Status of National Water Information System (NWIS) Activities Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 15:37:40 -0500 To: "E - All WRD Employees" From: "Robert M Hirsch, Chief Hydrologist, Reston, VA " (Robert Hirsch) Subject: Status of NWIS Activities Cc: "File WRD Archive Reston, VA ", "Joanne C Taylor, Secretary (Typing), Reston, VA " In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 412 MEMORANDUM July 11, 1996 To: All Water Resources Division Employees From: Robert M. Hirsch (signed) Chief Hydrologist Subject: Status of National Water Information System (NWIS) Activities The Water Resources Division (WRD) Senior Staff recently discussed the recommendations of both WRD's Computer Policy Advisory Committee (CPAC) and the National Mapping Division (NMD) external review team on the progress of the next version of our corporate data base, NWIS-II. Both sets of recommendations were based in large part on the work of the NWIS team and the Consolidated User Group that provided detailed information on the status of NWIS-II. The purpose of this memorandum is to inform all WRD employees about recent Senior Staff decisions and planned activities. Based on the recommendations of the CPAC, the external review team, and others, the Senior Staff agreed to the redesign of NWIS-II and agreed to the conversion of NWIS-I from the Primes to the Data Generals. They also formed a Senior Staff Board from among their members to give additional attention to these very important issues. The members of the Board are Bill Alley, Bill Carswell, Cathy Hill, Verne Schneider, and Lew Wade, chair. The Board has commissioned an ad hoc "Planning and Review Team for Water Information Systems" (PARTWIS) under the broad umbrella of the CPAC. This ad hoc team will coordinate the development of additional information needed by the Senior Staff as we make decisions related to: (1) NWIS-I conversion and NWIS-II redesign, and (2) Improving the software development and hardware procurement processes within the Division. PARTWIS will work in a collegial review fashion with, but external to, NWIS and DIS. The Board will review recommendations from PARTWIS, and implement and provide resources for all approved recommendations. The Board decided to constitute the PARTWIS with members who are based in Reston to facilitate the interaction with NWIS and DIS staffs. Membership will be a team of seven people: three from WRD, two from NMD, and two advisory members from outside consultants to provide technical assistance as needed. Members of PARTWIS are Ernie Brunson, NMD, Jim Jancaitis, NMD, Merritt Blalock, WRD, Robert Mason, WRD, and Janice Ward, WRD, team leader. A description of PARTWIS activities is available to all WRD employees at: http://wwwnwis/nwis/nwis13.html. I ask for your support as we work to improve our processes to provide the quality software and hardware necessary to efficiently accomplish our mission. ************************************************************* Robert M. Hirsch Phone: 703/648-5215 Chief Hydrologist Fax: 703/648-5002 409 National Center Internet: rhirsch@usgs.gov U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA 22092 *************************************************************