EPA Region 5 Wild Rice / Wetlands Network Exchange Grant Project Nancy Schuldt Fond du Lac Mark LeBaron Gold Systems/AWQMS

Based on Experience… Created and support the Water Quality eXchange (WQX) for the EPA Created and support the “WQX Web” data submission tool for the EPA Created and support the Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System

Where are we on this project? (AWQMS contract items only) Provide AWQMS hosting services for up to 18 tribal wild rice wetlands organizations. Analyze and document what is lacking in AWQMS/WQX to support Wild Rice and Wetlands data. Enhance AWQMS based on the analysis. Enhance AWQMS with full node capabilities using EPA “virtual node” technology. Assist tribes to submit wild rice-related water quality and wetlands data to WQX via AWQMS.

Where are we on this project? (AWQMS contract items only) Support the importing of data from a range of probe types used by tribes. (Find ways to streamline and simplify the process and enable tribes to better import their own data; rather than on having the contractor perform the imports). Link consortium tribal data and regional state STORET data to the AWQMS integrated Google map.

Where are we on this project? Provide AWQMS hosting services for up to 18 tribal wild rice wetlands organizations. Current Status – Currently have set up 17 wild rice organizations configured and their user names are set up with passwords delivered. Several appear to be using the system regularly. There are two more organizations that are invited/partially set up. One more invited but not yet set up. Also have consortium email list configured: r5wildrice@awqms.com

Where are we on this project? Analyze and document what is lacking (if anything) in AWQMS/WQX to support Wild Rice and Wetlands data. Current Status – Have examined some example data. No issues were uncovered. Have brainstormed a couple of new features that will be needed. Tonya’s recommendations. As we assist people to import their data the “gap” will be revealed. Therefore, we need more examples of the types of data that will be imported for Wild Rice. Consolidate notes / determine priorities

Where are we on this project? Enhance AWQMS based on the analysis. Current Status – Have not started. Waiting for the Analysis. Planning to get started on an ability to have shared collection methods in AWQMS for the group. Maybe Some sort of “copy method from/to” feature. Including ability to upload the .PDF file or provide a link to it from within the collection method record in AWQMS. Evaluating the concept of a common library of shared reference materials for the consortium.

Where are we on this project? Enhance AWQMS with full node capabilities using EPA “virtual node” technology. Current Status – Not Started Will probably be the last thing we implement in order to ensure that the “Virtual Node” technology is solid prior to implementation.

Where are we on this project? Assist tribes to submit wild rice-related water quality and wetlands data to WQX via AWQMS. Only enough funding to support training. Not a free data migration service. Current Status – Have assisted several tribes and several are now using AWQMS regularly. Key approach is to work with labs to get all needed data elements in an electronic format that lends itself to easy importation. Mark is contacting David Horak at Region 5 to get updated list of labs.

Where are we on this project? Alex Heppner: Poster Child for Region 5 Wild Rice Project Help Alex help you! Alex thrives on challenging data mapping problems. Don’t let Alex not thrive.

Where are we on this project? Alex may be contacting you to determine your data import/data entry needs. Some wild rice data that already exists is the 1854 Treaty Organization Inter-tribal Natural Resource Agency Off-reservation data/report on behalf of tribes such as Grand Portage and Bois Fort. We may load that data data into AWQMS with read-only access for all.

Where are we on this project? We held a webinar for AWQMS basic training that was recorded and is available on the AWQMS portal at www.AWQMS.com. On the AWQMS portal has a “Documentation / Training” link that has lots of excellent information. We need to schedule a second tribal training webinar soon. Watch the recording of the first webinar prior to attending the second webinar.

Where are we on this project? Support the importing of data from a range of probe types used by tribes. (Find ways to streamline and simplify the process and enable tribes to better import their own data; rather than on having the contractor perform the imports. Current Status – Alex is collecting a list of which tribes are using which brands/models of probes. Goal is to find overlaps and try to consolidate on: Logger output file configurations AWQMS import configurations Make the import configurations easily identifiable and readily available.

Where are we on this project? Link consortium tribal data and regional state STORET data to the AWQMS integrated Google map. Current Status – The state locations for all Region 5 states are available in the AWQMS “Integrated Locations (AWQMS & STORET)” map. Also provided information to Dean Djokic regarding possible ESRI integration. There is a tiny amount of funding remaining on this item and the current though is to work toward adding integration of state data into graphs and reports or possibly to automate the process of keeping the state locations list up to date.

CWA 106 Grant Funding Final CWA Section 106 Tribal Grant Guidance “As a grant requirement for continuing to receive Section 106 funds, tribes must submit to their EPA regional offices annual tribal Assessment Reports that consist of…electronic copies of surface water quality data for nine basic parameters” Final CWA Section 106 Tribal Grant Guidance “WQX is the new way to place data into the STORET Warehouse.” Final CWA Section 106 Tribal Grant Guidance - Data Management

But it is really about being able to make informed local decisions. The icing  Send data to EPA The cake  Informed Local Decisions

Using the EPA “WQX Web” Submission Tool Typical WQX Flow Using the EPA “WQX Web” Submission Tool Text Files WQX Web WQX Import Submit STORET Data Warehouse

Typical WQX Flow Using AWQMS Text Files AWQMS WQX Import Submit Data Entry QA/QC Update / Correct STORET Data Warehouse Share Analyze/Assess

Some really good reasons to get moved over to AWQMS. It is the data sharing tool for the Wild Rice Project and it is paid for (2 Yrs). Has configurable rapid entry forms that WQX Web does not have. Has result value and parameter consistency QA/QC checks (and tools for resolving them) that WQX web does not have.

Really good reasons to move to AWQMS New Bacteria module auto-calculates MPN and 30 day geometric mean. (Not available in WQX-Web.) Provides a single, central, secure, backed-up, accessible-from-anywhere place for all of your water quality data. Helps you find/investigate exceedances to your standards in your data.

Really good reasons to move to AWQMS Provides numerous graphing capabilities, graphs can be copied and pasted into a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, etc. Provides various statistical reports. Can be used as a public water quality portal at no extra charge.

Really good reasons to move to AWQMS Integrated Google Map Quickly plot your monitoring locations. Plot locations where there is data for certain parameters during a certain date range. Plot locations where you have exceedances for a selected parameter during a given date range.

Really good reasons to move to AWQMS Integrated Google Map Plot locations in context of state locations. Click on a water droplet in any of the maps to view data.

Really good reasons to move to AWQMS New/Improved features on the way: QA/QC Mass Data Fix Tool RESTful Web Services Web Feature Service (for GIS) Improved data analysis for biological data Ability to share/reuse collection methods Organization/Consortium document library Improved data analysis for…. Wild Rice & Wetlands Data

“What about my data that I’ve already sent to WQX/STORET using another tool?” Stop using the other tool. Do a one-time export of data from the STORET data warehouse. Import that data into AWQMS. Route new data through AWQMS.

“I’m really good at using WQX Web now and I don’t want to have to learn new tools for importing and submitting data to WQX.” AWQMS import module works exactly like WQX Web does. We have already copied your import configurations from WQX Web over to AWQMS. The only difference in your process is the URL to get to the tool.

Dos and Don’ts for Water Quality Data Destined for WQX Working with Your Lab Dos and Don’ts for Water Quality Data Destined for WQX Mark LeBaron Gold Systems/AWQMS

Based on Experience… Created and support the Water Quality eXchange (WQX) for the EPA Created and support the “WQX Web” data submission tool for the EPA Created and support the Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System

1. Data not provided in an electronic format that can be manipulated. Labs sometimes provide results on paper or electronically in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Labs can save their customers significant work by providing result data as either a comma, tab, or pipe delimited text file or as a spreadsheet (e.g. Microsoft Excel). If your lab can’t or won’t, you might want to shop around.

2. White space and/or “divider” rows, or columns included in the middle of the data rows and/or columns. Data should be in delimited rows and columns with no white space or empty rows. “Divider” rows or columns within the result data. Row may help a human reader to understand or find particular data, but the row is not result data.

2. White space and/or “divider” rows, or columns included in the middle of the data rows and/or columns. The lab EDD should not include any rows or columns in the data section of the file that are not strictly result data and associated meta-data.

3. Date and Time values included in a single column WQX treats Date and Time as two distinct data elements. Any date and time data should be listed in separate columns, as shown below. NOTE: the time does not have to be in military format.

4. Analytical Method and corresponding contextual info 4. Analytical Method and corresponding contextual info. are not included with the Parameter and Result Value WQX requires the Analytical Method ID and the Method Context for results from a sampling activity. The Analytical Method and the associated Context should be in separate columns.

4. Analytical Method and corresponding contextual info 4. Analytical Method and corresponding contextual info. are not included with the Parameter and Result Value

5. Detection Conditions and Limits Included in the Result Value Column(s). WQX tracks result values separately from Detection Conditions. WQX defines “detection condition” as scenarios when an actual result value cannot be provided. Result Value is the actual measurement for each characteristic.

5. Detection Conditions and Limits Included in the Result Value Column(s). Either the Result Value field or the Result Detection Condition field must contain a value; never both fields. If the result is below detection limit, the Result Value must be blank, and the Result Detection Condition field must contain ‘Not Detected’.

If you report a value as ‘Not Detected’ Provide the Detection Limit in the Result Detection/Quantitation Limit Measure field. This should be provided by the lab along with appropriate units. Provide the Detection Limit Units in the Result Detection Quantitation Limit Unit field. The units should be the same as what the Result Value Units would be. Provide the Result Detection/Quantitation Limit Type, which is a choice list for why the analyte was not detected or quantified.

5. Detection Conditions and Limits Included in the Result Value Column(s).

6. Quality Control (QC) samples not clearly identified AWQMS and WQX require that QC sample results have a type specifying what category of QC sample was taken and analyzed. Include a specific column for Activity Type in the results file. For a list of all allowed activity types see http://www.awqms.com/files/ActivityAndRsltsAllowedValues.xls

6. Quality Control (QC) samples not clearly identified

7. Sample Fraction and/or Method Speciation not clearly identified The EDD should list Characteristic Name, the Sample Fraction, and the Method Speciation in separate columns.

8. Values for Parameter Name, Analytical Method ID, Analytical Method Context, Measurement Unit, etc. don’t match the WQX spelling The EDD should follow the standardized WQX lists of allowed values. A spreadsheet of the WQX allowed value tables is available for download at: http://www.awqms.com/files/ActivityAndRsltsAllowedValues.xls

Questions? Please Contact Us Mark LeBaron (801) 456-6145 or mark.lebaron@goldsystems.com www.awqms.com