National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Scientific Records Management and Data Synthesis
Project Number: CRJ75
Project Chief: Jana Stewart
Project Topics: water data
Cooperators: U.S. Geological Survey
Period of Project: October 1996 – Continuing
Problem
.
Since 1991, USGS scientists with the NAWQA program have been collecting and analyzing data and information in more than 50 major river basins and aquifers across the Nation. The goal is to develop long-term consistent and comparable information on streams, ground water, and aquatic ecosystems to support sound management and policy decisions. These data are collected to define baseline conditions, recognize long-term hydrologic and water-quality trends and gain an understanding of natural and anthropogenic factors influencing hydrologic processes and conditions. These records are critical to the mission of the USGS, and represent a unique National data set that must be managed and preserved to ensure its availability to present and future generations of natural scientists and resource managers.
Objectives
The objectives of this project are to (1) provide technical support to the NAWQA program for managing and preserving scientific records, and ( 2) represent the study unit level to help identify, manage and resolve data issues for the NAWQA program.
Approach
During the first cycle of NAWQA (1991–2003), data collection was conducted at the study unit level, within major river basins around the country. A comprehensive data archival checklist was developed and used by study units to document and track information related to the archival of study unit hydrologic records and supporting information. A final archival review is conducted at the completion of each of the Cycle I studies. During the second cycle of NAWQA, beginning in 2001, data collection was based around program level topical studies, designed to gain an understanding of hydrologic processes and the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing these processes. Data continue to be collected within study units, however, are aggregated up to a topical study level for regional and national analysis. As a result, data archival needs to be accomplished at both the study unit and topical study level. Other data issues are identified, managed and resolved by the NAWQA Data Synthesis Team, that include scientists and data managers at all levels of NAWQA, during monthly conference calls and frequent email correspondence.
Progress
Archive reviews were conducted for a number of the remaining Cycle I study units and draft plans were developed to manage and archive scientific records in Cycle II. A committee was developed to assess Scientific Records Management in USGS WRD and to update the guidance for managing and archiving USGS WRD mission-critical scientific records. Monthly conference calls were conducted to identify and resolve NAWQA data issues at the National, Regional, and local study unit levels.
Plans
Work is underway to develop customized plans to manage and archive scientific records for NAWQA topical studies that center around the effects of urbanization, nutrient enrichment, and mercury contamination in streams; understanding the transport of natural and anthropogenic contaminants to public supply wells; and understanding the transport of agricultural chemicals in ground water. Additional work is being conducted to identify and address data problems related to these topical studies.
Data Files
|