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Title: Improving Discovery, Sharing, and Use of Water Data: Initial Findings and Suggested Future Work

Abstract

Collaborative management of water resources requires a broad suite of “water data” that extends beyond basic information about water quantity and quality to other related topics such as water infrastructure, aquatic ecosystem health, socioeconomic factors, and power generation. Water data are disparate in nature because they are collected and provided by many entities, and in some cases, remain challenging to access and use. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office initiated a project to characterize relevant categories of water data; describe the current state of accessing, using, and visualizing water data; and outline investigatory pathways for future efforts aimed at improving the discovery, sharing, and use of water data. Input on these topics was solicited from a small but diverse cross section of members of the water resources community. Fourteen broad categories of water data were identified: dams; ecology; flood control; hydroclimatology; hydrography; hydrology; hydropower; management landscape; migratory barriers; recreation and aesthetic importance; socioeconomic; water quality; water availability and use; and weather. Stakeholder perspectives on the accessibility and usability of water data indicate these aspects are affected by a complex set of technical and social factors. However, stakeholders generally agreed that better access to water data can providemore » a range of benefits to water management, and they stressed the need to generate broad support from water data users and producers. Two investigatory pathways were outlined that, taken together, provide a logical progression toward the goals of the project. The first pathway emphasizes further investigation to better define target audiences and data needs, identify opportunities for collaboration between related efforts, and conduct value demonstration activities to generate further support for improving discovery and access of water data. The second pathway focuses on creating a comprehensive vision for potential solutions that improve the discovery of water data. Several activities that align with the first pathway are suggested for the next phase of the project.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1778100
Report Number(s):
PNNL-29737
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 13 HYDRO ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION

Citation Formats

Larson, Kyle B., Wong, Makena A. Y. L., Mitchel, Kelford C., Tagestad, Jerry D., Saulsbury, James W., Bellgraph, Brian J., and Reicher, Dan W. Improving Discovery, Sharing, and Use of Water Data: Initial Findings and Suggested Future Work. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.2172/1778100.
Larson, Kyle B., Wong, Makena A. Y. L., Mitchel, Kelford C., Tagestad, Jerry D., Saulsbury, James W., Bellgraph, Brian J., & Reicher, Dan W. Improving Discovery, Sharing, and Use of Water Data: Initial Findings and Suggested Future Work. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1778100
Larson, Kyle B., Wong, Makena A. Y. L., Mitchel, Kelford C., Tagestad, Jerry D., Saulsbury, James W., Bellgraph, Brian J., and Reicher, Dan W. 2021. "Improving Discovery, Sharing, and Use of Water Data: Initial Findings and Suggested Future Work". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1778100. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1778100.
@article{osti_1778100,
title = {Improving Discovery, Sharing, and Use of Water Data: Initial Findings and Suggested Future Work},
author = {Larson, Kyle B. and Wong, Makena A. Y. L. and Mitchel, Kelford C. and Tagestad, Jerry D. and Saulsbury, James W. and Bellgraph, Brian J. and Reicher, Dan W.},
abstractNote = {Collaborative management of water resources requires a broad suite of “water data” that extends beyond basic information about water quantity and quality to other related topics such as water infrastructure, aquatic ecosystem health, socioeconomic factors, and power generation. Water data are disparate in nature because they are collected and provided by many entities, and in some cases, remain challenging to access and use. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office initiated a project to characterize relevant categories of water data; describe the current state of accessing, using, and visualizing water data; and outline investigatory pathways for future efforts aimed at improving the discovery, sharing, and use of water data. Input on these topics was solicited from a small but diverse cross section of members of the water resources community. Fourteen broad categories of water data were identified: dams; ecology; flood control; hydroclimatology; hydrography; hydrology; hydropower; management landscape; migratory barriers; recreation and aesthetic importance; socioeconomic; water quality; water availability and use; and weather. Stakeholder perspectives on the accessibility and usability of water data indicate these aspects are affected by a complex set of technical and social factors. However, stakeholders generally agreed that better access to water data can provide a range of benefits to water management, and they stressed the need to generate broad support from water data users and producers. Two investigatory pathways were outlined that, taken together, provide a logical progression toward the goals of the project. The first pathway emphasizes further investigation to better define target audiences and data needs, identify opportunities for collaboration between related efforts, and conduct value demonstration activities to generate further support for improving discovery and access of water data. The second pathway focuses on creating a comprehensive vision for potential solutions that improve the discovery of water data. Several activities that align with the first pathway are suggested for the next phase of the project.},
doi = {10.2172/1778100},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1778100}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}