Vital Signs Water Quality Data Management

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Vital Signs Water Quality Data Management
Guidance on Data Reporting and Archiving in STORET
by Dean Tucker NPS Water Resources Division
Meeting of the Networks Austin, Texas February 9,
2005
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
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Overview

• Natural Resource Challenge
• STORET
• Vital Signs WQ Data Flow
• NPSTORET

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Natural Resource Challenge Water Quality
Physical
Chemical
Other
Biological
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STORET
EPA Database for Ambient Water Quality and
Biological Data
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STORET History

• STOrage and RETrieval
• Began in DOI in 1964
• Legacy STORET
• 1 Million (plus) Sites
• 200 Million (plus) Observations

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STORET Users

• State Environmental Health Organizations
• Other Federal Agencies (National Park Service)
• Citizen Volunteers
• Watershed Managers

Clean Water Act 305(b) Assessments 303(d) Lists

• 303(d) Impaired
• Blue Creek
• Badwater Spring
• Poison Lake
• Dirty Lagoon

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NPS Data in Legacy STORET

• 17,477 Sites (4th)
• 2,543,143 Obs.
• 2,206 Parameters
• 191 NPS Units

Olympic National Park, WA
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STORET Evolution
NPS data was here
Now it is here
December 2004
Old STORET
STORET Legacy Data Center
New STORET
http//www.epa.gov/storet
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Stations Registered in STORETas of February 9,
2005
200,212 Stations in STORET National
Data Warehouse
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Attributes of New STORET

• Data of Documented Quality
• Oracle Database
• Data Standards for Data Sharing (ITIS, EPA)
• Locally Owned and Operated
• EPA Maintained
• Public Read-Only Access to EPA Data Warehouse

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STORET Simplified Schematic
Organization
Programs
Projects
Stations
Metadata
Trips
Data Loggers
Collection Procedures Gear Configurations Handling
Procedures Analytical Procedures Lab Sample
Prep. Procedures Characteristics Laboratory
Info Staff/Personnel Citations QA/QC
Station Visits
Op. Periods
Monitoring Activities
Results
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STORET

• Sample Media
• Air
• Bottom Sediment
• Soil
• Water
• Biological
• Individual
• Subject Taxa
• Tissue
• Subject Taxa
• Bio- Part
• Species Abundance
• Aquatic Vegetation
• Terrestrial Plants
• Benthic Macroinverts
• Birds
• Reptiles
• Amphibians
• Bacteria/Viral

Medium
Intent
Community
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STORET

• Field Measurement/
• Observation Types
• Replicate Measurement
• Habitat Evaluation
• Observation
• Measurement

• Sample Types
• Routine
• Field Replicate
• Depletion Replicate
• Created from Sample
• Composite - with Parents
• Sample from Sample
• Composite- W/O Parents
• Integrated Time Series
• Integrated Flow Proportioned
• Integrated Horizontal Profile
• Integrated Vertical Profile

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Why STORET?

• Under the Clean Water Act, states are responsible
  for developing and enforcing water quality
  standards on all lands within their boundary.
• Approximately 80 of states used legacy STORET.
• With few exceptions, most states now use new
  STORET.

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Why STORET?

• Robust, full-featured, well-supported database
• NPS runs its copy of STORET EPA runs the
  National Data Warehouse
• Public can access data at http//www.epa.gov/stor
  et

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Why STORET?

• Fully compliant with ITFM and NWQMC metadata
  recommendations
• NPS-77 states that the NPS should provide water
  quality monitoring data to STORET
• NPS has made a significant investment in old
  STORET with 2.5 million observations at 17,477
  stations for 191 parks

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Vital Signs WQ Data Flow
Network Responsibilities

• Enter data into NPSTORET or STORET Electronic
  Data Deliverable (EDD) format
• Transmit data files along with QAPP, SOP, and any
  other relevant documentation to WRD at least
  annually
• Assist WRD as necessary in answering questions
  and QAing the data and
• Incorporate QA/QC changes

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Vital Signs WQ Data Flow
WRD Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain NPSTORET and STORET EDD
• Assist Networks in configuring and using
  NPSTORET
• Receive data files along with QAPP, SOP, and any
  other relevant documentation from Networks at
  least annually
• QA/QC the data files and return edits to Network
• Use SIM and other tools to upload the data into
  the NPS copy of STORET

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Vital Signs WQ Data Flow
http//www.nature.nps.gov/water/infoanddata/index.
htm
EPA Washington, D.C.
WRD Fort Collins
Networks
Annually
Monthly
NPS STORET (Oracle)
STORET National Data Warehouse www.epa.gov/storet/
dw_home.html
NPSTORET or STORET EDD
Edits or changes post
quality assurance
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NPSTORET

• Microsoft Access-based
• N.R. Database Template for Water Quality
• Tailored to serve STORET

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NPSTORET Tour
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Contact InfoDean F. Tucker(970)-225-3516Dean_
Tucker_at_NPS.GOVAdditional Infohttp//www.natur
e.nps.gov/water/infoanddata/index.htm