Memorandum

Distribution:  GS-W All

From:             Donald W. Cline

Associate Director for Water Resources

WATER ENTERPRISE POLICY MEMORANDUM NO. 2020.06

 

Subject:  PROGRAMS AND PLANS—Update of Policy and Guidelines for Accounting Structure of Data Collection Projects and Accounts

The purpose of this memorandum is to update Water Enterprise Policy Memorandum 2017.02 (released December 08, 2016) to include water use and remove the sunset date.  Memorandum 2017.02 provided policy and guidance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Centers (Centers) regarding their roles and responsibilities in the use of data collection projects and accounts.

Water Resources Data Collection

Water-resources monitoring and data collection on behalf of the nation has long been recognized as a critical function of the USGS Water Enterprise.  Broad, well-balanced, integrated data collection involving surface water, groundwater, and water quality supports current and future water management and availability studies.  As such, many Congressional appropriations are specifically requested for and directed to assuring stable, scientifically relevant, nationwide data collection.  Tracking and reporting on these appropriations is a fundamental obligation of the USGS Water Enterprise in accordance with appropriations law.

Prior to Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the USGS Water Enterprise met appropriations tracking requirements through the establishment and funding of standardized Center-level data collection projects, tasks, and accounts, including Surface Water (001), Groundwater (002), Water Quality (003) and Sediment (004).  These standardized accounting practices diverged to the point where it was difficult to meet minimal, legally required Congressional reporting requirements.

This policy memo reaffirms the responsibility of Centers to establish and maintain the standardized accounting practices established in FY2018 for surface-water, groundwater, water-quality, and sediment data collection and establishes a transition period for full implementation of similar practices for water-use data collection by FY2021.

Specific Guidance

1)    Each Center will, at a minimum, maintain a data collection project in BASIS+ with specific tasks: Task 1 – surface-water / precipitation data collection, Task 2 – groundwater data collection, Task 3 – water-quality data collection, Task 4 – sediment data collection, and Task 5 – water-use data collection.  Reporting for congressional appropriations will be completed at the task level.  Accounts will be established and funded according to the task they are under and will be as granular as necessary to meet specific aggregation (complex, fund-split accounts), low burden, and customer billing requirements.  Previously recommended account numbering conventions remain; for example, the primary account under each task should follow this convention:

GC.20.ZZ00.00100.00 Surface-Water Data Collection GC.20.ZZ00.00200.00 Groundwater Data Collection GC.20.ZZ00.00300.00 Water-Quality Data Collection GC.20.ZZ00.00400.00 Sediment Data Collection GC.20.ZZ00.00500.00 Water-Use Data Collection.

Deviations to these account numbering conventions are permitted in order to accommodate specific needs related to Center size, diversity of program, and organizational structure, as long as accounting for data collection occurs at the task level as described above.  When necessary, sub-accounts are also allowed to facilitate local budgeting practices, assuring funding of the parent account follows along with the task under which it is established.

2)   Funding for hydrologic studies must not be attached to the Center data-collection projects and associated tasks. Instead, accounts should be established and funded under the appropriate scientific project and task with which they are associated.

All Centers must continue to implement these standardized accounting practices established in FY2018.  Standardized accounting practices for “Task 5 – water-use data collection” must be fully implemented no later than October 1, 2020 (FY2021).

Specific questions can be directed to the Water Observing Systems Portfolio Coordinator.

Summary

Appropriations law necessitates that the USGS continue standardized accounting practices to efficiently document that Congressional appropriations are being spent for their intended purpose.  Additional tracking and reporting are necessary to assure our operations are efficient 3 and integrated across business, science, and data-collection activities.  The policy outlined here ensures the USGS meets legally required obligations while also efficiently executing our overall mission.