Management Duties for National Water Information System Databases

The following is a list of National Water Information System (NWIS) data management tasks to be performed in a typical district. This list has been compiled to aid districts that may be evaluating their approach to the management of NWIS. Each item in the list of management duties could be modified for inclusion as duties in position descriptions or as critical elements for employee performance plans.

 

These tasks exceed the traditional duties of a typical NWIS database administrator (DBA).  Depending on the scope of a district’s data program, the size of their NWIS databases, available staff, and budget, these tasks may be divided among a wide variety of personnel. Each district may wish to evaluate the following responsibilities and develop a team responsible for ensuring NWIS data integrity by defining specific roles for each team member. 

 

Training and General Support

  1. Teach NWIS users the correct methods for data entry and management
  2. Provide general NWIS user support, including minor trouble-shooting of applications
  3. Assist Information Officer with information requests, as needed
  4. Distribute Watlists received from the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL)
  5. Ensure that project chiefs follow Division and district NWIS data processing policies
  6. Develop and approve all non-standardized field forms before project use
  7. Periodically review and revise the district’s data management plan in consultation with the data chief and NWIS DBA
  8. Participate in yearly database reviews
  9. Serve as district liaison to NWIS Office
  10. Serve as librarian for NWIS documentation

 

Software Maintenance

  1. Maintain NWIS software and reference lists
  2. Maintain NWIS user access and security lists.  Such lists should clearly differentiate between cooperators and USGS users
  3. Monitor and manage disk space for NWIS/Ingres
  4. Perform and verify Ingres checkpoints and back ups
  5. Monitor and maintain LRGS
  6. Monitor and maintain Satin/Sentry/Decodes
  7. Monitor and maintain files for RT_WWW/NWIS Web
  8. Record date, time, and duration of each RT_WWW/NWIS Web failure along with a brief explanation of each
  9. Archive/de-archive unit values data, as necessary

 

Site File Maintenance

  1. Ensure that site file folders have been properly archived in the district site file archive after a project is concluded
  2. Ensure that site file folders have been properly filed for basic data program sites at the end of each water year
  3. Approve preliminary 8-15 digit site ID assigned by person establishing site
  4. Approve preliminary site names given by data chief or project chiefs before entering data into NWIS via GWSI
  5. Ensure that new sites are accurately field checked and plotted on topographic maps
  6. Maintain a master GIS site file, differentiating between QW, GW, and SW sites.  Attributes should also be present to differentiate between telemetry sites versus other sites.
  7. Identify duplicate sites. Merge data and delete duplicate sites
  8. Maintain record of site file changes or deletions
  9. For sites where data are moved or combined, annotate paper file and add original site ID to remarks field

 

Other

  1. Write, maintain, and monitor programs to decode data transmitted via radio or landlines
  2. Write and maintain programs for field data entry
  3. Write programs to import data from other sources, such as cooperator databases
  4. Keep all programs and databases current with changes made by cooperators
  5. Ensure that project data in NWIS databases are consistent with data stored in project databases
  6. Maintain an index of local NWIS applications
  7. Publish data and ensure that data in report is correct and can be verified by data in site file folder and NWIS and project databases

 

References

Eric Evenson, et al, 1995, Final Report – Recommendations on Organization Structure; Hardware, Software, and Support; Ingres Administration; Policy; Training and Education, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Region – Northeastern Region Database Committee, 13 p.

Hollway, Richard, et al, 1998, Policy and Procedures for the Management and Archival of Data Collected for Hydrologic Investigations, U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon District, 14 p.