INTRODUCTION
The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) is a nationwide program managed by the U.S. Geological Survey to assist users of water data or water-related data in identifying, locating, and acquiring needed data. NAWDEX is a confederation of water-oriented organizations working together to make their data more readily accessible and to facilitate a more efficient exchange of water data.
Two data bases are maintained. The Water Data Sources Directory contains information about organizations that are sources of water or water-related data and services, types of data available, and locations from which data or services may be obtained. The Master Water Data Index contains information about individual sites at which surface-water or ground-water data are collected, locations of the sites, types of data collected, periods, frequency of measurements, and identification of the source organizations.
NAWDEX services are available through a Program Office located at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Center in Reston, Virginia, and a nationwide network of Assistance Centers established in 45 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to provide local and convenient access to NAWDEX facilities. A recently published Directory provides the names of organizations and persons to contact, addresses, telephone numbers, and the various types of data and services available at each location.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
A variety of user services are provided by NAWDEX. These include assistance in identifying and locating needed water data and referring the requester to the organization that retains the data required. A Master Water Data Index is maintained which allows NAWDEX to locate those sites for which desired water data are available, and to provide the identifying information for each site necessary to obtain the data from the organization retaining it. A Water Data Sources Directory is also maintained that identifies organizations that are sources of water data and locations within these organizations from which data may be obtained. NAWDEX services are available to any organization or individual.
All users are required to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S.
Geological Survey which defines the conditions and fiscal responsibilities
for use of the Survey's computer system.
USER CHARGES:
All users are charged for their actual use of the computer system plus
a 5-1/2 percent administrative surcharge. A schedule of USGS computer charges
is available upon request. Users of NAWDEX are billed monthly. All charges
are assessed by and reimbursable to the U.S. Geological Survey. If you
would like additional information, or wish to obtain access to the described
data base, you may do so by filling on the next page and returning it to:
National Water Data Exchange U.S. Geological Survey 421 National Center Reston, VA 22092 Telephone: (703) 648-5663
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The participation of private organizations as NAWDEX Assistance Centers does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey of any organization, service, system, or product within the private sector. Rather, the NAWDEX program serves as a public forum or informing its users of data services and products available from all sectors of the water-data community.
Further information regarding the availability of U.S.Geological Survey data sources can be obtained by accessing the U.S.G.S. world wide web on internet. The home page address is http://www.usgs.gov/ and the water resources division home page is http://h2o.usgs.gov/ Please check the appropriate statement:
My organization wishes to gain access to the following data bases. Please prepare a Memorandum of Agreement for our signature.
WATSTORE
My organization also wishes to become a participating member of NAWDEX. Please prepare a Memorandum of Understanding for our signature.
NAME
ORGANIZATION
STREET ADDRESS
CITY STATE ZIP CODE
TELEPHONE DATA
STORET is a computerized data base utility maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the STOrage and RETrieval of parametric data pertaining to the quality of the waterways within and contiguous to the United States. Since its inception in the early 1960s, the original data base has evolved into a comprehensive system, capable of performing a broad range of reporting, statistical analysis and graphics functions, while continuing to serve in its original role as a repository of parametric water quality data. STORET is accessed by hundreds of users, utilizing computer terminals located throughout the country.
The system is comprised of several individual but related files, which contain various types of information, including:
The data contained in STORET are collected, stored, and used by a variety of Federal, State, and local government agencies and their contractors. Data and retrieval requests are usually entered at computer terminals, and users have the option of routing job output either to their own keyboard terminals or to a remote printer (the central printer or another specified remote printer). Output from the central printer is sent to the user through the mails. It is also possible to place job output on cards or microfilm and to store output on tape or disk.
HOW DOES STORET WORK?
To store, retrieve, summarize and display STORET data, analysts make use of a collection of customized computer programs and keywords. Because the Water Quality File (WQF) is the largest and most widely used of the STORET files, its programs are generally the most flexible and the most sophisticated. Using appropriate combination of keywords, the user can easily determine what data are available in the Water Quality Field to answer a given question. Flexible retrieval routines permit the user to restrict the data retrieved according to:
If sufficient data are present, the user has a choice of formats in which to summarize and display the information. Output format is controlled by specifying the WQF program to be used. Alternative outputs include:
Program-specific keywords allow the user to further manipulate the output format in terms of scale, statistical functions, plotting symbols, and other variables. There are also program-specific keywords that limit the data retrieved to values meeting other user-specified criteria.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
EPA Headquarters provides extensive operational support for the STORET user community, through the STORET User Assistance Section, Assessment and Watershed Protection Division in the Office of Water. User Assistance personnel are available by telephone from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, to answer questions. During those hours, users may call toll free (800) 424-9067. The STORET User Handbook contains complete documentation on how to use the system. Copies of the Handbook are distributed to all new users. A current list of Handbook owners is used as a mailing list for updates, periodicals, memoranda, and other items that may be made available to STORET users.
User Assistance personnel also periodically conduct basic and advanced STORET training seminars. (Prerequisites for the advanced seminar are completion of the basic seminar and at least 6 months experience as an active STORET user.) In addition, an annual 3-day users' meeting provides a forum for users from across the country to exchange ideas and share experiences with the use of the system.
Representatives of Federal, State, interstate, and local government agencies and private individuals all are eligible to become STORET users. Depending on the affiliation of the user, there are several methods of monetary compensation of EPA for the use of the system. Charges assessed will not exceed the direct costs in responding to a data request.
EPA supports its contracted hardware vendor by assigning each program office an automatic data processing sub-allowance; one of these assignments is for State usage of STORET. Each year this sub-allowance is distributed among the States through their respective EPA.
A prospective State user should contact his or her Regional STORET representative for further details.
Federal agencies may compensate EPA for their STORET usage by means of an interagency agreement. These agreements may be negotiated by the appropriate Regional office or by EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Agreements that cross EPA Regional boundaries, or are on a national level, should be negotiated through EPA Headquarters.
For further information on funding or on how STORET can help you fulfill your water quality data analysis needs, contact your Regional STORET representative. STORET User Assistance (800) 424-9067) can furnish you with the name and telephone number of your representative.
For E-Mail inquiries, STORET
WATSTORE,
(National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System)
As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's program of releasing water data to the public, a large-scale computerized system has been developed for the storage and retrieval of water data collected through the activities of the Water Resources Division. The system is operated and maintained on the central computer facilities of the Survey at its National Center in Reston, Va. Data may be obtained from WATSTORE through any of the Water Resources Division's district offices. Information about state (district) and regional USGS offices and district office home pages can be accessed.
Several files and data bases are maintained in WATSTORE which store most hydrologic data collected by the Geological Survey. The Station Header File contains identification, location, and physical descriptions of sites for which data are stored. The Daily Values File contains river stages, streamflow values, water temperatures, specific conductance values, sediment concentrations and discharges, and other parameters that are measured on a daily schedule. The Peak Flow File contains peak streamflow and stage values for surface-water sites. The Unit Values File contains stream discharge values, temperatures, and other parameters measured on a schedule more frequent than daily. The Water Quality File contains the results of chemical, physical, biological and radio-chemical analyses for both surface and ground waters. Access to this file is pending. These data are, however, stored and made available through STORET. The Ground-Water Site Inventory File contains inventory information such as site location and identification data, well-construction data, geohydrologic characteristics, and other data pertinent to wells, springs, and other sources of ground water. The Water-Use File contains limited summary data on water use throughout the Nation. The daily mean flows file provides real time access to surface water data. the historic daily streamflow values and peak flow data are also available.
In addition to its data processing, storage, and retrieval capabilities, WATSTORE can provide products such as:
Computer-Printed Tables
Users most often request data from WATSTORE in the form of tables printed by the computer. These tables may contain lists of actual data or condensed indexes that indicate the availability of data stored in the files. A variety of formats is available to display the many types of data.
Computer-Printed Graphs
Computer-printed graphs for the rapid analyses or display of data are another capability of WATSTORE. Computer programs are available to produce bar graphs (histograms), line graphs, frequency distribution curves, X-Y point plots, site-location map plots, and other similar items by means of line printers.
Statistical Analyses
WATSTORE interfaces with a proprietary Statistical Analysis System (SAS) to provide extensive analyses of data such as regression analyses, the analysis of variance, transformations, and correlations.
Digital Plotting
WATSTORE also makes use of software systems that prepare data for digital plotting on peripheral off-line plotters available at the central computer site. Plots that can be obtained include hydrographs, frequency distribution curves, X-Y point plots, contour plots, and three-dimensional plots.
Data in Machine-Readable Form
Data stored in WATSTORE can be obtained in machine-readable form for use on other computers or for use as input to user-written computer programs. These data are available in the standard storage format of the WATSTORE system or in the form of punched cards or card images on magnetic tape.
WATSTORE Assistance
Information about the availability of specific types of data, the acquisition of data or products, and user charges can be obtained locally from each of the Water Resources Division's district offices.
General inquiries about WATSTORE or inquiries about contacts in the district offices may be directed to:
National Water Data Exchange U.S. Geological Survey 421 National Center Reston, VA 22092 Telephone: (703) 648-5663
All users are required to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey which defines the conditions and fiscal responsibilities for use of the Survey's computer system.
USER CHARGES: All users are charged for their actual use of the computer system plus a 5 and 1/2 percent administrative surcharge. A schedule of USGS computer charges is available upon request. Users of NAWDEX and WATSTORE are billed month. All charges are assess by and reimbursable to the U.S. Geological Survey.
NATIONAL COAL RESOURCES DATA SYSTEM (NCRDS)
DESCRIPTION
The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) provides information on location, quantity, and physical and chemical characteristics of coal and coal-related rocks.
NCRDS ASSISTANCE
Information about the availability of specific types of data, the acquisition of data or products, user charges can be obtained by conducting:
NCRDS Manager U.S. Geological Survey MS 915, National Center Reston, VA 22092 Telephone: (703) 648-6465
Via E-mail
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