Water Resources Discipline ITAC Activities

Data Chiefs,

Please find below a link to the minutes from the latest ITAC meeting held at the Arkansas District Office in mid-November 2004.

http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/itac/minutes/littlerock_0411/

I have also attached some IT highlights from my perspective that are of direct concern to us as data chiefs.

Finally, this will be my last email as your ITAC representative. My three-year rotation is up, and I am turning the reins over to the very capable hands of Donna Schiffer in the California District. I hope that I have served the data chief community well throughout my term in keeping you all abreast of the ever-changing world of computers and IT resources and relaying your concerns from the field to the people making these decisions.

Thanks,

Brian

Issues of interest to Data Chiefs:

--Troy "Bubba" Brossett (brossett@usgs.gov; 501.228.3657) is willing to travel and teach a 2 to 2-1/2 day training course for DECODES as long as his travel and salary are covered. If your district is interested, please contact him directly.

--The Arkansas District's online water use program was presented and should be looked at if any district is trying to revitalize their water use programs locally. This program was highlighted as another example of where local business needs can potentially conflict with the ongoing DOI/Bureau IT centralization efforts--and a critical need to find adequate solutions to where a district's ability to develop program is not compromised.

--With the implementation of Active Directory over the coming months, one potential benefit is the quick ability to perform "automated" data calls to all computers on the network to verify software licences, software upgrades, etc. With this comes the possibility of the number of software licenses to exceed what is being paid for under the enterprise agreement--therefore having additional costs passed down to the cost centers. Your district ought to consider reducing the number of desktops and laptops per person by using docking stations or other means to reduce this cost back to each district.

--A map interface to NWISWeb was discussed and is a high priority now.

--ITAC was briefed by the Annual Data Report committee chairperson, Bob Swanson (NE District). The group is expected to deliver their recommendations to WRD Senior Staff in January. Key note is that it is STATUS QUO for the 2004 ADR.

--The issue of high-data rate DCP's was raised to ITAC. It seems that most districts are lagging behind on implementation of HDR's in the field and the clock is ticking. There is a 10-year window to upgrade all sites to HDR--and we are a couple years into this window. ITAC deferred this issue to OSW. There potentially could be a big problem when there are still a lot of DCPs to upgrade at the end of this, and no money to do so. And what happens for the districts that were proactive in deploying HDRs if there is a large congressional appropriation to cover this down the road?

--Cell phone moratorium is in effect. This has HUGE operations and safety implications to us in the field. Thanks to all folks for responding back to my short response data call about cell phone usage. We ended up hearing from every state in the USA plus the Caribbean Islands. Great effort! The information has been forwarded to Skip Dutrow who is on the committee looking into the cell phone service consolidation and they are very grateful for the information. Hopefully this will again show the need to get input from the field before making such broad-scale decisions first. I received 20 replies back within 24 hours of sending my email. This shows how we all feel about this issue!

--Burl Goree (LA District) is now heading up the PDA effort for WRD.

--Next ITAC meeting will be in the Southeast Region in February.

Brian E. McCallum, Assistant District Chief, Georgia District
U.S. Geological Survey
3039 Amwiler Road, Suite 130
Atlanta, GA 30360
P: 770.903.9127
F: 770.903.9199