py
index e73ec5068..cbec8d73a 100644
--- a/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network_utilities_v02.py
+++ b/src/troute-network/troute/nhd_network_utilities_v02.py
@@ -845,15 +845,6 @@ def build_refac_connections(diff_network_parameters):
 
     # set parameter dataframe index as segment id number, sort
     param_df = param_df.set_index("key").sort_index()
-
-    # get and apply domain mask
-    if "mask_file_path" in diff_network_parameters:
-        data_mask = nhd_io.read_mask(
-            pathlib.Path(diff_network_parameters["mask_file_path"]),
-            layer_string=diff_network_parameters.get("mask_layer_string", None),
-        )
-        data_mask = data_mask.set_index(data_mask.columns[0])
-        param_df = param_df.filter(data_mask.index, axis=0)
     
     # There can be an externally determined terminal code -- that's this first value
     terminal_codes = set()
diff --git a/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/preprocess.py b/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/preprocess.py
index d0cb5b0f2..a92c09522 100644
--- a/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/preprocess.py
+++ b/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/preprocess.py
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ def nwm_network_preprocess(
                 # ... dataframe returned from read_netcdf, then the code would break here.
                 topobathy_data = (nhd_io.read_netcdf(topobathy_file).set_index('link'))
                 
+                # TODO: Request GID make comID variable an integer in their product, so
+                # we do not need to change variable types, here.
+                topobathy_data.index = topobathy_data.index.astype(int)
+                
             else:
                 topobathy_data = pd.DataFrame()
                 LOG.debug('No natural cross section topobathy data provided. Hybrid simualtion will run on compound trapezoidal geometry.')
@@ -478,7 +482,7 @@ def nwm_network_preprocess(
                 "No destination folder specified for preprocessing. Please specify preprocess_output_folder in configuration file. Aborting preprocessing routine"
             )
             quit()
-
+    
     return (
         connections,
         param_df,