# Presentation: 673868

## STORET/WQX Users Conference
November 29, 2007

- November 29, 2007

- Tribal Water Quality Data Management

## Overview

- Take a closer look at tribal water quality data management and sharing data with EPA
- Annual Tribal Assessment Reports require electronic copies of surface water quality data in a STORET compatible format
- Options for sending data to EPA

## Slide 3

## Essentials of Data Management

- Water quality monitoring data consists of:
- Where sample/measurement was collected
- When it was collected
- What was collected
- How it was collected
- Why it was collected
- Who collected it
- Regional work with tribes has emphasized data management as part of the overall process of water quality monitoring and assessment

## How EPA Describes Monitoring Data

- _Projects_ (Why data was collected)
- 	- Brief summary of monitoring plan
- _Stations_ (Where data was collected)
- 	- Describe where monitoring takes place
- _Results_ (When, How and What was collected)
- 	- Measurements of what was monitored

- Three categories of data:

## More Essentials of Data Management

- Local system that can help you track your data
- Paper files
- Excel spreadsheets
- Access databases
- Oracle or SQL Server databases
- How many people are doing data management?
- Who needs to know stuff about the data, and how do they want to see the information?

## Tribal 106 Guidance Requirement

- All tribes must submit a TAR (Tribal Assessment Report) to continue eligibility for 106 funds (Page 8-3 in the Tribal 106 Guidance)
- Monitoring Strategy
- Water Quality Assessment
- STORET-compatible electronic data

## 106 Guidance parameters

- _Fundamental Programs:_
- 	- Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
- 	- Temperature
- 	- pH
- 	- Turbidity
- _Intermediate Programs:_
- 	- Nitrogen
- 	- Phosphorus
- _Mature Programs:_
- 	- Pathogens
- 	- Macroinvertebrates
- 	- Physical Habitat indicators

**Notes:**
Nitrogen – reported separately as the sum of total kjeldahl nitrogen (TNK), ammonia & nitrate-nitrite.
Phosphorus – TP is preferred, but ortho-phosphorus is preferred.

## 10 Elements of a Tribal Monitoring Strategy 

- II.     Monitoring Objectives
- III.    Monitoring Design
- IV.    Core Indicators
- V.     Quality Assurance
- VI.    Data Management
- VII.   Data Analysis/Assessment
- VIII.  Reporting
- IX.    Programmatic Evaluation
- X.     General Support and Infrastructure

_**10 Elements of a Tribal Monitoring Strategy **_

## Tribal 106 Guidance Requirement

- All tribes must submit a TAR (Tribal Assessment Report) to continue eligibility for 106 funds (Page 8-3 in the Tribal 106 Guidance)
- Monitoring Strategy
- Water Quality Assessment
_**STORET-compatible electronic data**_

## Options

- Submit data through National WebSIM
- Web based user interface for uploading files
- Interim solution until web based XML Generation Tool is available (available mid 2008)
- Submit data through WQX
- Primary means of data submission for EN Grant Recipients
- In the future, submit data using the XML Generation Tool (available in mid 2008)
- Work with your EPA regional monitoring coordinator and tribal 106 person

## National WebSIM or WQX

- 106 recipients are encouraged to use the templates available to submit data through National WebSIM now
- Tribes without an Exchange Network grant now should look towards using WQX in the future (over the next 2-3 years)

## National WebSIM

- Tribes without Exchange Network capability can send data through National WebSIM, available now
- Interim solution for tribes until XML Generation Tool is available
- Tribes are encouraged to use the Region 5 STORET Data Template to format and prepare data for submission through WebSIM
- _[http://www.epa.gov/storet/national_websim.html](http://www.epa.gov/storet/national_websim.html)_

## Submitting Data through WebSIM

## Submitting data using WQX

- Water Quality Exchange (WQX) uses the Exchange Network to flow physical, chemical and fish tissue data from an tribe’s own database to the existing STORET Warehouse
- Tribes that have been awarded Exchange Network Grants submit data through WQX
- Yurok, Wind River, St. Regis Mohawk Tribes participated in testing WQX

## XML Generation Tool

- EPA is currently developing a web based XML Generation Tool that will allow tribes to send their data to the STORET Warehouse using the Exchange Network
- This tool will replace the use of National WebSIM, but will work in much the same way
- Tribes will be able to transition easily from WebSIM to the XML Generation Tool because they are already used to formatting and preparing data for submission using a web based tool

## What’s Next?

- Camille will walk through the STORET Data Template
- Please contact us (_[storet@epa.gov](mailto:storet@epa.gov)_) to get set up with National WebSIM
- Remember this URL:
- _[www.epa.gov/storet/national_websim.html](http://www.epa.gov/storet/national_websim.html)_

## More Web Resources

- _[www.r5storet.com](http://www.r5storet.com/)_
- _[www.tribalstoret.com](http://www.tribalstoret.com/)_