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November 2012 Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association Lara Panayotoff

Sharing is Caring: Collaborative efforts in data management between Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky. November 2012 Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association Lara Panayotoff Kentucky Division of Water Department for Environmental Protection.

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November 2012 Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association Lara Panayotoff

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  1. Sharing is Caring: Collaborative efforts in data management between Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky November 2012Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association Lara Panayotoff Kentucky Division of Water Department for Environmental Protection To Protect and Enhance Kentucky’s Environment

  2. Acknowledgements Alabama Lisa Huff* Gina LoGuidice* Vickie Hulcher Kayren Pittman Mississippi Natalie Segrest* Valerie Alley Kentucky Melissa Miracle CJ Watts Jessica Schuster* Jo Blanset Susan Cohn* Lisa Hicks* Lara Panayotoff* * SWPBA members Kentucky DEP

  3. Just crunch some numbers, will ya?

  4. Binders Full of Data • Fixed monitoring networks • Intensive watershed surveys and studies • Complaints, spills • Sample results • Field observations • Species data • Station Information • Excel Spreadsheets (so… many… spreadsheets...) • Program-specific Access databases (all different) • Hard Copy Reports • Various Files in Numerous Locations • Stuff no one even knows about

  5. Data System ‘Must Haves’ • Accommodate most/all current routine monitoring data • Flexible • Reflect current work processes • User friendly • Documentation of data quality and usability • Easy to get data out • Promote efficient flow to WQX

  6. Alabama Water-Quality Assessment & Monitoring Data Repository (ALAWADR) • 2008 demo at SWPBA • ORACLE database • Web-based user interface • Based on STORET design and data requirements

  7. ALAWADR Design Framework Field Measurements & Observations Sample Collection Water Sediment Biological Tissue Bioassessment Fish Community Macroinvertebrate Community

  8. ALAWADR Design Framework Physical Measurements Categorical Observations Chemical Analyses (water, sediment, biological tissue) Taxonomic Composition

  9. Development Time and Cost • Initial Planning – 2001-2007 • Initial Development – May 2007 • Initial Implementation – May 2008-2009 • Historical Data Migration - 2007-2010 • Data Flow to EPA WQX – 2011 • Contractor/ In-House IT Staff /In-House Scientists • ~$1.2 - $1.5 Million+

  10. Data System ‘Must Haves’   Accommodate current routine programs    Flexible / expandible   Reflect current work processes  User friendly    Documentation for data quality / usability  Easy to get data out    Promote efficient flow to WQX

  11. environmental Surface water Portal for Information (enSPIRE) - Mississippi • Initiated development 2009 • ~$500k contractor work • ~2 FTEs in-house staff time • Main enhancements: • Data assessment module • Enhanced mapping capability • Alternate data entry modes • Alternate mode of LIMS data transfer

  12. Kentucky Water Quality Data for Environmental Monitoring (K-WADE) • Initiated development late 2010 • ~ $350k contractor time • ~2 FTEs in house staff time • Main enhancements: • Expanded biology modules • Enhanced stations mapping • Usability/user-friendliness • Off-site partner agency users

  13. Kentucky Enhancements Algae Bioassessment Activity • Accommodates QC samples and replicates • captures all details needed for quantitative cell counts • results file import available

  14. Kentucky Enhancements • individuals details • csv file import available Mussel Bioassessment Activity

  15. Kentucky Enhancements Taxon Attributes (Traits) • taxon traits list and value choices fully customizable

  16. Kentucky Enhancements • station creation tools • display station search results

  17. Kentucky Enhancements Off-site partner agency users (former EDAS partners) • Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources • Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission • US Forest Service (Daniel Boone National Forest) • Remote log-in nuts and bolts • Reference table management • Sensitive location • Joint projects

  18. Benefits of Cooperation • Comfort-level with a basically working system and an experienced contractor • Money and time could be spent mainly on state-specific needs and expanded functionality • $1.5 million vs <$0.5 million • Take advantage of partner states’ unique capabilities and expertise • Cross-pollination of ideas, troubleshooting, problem solving

  19. Challenges • Alabama would like to incorporate some of KY and MS enhancements, but will take time & $$ • Further development desired in some areas where one state has made headway but others lagging • QA tools • reporting and querying • better indexing to assessments/ assessment units • more efficient data entry, including portable module • taxonomic nomenclature and traits tracking

  20. The Future? • Continued grant support to pay for sharing enhancements • Support for joint work sessions to troubleshoot and design new modules • Technical assistance? • Benefits to EPA and stakeholders • Comparability, timely and more uniform flow to WQX, data integrity

  21. Lessons Learned • Significant time investment for program staff (like biologists being dragged off the ‘scope and out of the field) • Data management system decisions can cross over to work process decisions • Time spent on ensuring good design is worth it, because the interface can always be tweaked

  22. Thanks!

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