Water Resources Division ITAC Home Page

Brian McCallum representing Data Chiefs

To all Data Chiefs,

As your representative on the ITAC committee, I am forwarding to you a link to the minutes of our last meeting in Montgomery, AL on September 10-12, 2002.

Here is a brief overview of topics ITAC covered that are relevant to our work as data chiefs. Please read the minutes for a more information.

• NWIS 4.2 roll-out begins in earnest on September 16, 2002. A number of fixes to bugs have been taken care of in the first implementation phase.
• NWIS RT, the project to provide the backup of local NWIS systems during emergencies, has been implemented in ten districts to date. Full implementation of this project is expected to occur in late spring of 2003.
• Susan Trapanese was named the NWIS Chief in Reston.
• The high-data rate (HDR) DCP issues are still continuing with NESDIS. Ernest Dreyer has been in continual contact with NESDIS during this time and has created a webpage to keep everyone abreast of the status. The webpage is:   /datarelay/hdr/hdr_problems.html#status

Update as of 10/01/02: Ernest Dreyer informed me that NESDIS believes they have fixed the HDR problems for both channels now. In Georgia, we currently operate roughly 25 HDR DCP's in the field, and have noticed a significant reduction in the problems, but not complete elimination.

• The information security issues related to Corbell vs. Norton are a very high priority at the Bureau and Discipline. Talk of centralizing of computer resources has reared its ugly head as part of the ongoing discussions.
• The protection of USGS scientific data (in my opinion) seems to be an afterthought in the overall IT security planning. The focus seems to be more concerned about USGS financial records.
• Conversion of SLEDS is proceeding between the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and WRD sediment labs. The OSW put forth funding to jump-start this.
• Districts should poll their personnel to get a listing of software expertise in-house to assist with training newer employees.
• ITAC is currently pushing for the institutionalizing of the field computer effort. Charlie Merk's "skunkworks" program has made significant progress in the last several months with this effort.
• The Office of Information (OI) and the Distributed Information System (DIS) are proposed to be reorganized. The question of who to send the Month-End Water Conditions data to is still up in the air, but for the time being remains with Krishna Sarma.
• Basis Plus conversion will continue as planned starting October 1, 2002. ITAC, through the WRD senior staff advised the Bureau to delay the implementation a year and run AIS and Basis Plus concurrently during that time.
The decision was rescinded when the WRD Senior Staff (during their July meeting) decided to shut down AIS as October 1, 2002. AIS is no longer operational (except for TNA) as we speak.

As your representative, please forward to me any concerns with computer and information technology policy issues that you want expressed. The ITAC is a direct conduit of feedback from the field personnel to the WRD senior staff and the Bureau's Geographic Information Officer (GIO), Karen Siderelis. ITAC has conference calls usually the third Friday of months with no official meeting. The next meeting will be in Rapid City, SD. The exact dates are being coordinated currently.

Thanks, Brian
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