Water Resources Division CPAC Home Page

1. HARDENING OF GAGES and 2. FIELD COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS.

ICOM and CAP have identified a number of mutual interests. The Chairs of ICOM and CAP had agreed to send a representative to each others meetings to discuss the topics of mutual interest. Bill Shope was scheduled to attend the last meeting of CPAC before it was cancelled. Bill Shope plans to attend the February CPAC meeting in Columbia.

The two agenda items of mutual interest between ICOM and CPAC are the hardening of gages and software requirements for field computers. The NWIS discipline workgroups have been charged with developing the requirements, and ICOM has taken the task to monitor and promote the effort. Since the workgroups report to CPAC, ICOM would like to maintain a liaison to lobby for completion of the effort. Scott McEwen from the CPAC has the lead on the issue of hardening of gages. ICOM has a number of questions about this effort that we hope to discuss at the February CPAC meeting.

1.  Hardening of Gages

1. Objective:  Short term - to understand CPAC's concerns for hardening gaging stations.
2. Background Information:  Long term - to work with CPAC to resolve those concerns.

Carl Goodwin, Chair of the CPAC, and John Harsh, Chair of the ICOM have exchanged invitations for an representatives of each of the two committees to meet with CPAC and ICOM in November.

The issue is to address this action item from the last CPAC meeting:

Action item 30:  Follow up with ICOM on their plan to deal with gage house failures. (Carl)

This action item was introduced at an earlier meeting, and pertains to CPAC's work on WRD's Real Time Data Delivery System. At the last meeting, Carl had contacted ICOM. At this point, the chance to interact with an ICOM member would be very beneficial. And, there are the additional items that have come up.

Listing all the discussion points that I'm aware of to date:

 
• ICOM's plan (or knowledge of efforts) to harden gages
 
• Development of requirements (and direction) for field computer hardware, software, and interaction with DIS/NWIS-supported office computers
 
• Futures of satellite telemetry for WRD (Ref CPAC Action Item 26:  Ernie Dryer to update CPAC on his efforts to increase transmission frequency to hourly. (Lumb) and Action Item 27:  Jim Kolva will interact with John Costaon NSIPS work regarding alternate technologies to improve reliable data transfer. (Kolva)

Following is a message from John Harsh (ICOM Chair) to Carl Goodwin dated August 6, 1999:

Carl,  Reference is made to your email of June 22, 1999 and what ICOM is doing or planning to do in the area of gage instrumentation redundancy and "hardening". First, your suggestions for "hardening" gage instrumentation did seem to make sense.

They were:

• parallel instrumentation at key locations,
• enhanced lightning protection,
• gages located away from the flood plain,
• more rugged, durable electronics and hardware, and
• multiple telemetry methods.

ICOM believes the districts know what do and what is required in terms of gage instrumentation and backup to assure the USGS meets its goal to provide reliable real-time data. I might mention that I believe this area is covered to some degree in the Hazards Program Initiative and in the National Streamgaging Program, 60-page report on WRD's home page. I agree some joint committee participation is a good way to observe how the range of issues related to real time are being handled by the two committees. ICOM has recently invited a representative from the WRD safety committee to talk about safety-related issues. I expect these invitations to continue   John

2.  Software Requirements for Field Computers

1. Objective:   To obtain CPAC support for developing the requirements to define roles for the activity, and to form a liaison with CPAC to monitor the development.
2. Background Information:   Copy of a message sent to Lew Wade, September 1999, as requested by Cathy Hill.

Lew,

Cathy Hill asked that I update you on the Instrumentation Committee's (ICOM) activities to promote and monitor the development of software requirements for field computers. First a little background. More than a year ago, the ICOM formed an ad hoc group to begin development of the requirements. After the group delivered their report, the discipline office user groups recommended that they take over the responsibility for developing the requirements. The ICOM agreed to this approach. To monitor the progress of the user groups, the ICOM requested at its March 1999 meeting that a representative of the user groups brief the ICOM on their progress. The following excerpt from the August 1999 meeting of the ICOM reports on this briefing and ICOM's plans to work with the CPAC.

Field Computer Software - Jilann Brunett

Jilann and the discipline office representatives on the ICOM reported on the activities of the three user groups with regard to identification of field computer requirements.

OSW User Group

The user group has not yet considered explicit requirements. At its March 1998 Meeting, the following general requirements were identified.

• Electronic data transfer to office computer
• Software for analyzing field data
• Ability to download data from the office database
• Produce level summaries from field surveys
• Plotting capabilities
• Preliminary Computations

OWQ User Group

The User group is supporting prototype software developed by Bob Boulger and Frank Cranshaw (Upper Colorado NAWQA) for field forms. The software is scheduled to be included in NWIS Release 4_1 due to be distributed in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2000. The User Group is working with Bob and Frank on upgrades for electronic storage and entry into NWIS. NWIS is providing funding for this part-time effort. The field-forms software includes surface water, water quality, and ground water. ICOM noted that there was no user group for biological data.


OGW User Group

The User Group has identified hardware and software requirements that include:

• Windows CE operating system
• Field forms (California has done development work on this application)
• On-line technical manuals and memos
• Ability to down-load data
• Store manufacturer's specifications for field instruments and equipment
• Ability to load and use proprietary software
• Global positioning software
• Ability to work with multiple datum
• Spatial data capabilities for placing features on maps
• Slug and Pump tests
• Aquifer test solver
• Geophysics data processing
• Modflow model

 

ICOM Findings and Recommendations:

• The user groups should appoint select members to get together to see what each group is doing with field computer requirements so as to avoid duplication and to agree on standards and common requirements.
• When putting together the requirements, the user groups should try to simplify the process and get basic needs met first. Don't allow complexity to tie the process into knots.
• One of the primary needs is to provide for a link from the field computers to NWIS.
• OSW needs to reactivate their user group and give priority to field computer requirements.
• OWQ is making excellent progress with its support of the field forms prototype.
• The CPAC should take an active involvement by encouraging and monitoring the development of requirements for field computers.
• ICOM feels its role in the process is to insure WRD's requirements for field computer software are being addressed. ICOM recognizes the user group's responsibility to develop the requirements.
• ICOM would like to work closely with the CPAC on the field computer requirements and other issues of mutual interest. ICOM is interested in providing a representative for the next CPAC meeting and invites CPAC to send a representative to its November 8-10 meeting in St Louis.
• The OWQ User Group should also address the field computer requirements for biologic data.