An Analysis of Water Data Systems to Inform the Open Water Data Initiative1
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JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION Vol. 52, No. 4 AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION August 2016 AN ANALYSIS OF WATER DATA SYSTEMS TO INFORM THE OPEN WATER DATA INITIATIVE1 David Blodgett, Emily Read, Jessica Lucido, Tad Slawecki, and Dwane Young2 ABSTRACT: Improving access to data and fostering open exchange of water information is foundational to solv- ing water resources issues. In this vein, the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Water and Science put forward the charge to undertake an Open Water Data Initiative (OWDI) that would prioritize and accelerate work toward better water data infrastructure. The goal of the OWDI is to build out the Open Water Web (OWW). We therefore considered the OWW in terms of four conceptual functions: water data cataloging, water data as a service, enriching water data, and community for water data. To describe the current state of the OWW and identify areas needing improvement, we conducted an analysis of existing systems using a stan- dard model for describing distributed systems and their business requirements. Our analysis considered three OWDI-focused use cases—flooding, drought, and contaminant transport—and then examined the landscape of other existing applications that support the Open Water Web. The analysis, which includes a discussion of observed successful practices of cataloging, serving, enriching, and building community around water resources data, demonstrates that we have made significant progress toward the needed infrastructure, although chal- lenges remain. The further development of the OWW can be greatly informed by the interpretation and findings of our analysis. (KEY TERMS: data management; public participation; hydrologic cycle; geospatial analysis; open data; network linked asset.) Blodgett, David, Emily Read, Jessica Lucido, Tad Slawecki, and Dwane Young, 2016. An Analysis of Water Data Systems to Inform the Open Water Data Initiative. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 52(4): 845-858. DOI: 10.1111/1752-1688.12417 INTRODUCTION Water Information (ACWI), put forth the objective of integrating fragmented water resources data into a connected, national water information framework In June 2014, the Assistant Secretary for Water (Castle et al., 2014). Under this Open Water Data and Science of the Department of the Interior, acting Initiative (OWDI), the federal water community was in her role as the chair of the Federal Geographic charged with supporting innovation, data sharing, Data Committee and the Advisory Committee on and solution development by connecting existing 1Paper No. JAWRA-15-0085-P of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA). Received June 8, 2015; accepted February 9, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Journal of the American Water Resources Association published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Water Resources Association. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommer- cial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-com- mercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. Discussions are open until six months from issue publication. 2Project Coordinator (Blodgett, Lucido) and Data Scientist (Read), Office of Water Information, U.S. Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562; Senior Engineer (Slawecki), LimnoTech, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108; and Senior Data Advisor (Young), Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460 (E-Mail/Blodgett: [email protected]). JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION 845 JAWRA BLODGETT,READ,LUCIDO,SLAWECKI, AND YOUNG infrastructure and systems in a common geospatial Web. The SSWD identified and rallied around nar- framework of rivers, watersheds, and other geo- rowly scoped use cases and associated applications to graphic features. In support of these goals, the charge rapidly deliver and test new data and functionality; called for revival of the ACWI Subcommittee on Spa- improve existing geospatial datasets; and leverage tial Water Data (SSWD) to gather requirements for and integrate existing water data investments. After and to coordinate implementation of the OWDI. one year of cooperation, the SSWD analyzed the In response to the then Assistant Secretary Castle’s planned and completed use of case-related activities charge, the SSWD OWDI set out to (1) understand the in the context of OWDI goals. These use cases only needs of and (2) develop a foundation for water data represent a small part of a water data infrastructure, infrastructure. The SSWD deliberated on this charge however, and the analysis of the Open Water Web and developed a conceptual model, referred to here as would be incomplete without consideration of the an Open Water Web (OWW), which includes four key existing (non-OWDI) landscape of water data activi- functions: Water Data Catalog, Water Data as a Ser- ties. Our analysis therefore consists of two parts: (1) vice, Enriching Water Data, and Community for Water an analysis of three applications that are a focus of Data and Tools (Figure 1). This conceptual model the SSWD’s use case working groups; and (2) an holistically describes the need for and architecture of analysis of numerous other existing systems that are water data infrastructure, but is not intended as a being leveraged and integrated to support the four long-term design for that infrastructure. functions (Figure 1) of the Open Water Web water A basic requirement for a common national frame- data infrastructure. By analyzing SSWD and external work is a searchable inventory, or Water Data Catalog. activities in the same conceptual framework, gaps After data are cataloged and thematically tagged to aid and opportunities in existing water data infrastruc- discovery, the data must be made accessible to users ture can be identified. We close with an interpreta- and the public; Water Data as a Service is the second tion of the analysis and proposals for future work to function of the OWW. Data available over the Internet fulfill the charge to the SSWD for an integrated, open in ways that users and software developers can access water data infrastructure. it easily is necessary for a national, integrated water framework. Enriching Water Data includes linking data to hydrologic networks, coupling models, and con- necting all of these components to a common geospatial METHODS framework. The most integrative function of the OWW, which naturally builds on the robust adoption of the three previous functions, is a Community for To understand the current status of open water Water Data and Tools. A community that operates data and infrastructure, we analyzed the OWDI use under a shared, integrated water data framework can cases and other existing activities or products that fit share knowledge, track usage, identify gaps in tools, within the Open Water Web conceptual model. We and document best practices. These four Open Water chose three criteria to guide analysis of the applica- Web functions together define a holistic model for the tions and systems: (1) the purpose and value of a national water data infrastructure. water data product to users; (2) the structure and In order to engage the broad community of water content of information within a system; and (3) the data collectors, providers, and users, the SSWD initi- transformation or operations performed on system ated targeted activities in support of an Open Water data or information. These criteria are adapted from Open Water Web Community for Water Data Water Data as Enriching Water Data and Catalog a Service Water Data Tools Find Source Consensus Marketplace for Network Routing Data Standards Knowledge Visualization and Create Themes Coupling Models Usage Tracking Delivery Recruit / Engage Geospatial Catalog and Serve Best Practices Partners Framework FIGURE 1. Schematic Describing the Four Conceptual Functions of the Open Water Web. JAWRA 846 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION AN ANALYSIS OF WATER DATA SYSTEMS TO INFORM THE OPEN WATER DATA INITIATIVE viewpoints in the Reference Model for Open Distribu- Central to the Open Water Web, and each of the ted Processing (RM-ODP) (ISO/IEC, 2009). RM-ODP OWDI use cases presented below, is the concept of net- is used to separate the concerns of a complex system work-linked assets. Here, we use the term to include so that the functions of the system are described com- observation stations (e.g., stream gages), geospatial pletely. For this analysis, we use three of the five layers (e.g., georeferenced drinking water infrastruc- RM-ODP analytical viewpoints. The remaining two tures), or model prediction points (e.g., runoff prediction viewpoints focus on implementation details of infras- locations) that are linked to a national hydrographic tructure, software, and standards and are beyond the network. Network-linked assets are essential to Enrich- scope of the OWW conceptual framework discussed ing Water Data and developing Community around here. The results of the analysis were based on water data and tools without which the applications reports, publications, technical documentation, and described below would not be possible. on interviews with experts familiar with the applica- tions considered. In addition to the analysis of the three OWDI appli- National Flood Interoperability Experiment cations, we sought to consider the landscape of non-OWDI applications that