Introduction

The Subcommittee for Spatial Water Data (SSWD) is a subcommittee of two parent committees: the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI).  The ACWI and FGDC created the Subcommittee to assist the ACWI and FGDC to coordinate Federal and non-Federal interests in spatial water data, including: (1) facilitating the exchange of information and transfer of data; (2) establishing and implementing standards for quality, content, and transferability; and (3) coordinating the identification of requirements and the collection of spatial data to minimize duplication of effort where practicable and economical. 

The subcommittee, through its member agencies will work to develop strategic partnerships and relevant standards and to provide outreach that will facilitate the creation the awareness, availability, and access to existing water information holdings of Federal agencies and the non-Federal sector. 
 

Responsibilities of the Subcommittee include the following:

• Facilitate the coordination of organizations' activities related to spatial water data and the exchange of spatial water data, by formal and informal means.
• Facilitate the collection and compilation of information for spatial water data activities.
• Participate in consensus standards development and evaluation efforts of the private sector in the United States, by United Nations and by other international organizations, as appropriate.
• Identify ways in which the National Spatial Data Infrastructure can include scientifically sound and well documented spatial water data from many sources.
• Recommend any changes in the definition of spatial water data to more accurately describe its scope.
• Assist the ACWI and FGDC in establishing and publishing consensus standards and specifications for spatial water data, and recommend priorities for producing data sets.
• Assist in the development and adoption of common standards and definitions for data elements, data content, format, and accuracy for spatial water data for use by all Federal agencies and to encourage use by non-Federal organizations.
• Promote wide use of defined and published spatial data transfer standards for spatial water data.
• Facilitate technology transfer for the economic and efficient application of spatial water data for decision making and scientific understanding.
• Support higher-order or crosscutting activities established or recognized by the ACWI or FGDC.
• Encourage organizations to provide for the permanent preservation of historically valuable data.

 
Scope of Work

During fiscal years 2006 to 2007, the subcommittee will focus on the following key items:

1. Designing and adding substantive water content to the E-Government Geospatial One-Stop Project.

2. Facilitate development of the following standards and guidelines:

• Watershed Delineation Guidelines
• Hydrologic Unit standard
• ASTM hydro standard

3. Shepherd development and maintenance of key national water datasets

• WBD,
• NHD, NHDplus,
• NED/EDNA.

4. Work with Water Resource Consortium to develop Water One-Flow, unique portal to explore and access water resources information across the country
 

Points of Contact:

For updates to the Subcommittee work plan and to keep current on all activities and progress check the Subcommittee website at http://acwi.gov/spatial/index.html.

For additional information please contact:
                Robert Pierce                                             Todd Dabolt
                USGS                                                          U.S. EPA
                Phone (770) 409-7708                               Phone 202-564-1450
                E-mail rrpierce [at] usgs.gov                           E-mail Dabolt.Thomas [at] epa.gov