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Facilitating Public A
Monitoring Data
Theiiving 'Everglades VVeb Site
T:
ii-
M P A
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Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
\ & Community Tracking
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The development of this handbook was managed by Scott Minamyer (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
While developing this handbook, we sought the input of many individuals. Gratitude is expressed to each per-
son for their involvement and contributions.
Brian R. Turcotte, Lead Engineer, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Department, South Florida Water
Management District
Marie Pietrucha, Division Director, Technology Resource Team, Water Supply Department, South Florida
Water Management District
Loisa Kerwin, Director, Riverwoods Field Laboratory, Florida Center for Environmental Studies, Florida
Atlantic University
Nate Booth, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
Christopher J. Heyer, Resource Assessment Service—Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment, Maryland Department
of Natural Resources
Angie Lawrence, Chesapeake Bay Program Manager, National Aquarium in Baltimore
Ram Jadvani, IT Engineer, South Florida Water Management District
Alana Edwards, Education Specialist, Riverwoods Field Laboratory, Florida Center for Environmental Studies,
Florida Atlantic University
Cover photos courtesy of: South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD); Butler Chain of Lakes with
insets: purple gallinule (Porphyrula martinica), home page of The Living Everglades web site, white fragrant water
lily (Nymphaea odorata), and map-based data query feature of The Living Everglades web site.
This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved for publication.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of their use.
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EPA-625-R-02-020
January 2003
Facilitating Public Access
to Government Environmental
Monitoring Data
The Living Everglades Web Site
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with vegetable-based ink on paper that contains a minimum of
50% postconsumer fiber content processed chlorine-free.
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A number of resources were used to develop this handbook that readers might find useful when seeking more
information. These resources cover many aspects of the Everglades restoration effort and provide access to web-
based databases containing environmental monitoring and restoration information. See the following web sites:
www.sfwmd.gov
The South Florida Water Management District's web site provides information on the district's mission and
projects, as well as recent news and publications.
www.evergladesplan.org
This site provides information on efforts underway to restore the Everglades under the Comprehensive
Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). It also includes background information on related issues, including the
science of the Everglades and why restoration is important.
www.nps.gov/ever/home.htm
This National Park Service web site provides a wealth of information on the Everglades, its habitats, flora and
fauna, geology, and history. It explains the stresses on the ecosystem and the preservation efforts under way.
http://sofia.usgs.gov
South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) provides information in support of research, decision-making, and
resource management for the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort. The web site is sponsored by the U.S.
Geological Survey's Place-Based Science Program.
www.epa.gov/empact
The web site for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
and Community Tracking Program (EMPACT) provides information about the program and its projects.
www.epa.gov/neengprg/
The goal of EPA's National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program is to advance the
National Environmental Information Exchange Network by encouraging state and other partners' data integra-
tion efforts. Funding will be provided through grants for capacity-building capabilities for network participation.
www.epa.gov/oei/analysis.htm
This site provides links to many web-based databases created by EPA's Office of Environmental Information.
www.ep a. gov/ip bp ages/
Provided every 4 months, the Information Products Bulletin announces to the public the availability of signifi-
cant information products involving environmental monitoring and restoration. The bulletin is a joint effort
between EPA and the Environmental Council of States.
www.sso.org/ecos/eie/index.html
The Environmental Information Exchange web site from the Environmental Council of the States provides
links to many useful resources for states interested in improving the collection, management, and exchange of
environmental information.
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1 Introduction [[[1
1.1 Making Environmental Information Accessible to the South Florida Public 1
1.2 The Purpose and Organization of This Handbook 2
1.3 TheRoleofEMPACT 4
Chapter 2 The Restoration Effort[[[5
2.1 What Are the Primary Stresses on the Everglades Ecosystem? 5
2.2 What Is Being Done to Protect the Everglades? 6
2.3 What Is the Role of the SFWMD? 7
2.4 What Information Does the SFWMD Collect on the Everglades? 8
3 Overview of The [[[10
3.1 What Types of Information Are Available on the Web Site? 10
3.1 a History of Everglades 11
3-lb Geology 11
3.1c Habitats 11
3.Id Water Resources 12
3.1e Weather 12
3-2 What Are the Main Interactive Features of the Web Site? 13
3.2a Data Queries 13
3.2b Education, Curricula, and Other Resources 15
3-2c Fun and Games 15
3-2e Virtual Tour 16
4 a Similar Web [[[17
4.1 Determine the Main Functions for Your Web Site 17
4.2 Conduct a Data Inventory 18
4.3 Choose a Data Access/Delivery System 19
4.3a User-Friendliness 19
4.3b Scalability 20
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5 the Web The Design[[[24
5.1 Overview of the Design 24
5.2 A Closer Look at Each Tier 26
5.2a The Third Tier: The Data Mart 26
5 -2b Constructing the Third Tier 27
5.2c The Middle Tier: The Command Center 29
5.2d Constructing the Middle Tier 30
5-2e The Top Tier: The Presentation Layer 31
5-2f Constructing the Top Tier 31
5-3 Protecting the Software Application: Backups and Security Issues 31
5.4 Lessons Learned 32
6 Working With [[[34
6.1 What Are Stakeholders and Why Are They Important? 34
6.2 How Do You Identify and Select Stakeholders? 35
6.3 How Do You Determine the Roles and Commitment of Stakeholders and Partners? 35
6.4 What Are the Benefits of Forming Partnerships? 37
6.5 What Challenges to the Stakeholder Process Can You Anticipate and Address? 37
6.6 What Format Will Be Most Effective for Working With Stakeholders? 38
6.7 What Happens Beyond the Stakeholder Process? 38
6.8 Case Study: Using Workshops To Reach Out to Potential Users 39
lix As for Mart[[[42
B: for [[[43
C: for [[[60
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Chapter 1—Introduction
ore than a century ago, the Florida Everglades covered more than 4 mil-
lion acres of land, extending from Central Florida to the southernmost
tip of the state and the Florida Keys. An abundance of wading and
migratory birds populated the region. Many other plant and animal species
also made their home in the Everglades—some of which were found nowhere
else in the world. These species had adapted to and flourished in the seasonal
wet/dry cycles that characterized the region.
As early as the 1800s, settlers tried to drain portions of the region—some of
which remained under water a good part of the year—to help them develop
and farm the land. But it wasn't until the 20th century that a massive govern-
ment effort was initiated to drain thousands of areas of swamp land and divert
water from the Everglades with the help of canals and levees. These efforts were
successful in that they made a large portion of the state habitable and farmable,
helped to control flooding, and brought fresh water to South Florida for
municipal use and irrigation. These efforts also altered
the natural flow of the Everglades, however, and sent
valuable fresh water out to sea.
As a result, the area encompassing the Everglades was
reduced by more than 50 percent of its original size.
Altered water patterns and habitat losses had significant
effects on biodiversity in the region. Additional stresses
on the ecosystem include increased fires, degraded water
quality, and invasions of exotic species.
Today, a vast effort to restore the Florida Everglades is
underway, involving federal, state, tribal, and local agen-
cies; universities; research and scientific centers; and citi-
zens' groups. Hundreds of engineers, ecologists,
hydrologists, and other professionals are working together to implement a planned restora-
tion effort, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water
Management District (SFWMD).
This project—the largest wetlands restoration project of its kind ever undertaken—is a
decades-long, $8 billion endeavor, funded in part by the taxpayers of South Florida. It is
therefore imperative that the residents of South Florida
have direct access to the latest environmental information
collected regarding the changing health of the Everglades
ecosystem and the progress of the restoration effort.
1.1 Making Environmental
Information Accessible to the
South Florida Public
Under the Everglades Forever Act, the state of Florida has
mandated the SFWMD to restore the health of the
Everglades. Central to this effort is the collection and
analysis of current and historical data on environmental
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•t- „
health indicators in the region. The SFWMD collects
meteorological, hydrological, water quality, and
flora/fauna species distribution data on the Everglades
and maintains archival information as well. This infor-
mation is currently stored in a database that has not
been easily accessible to the public.
In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) awarded the SFWMD an Environmental
Monitoring for Public Access and Community
Tracking (EMPACT) Metro Grant of nearly $500,000
for a pilot project, known as Public Reporting and
Dynamic Access: Changing Regional Environmental
Health of South Florida's Everglades Ecosystem.
••KMd The purpose of this project is to make infor-
mation on the health of the Everglades more
accessible and understandable to the resi-
dents, scientists, teachers, and government
agencies of South Florida (see text box on
page 3 for more details on the project).
This goal is being accomplished through the
dissemination of public information materi-
als and the establishment of an Internet site
called The Living Everglades. Together, these
tools serve as a public information and com-
munication network to report the latest
environmental information regarding the
changing state of health of the Everglades
ecosystem.
1.2 The Purpose and Organization of This Handbook
This handbook was developed to document The Living Everglades web site development
process and to share information with other communities looking to establish a similar infor-
mation network on ecological restoration efforts. The manual explains, in a step-by-step
process, how the SFWMD created its web site, including
choosing particular data features, developing the architec-
ture to support the site (with a focus on providing map-
based access to time-series data and documents), and
soliciting input from stakeholders to create a user-friendly
web site. With this information, we hope that communi-
ties can take aspects of the project and customize it to
meet their own local needs.
The handbook is designed primarily for agencies that
already collect environmental data and want to make
these data more accessible to other users, such as
researchers or the community at large. These agencies will
find all chapters of the handbook relevant, but should be aware that Chapters 4 and 5 (and
some of the appendices), which delve into the web site development process, might be most
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i ^ _". r. .'. _• £
The Five Key Objectives of the Project
To make environmental information about the Everglades accessible to its intended users, the SFWMD
established the following five objectives for the web site project:
1. Establish an easy-to-use "data mart" with essential ele-
ments derived from the SFWMD's existing database. The
data mart will be designed in a format that integrates
the spatial and temporal aspects of the data. The
SFWMD will use emerging technology that is compatible
with the agency's database to implement a web-enabled
data mart. The SFWMD's geographic information system
(GIS) will be a component of the data mart. The combi-
nation of GIS and environmental data will provide the
basis for a graphical user interface that captures user
input necessary to build a data mart query through spa-
tial visualization (maps), time-window selection, and
data specifics.
2. Use the new combined database/web technology to
communicate hydrologic and water quality data through
an external web site and web-based Java™ application,
which is fully supported by the database technology.
Include cooperating stakeholders in the design and
implementation of the interface, providing for optimal
public interaction with the web page at all educational
and interest levels. Use the stakeholders' vision to devel-
op a dynamic web site with future expansion possibili-
ties. Combine spatial and temporal aspects of the data
to build an interface that can query the data over space and time.
3. Establish an environmental reference source on the web page that details the SFWMD's environ-
mental goals, rationale for action taken, projects in progress, future projects under consideration,
and environmental guidelines based on the most current science. Provide a database of SFWMD
documents of current and planned projects and water supply plans that can be searched by key-
words or phrases.
4. Provide customized mapping, time-series graphics, audio material, and word or phrase search of
SFWMD documents in the data mart distributed through the web site to educate and inform the
users in English and Spanish.
5. Provide coordinated outreach and training programs on the contents of the data mart, its web-
based interface, and educational opportunities for teachers, media professionals, scientists, and the
public through the efforts of cooperating stakeholders and the SFWMD.
suited to computer programmers, software consultants, and other Information Technology
(IT) specialists.
The handbook is organized as follows:
• Chapter 2, The Everglades Restoration Effort, provides background on the stresses on
the Florida Everglades, the role of the SFWMD in preserving and restoring the ecosystem,
Introduction
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the environmental data the agency collects and monitors, and the database used to store
these data.
Chapter 3, Overview of The Living Everglades Web Site, explains the organization,
contents, and uses of The Living Everglades web site.
Chapter 4, Creating a Similar Web Site, discusses the basic steps in setting up a similar
web site, including establishing the key audiences and purpose, conducting a data invento-
ry, choosing a data access/delivery system, ensuring ease of use and management, and
determining resource requirements.
Chapter 5, Behind the Web Site: The Software Application Design, provides a behind-
the-scenes look into the architecture and programming of the three-tiered web site.
Chapter 6, Working With Stakeholders and Partners, discusses how the SFWMD
effectively worked with partners and stakeholders to develop a user-friendly web site, train
users, and promote the site.
EPA created EMPACT in 1997 to take advantage of new technolo-
gies that make providing environmental information to the public in near real-time possible.
EMPACT projects aim to help communities collect, manage, and distribute time-relevant
environmental information, as well as provide residents with easy-to-understand, practical
information they can use to make informed, day-to-day decisions.
EPA partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to help achieve nationwide consistency in measuring envi-
ronmental data, managing the information, and delivering it to the public. The EMPACT
program ended in 2001, having achieved its goal of helping communities gain access to cur-
rent and accurate environmental information in their jurisdictions.
EMPACT projects were initiated in more than 160 metropolitan areas in 39 states. These
projects covered a wide range of environmental issues, such as groundwater contamination,
ocean pollution, smog, ultraviolet radiation protection, and overall ecosystem quality. Some
of these projects were initiated directly by EPA, while others were launched by communities
with the help of EPA-funded Metro Grants. EMPACT projects have helped local govern-
ments build monitoring infrastructures and disseminate environmental information to mil-
lions of people.
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Chapter 2—The Everglades
Restoration Effort
he Everglades is a unique ecological system, found nowhere else in the world. It is one of
our nation's greatest ecological treasures and contributes to Florida's water supply, econo-
my, and recreation. The region also serves as the habitat for thousands of diverse species
of wildlife and plant life, some of which are found only in the Everglades. Many different
kinds of habitats are found in the Everglades, including marine and estuarine environments,
mangroves, sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, and pinelands.
The Everglades watershed begins in Central Florida's Kissimmee River basin and extends to
the Florida Bay. It is part of a larger system of creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes called the
Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades System.
2.1 What Are the Primary Stresses on the Everglades
Ecosystem?
In 1948, the Central and Southern Florida
(C&SF) Project was authorized to provide
flood control, water control, water supply,
and other services to the portions of Florida
stretching from Orlando to Florida Bay. The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
SFWMD thereby constructed an elaborate
and effective water management system,
which diverted billions of gallons of water
from the region. The system accomplished
its goals but also had significant ecological
impacts on the region such as the reduction
of wildlife habitat and the disruption of
hydrological cycles.
As a result, water management is the critical
issue for the Everglades today. The biodiversity in the region requires clean
water in correct quantities to survive. In the past, flooding from summer
storms in the Kissimmee River basin created an extremely wide, but shallow,
river that slowly flowed to the Gulf of Mexico. The summer rains would
then give way to a 6-month dry season. The Everglades' plants and animals
are adapted to this seasonal wet/dry cycle.
Today, however, water system controls disrupt this natural flow. Now, too
much water is often withheld from the Everglades during the wet season,
and too much water is diverted into it during the winter drought. Water
storage is also affected.
These changes in water flows have reduced available habitat and food sup-
plies for many wildlife species in the Everglades. They also have disrupted
feeding and nesting cycles, leading to declines in certain species.
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In addition to water management problems, the region's water quality itself has been degrad-
ed over time. Salinity changes, excess nutrients, and pollution all play a part in reducing the
water quality in the Everglades ecosystem:
• The diversion of freshwater from the region can cause salt water to penetrate aquifers,
affecting water supplies and the ability of soils to support plants.
• Excess nutrients (eutrophication), such as phosphorus and nitrates from agricultural
runoff, affect the region in a number of critical ways. Eutrophication robs water bodies of
needed oxygen and damages existing biological communities;
for example, it can lead to invasions of cattails, which out-
compete and take over areas of native plant populations such
as sawgrass.
• Pollutants, such as pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides,
also are a growing problem in the Everglades. High levels of
mercury, a toxic metal, have been found in a variety of
wildlife, including fish, raccoons, alligators, and Florida
panthers.
Another stress on the ecosystem is the existence of non-native
plants and animals (also known as exotic species), which have
been introduced to the Everglades over the years as pets, orna-
mentals, food sources, or biological controls. Some new
species have not posed threats to the natural
balance of the ecosystem. Others, however,
do not have natural predators in the area and,
as a result, have overpopulated and become
unmanageable. Introduced species also pose
threats to native species through predation
and competition for food and habitat.
Indicators of Ecological Problems in the
Everglades
• 90 to 95 percent reduction in wading bird populations.
• 68 threatened or endangered plant and animal
species.
• 1.7 billion gallons of water per day on average lost
through discharge to the ocean.
• 1 million acres of the ecosystem under health advi-
sories for mercury contamination.
• Over 1.5 million acres infested with invasive, exotic
plants.
• Declining population levels of commercially and
recreationally important fish species in the St. Lucie
and Caloosahatchee estuaries and Biscayne and
Florida Bays.
• Defoliation of seagrasses, fish kills, and deformed
fish within the St. Lucie estuary.
• Continued reduction in number of birds initiating
breeding in South Florida.
• Repetitive water shortages and salt water intrusion.
Source: www.evergladesplan.org
The growing human population in the
Everglades watershed—nearly 900 new resi-
dents move into Florida every day—increases
the demand for natural resources, including
water. More development also means more
buildings and paving, which can reduce the
ability of rainwater to penetrate into aquifers.
With less freshwater available, Florida resi-
dents might need to increasingly resort to
drinking desalinated water. Suburban sprawl,
caused by the growing population, also
threatens to engulf the Everglades, resulting
in critical habitat loss for the flora and fauna
of the region.
2.2 What Is Being Done to
Protect the Everglades?
In 1947, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a
South Florida resident, published what
Chapter 2
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became a best-selling book, The Everglades: River of Grass. The book awakened
people to both the natural beauty and importance of the Everglades, as well as
civilization's alarming impacts on this ecosystem.
Later that year, Congress established Everglades National Park in the southern
section of the Everglades to preserve and protect the area. But the founding of
the park did not stop the ecosystem's decline. Wading bird populations have
declined dramatically since the 1930s, and a number of plant and animal species
are now endangered, including the Florida panther, West Indian manatee,
American crocodile, wood stork, and green turtle. Water quality has continued 1
to decline, and exotic species flourish in certain areas.
In 1992, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was authorized to develop a com-
prehensive plan to restore and preserve South Florida's natural ecosystem, while
enhancing water supply and maintaining flood protection. The resulting Central
and South Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study—commonly called the
Restudy—led by the Corps and the SFWMD, culminated in the development
of a Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
(CERP). The CERP was submitted to Congress in April
1999 and approved in December 2000.
The CERP is the "road map," or framework, to restore,
protect, and preserve the water and biological resources
of Central and South Florida. It includes more than 60
major components designed to reverse the course of
declining ecosystem health. According to the USGS, the
current CERP represents the single greatest—and likely
the last—opportunity to dramatically improve the eco-
logical health of the greater Everglades in South Florida.
The interagency interdisciplinary process to develop the
CERP was a partnership that involved participants from
diverse backgrounds, interests, and agency missions. The
flexibility and openness of this process is ongoing during
implementation, to allow for continual dialogue and
improvements to the plan.
The CERP is part of a larger effort to restore the
Everglades ecosystem and provide for a sustainable South
Florida. This larger effort is being developed under the
direction of the South Florida Ecosystem Task Force by
federal, state, local, and tribal leaders. The Task Force is
focusing on bringing together more than 200 restoration
projects under one framework.
2.3 What Is the Role of the SFWMD?
In 1949, the Florida Legislature created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control
District, the predecessor to the SFWMD. In 1972, under the Florida Water Resources Act,
the state created five water management districts, with expanded responsibilities for regional
water resource management and environmental protection. The districts' boundaries are
determined by watersheds and other natural, hydrologic, and geographic features. In 1976,
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
'The Everglades ecosystem must
be restored both in terms of
water quality and water quantity
and must be preserved and pro-
tected in a manner that is long
term and comprehensive."
- The Everglades Forever Act
(Florida Statute No. 373.4922)
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the legislature approved a constitutional amendment giving each district the
authority to levy property taxes.
The SFWMD's main responsibility is operating and maintaining the C&SF
Project, which consists of 1,800 miles of canals and levees, 200 water control
structures, and 16 major pump stations. The district spans 16 counties in
Florida, with a total population of about 6 million residents—accounting for
more than one-third of the state's residents. This geographic region covers near-
ly 18,000 square miles and includes areas of agricultural lands and water con-
servation areas, along with urban areas undergoing growth and development.
The mission of the SFWMD is to manage and protect water resources of the
region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural sys-
tems, and water supply. The agency is working to restore and manage ecosys-
tems, protect water quality, and improve and plan for long-term water supply
and flood control needs. The district's budget is funded by a combination of
property taxes and other non-property sources, such as federal and state rev-
enues and grants.
To implement the CERP, the SFWMD is collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to provide the right amount of water
and the right flow conditions to the Everglades while providing water for urban and agricultural
needs for a 50-year population projection. To complete this task, the SFWMD and its partners
are developing new management tools, conducting scientific and economic studies, carrying out
public outreach activities, and implementing engineering projects.
2.4 What Information Does the SFWMD Collect on the
Everglades?
The SFWMD collects and stores a variety of data addressing the health of the Everglades
ecosystem. The kinds of data collected and monitored include:
• Water quality data, including information on salinity levels, phosphorus and other nutri-
ents, mercury, and pesticides and other toxic substances.
• Hydrological and meteorological data such as rainfall quantity, seepage, flow volumes,
flooding events, dry conditions, and water levels.
• Biological data, including fish, amphibian, reptile, wading bird, mammal, and invertebrate
populations; nesting information; and plant spatial data.
Much of the data are stored in DBHYDRO, a quality-
assured archival database, with supplemental monitoring
data in other SFWMD databases. The databases are a
result of cooperative programs with agencies such as
USGS, the Everglades National Park, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
. Administration (NOAA), and local government agen-
cies. Currently, DBHYDRO maintains water quality,
hydrological, and meteorological information on more
than 30,000 station-years of data collected at more than
6,000 stations within the district.
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While DBHYDRO has become an important reference for hydrologic and water quality
investigations in South Florida, the information in the database has not been available direct-
ly to the public. Instead, interested parties may submit questions through the DBHYDRO
web site, and the answers are provided via e-mail by district researchers. (See
.) The
SFWMD also makes an external copy of the database once a
month. This access is facilitated by the DBHYDRO Browser
web page at .
A primary focus of the SFWMD EMPACT Everglades proj-
ect— The Living Everglades web site—is to improve public
access of DBHYDRO monitoring data. The web site enables
users to access near real-time data by using maps and easy-to-
perform, targeted search queries. Query results then can be
viewed in chart form (see Chapter 3, "Overview of The Living
Everglades Web Site"). The purpose of The Living Everglades
web site is not to replace DBHYDRO, but rather to take much
of the information stored in the database and make it easier for
users to access.
Not all of the data stored on DBHYDRO and other district databases are currently made
available through The Living Everglades web site; however, the SFWMD plans to expand the
web site's data content in the future through its Enterprise Data Management Program. For
example, the web site's water quality data currently focuses on nitrogen and phosphorous,
but does not yet provide access to SFWMD's data on mercury, pesticides, and other toxic
substances. Also, the web site does not yet provide access to SFWMD's biological data.
The Everglades Restoration Effort
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Chapter 3—Overview of The Living
Everglades Web Site
his chapter summarizes the major categories of information that are included on The
Living Everglades web site. Users can access information on hundreds of ecological param-
eters through the site data queries, described later in this chapter. The web site also pro-
vides users with a better understanding of the SFWMD's projects and programs.
The web site is attractive, engaging, and streamlined for easy navigation and contains an
array of colorful photo images and dynamic graphics. Every page and section also includes a
primary contact person, who can be reached directly through e-mail links. The SFWMD set
up these direct contacts so that users' requests, questions, and comments can be quickly for-
warded to a person who is familiar with the project or program described.
The Living Everglades web site can be accessed online at .
3.1 What Types of Information Are Available on the Web Site?
The home page of The Living Everglades web site houses an overview of the historical and
geological characteristics of the Everglades, as well as a list of the ecological parameters about
which the database provides information. The web site home page is organized into eight
main subheadings:
'
About This Site, which includes background infor-
mation on the web site project and EPA's EMPACT
program. The page also describes the web site devel-
opment team and the stakeholders and partners sup-
porting the project.
Everglades Information, which includes informa-
tion on history, geology, habitats, wildlife, water
resources, and weather in the Everglades; a topo-
graphical map of the region; links to other web sites;
and a list of frequently asked questions.
Virtual Tour, which provides a map of the South
Florida watershed region.
Obtaining Data, which serves the main focus of the
web site—links to map-based and pre-defined data
queries where users can access SFWMD's data on
numerous ecological parameters throughout the
region.
Tutorial, which instructs users on querying the site
and finding information.
Education, which includes various curricula, lesson
plans, and links to sources of additional information
for teachers and students.
1 0
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• Glossary, which defines relevant terms in nontechnical language.
• Fun, which includes games, coloring books, postcards, and web links for schoolchildren.
3.1 a History of Everglades
To give users a solid overview of the Everglades, The Living Everglades web site provides links
to 11 other web sites (including those sponsored by the National Park Service, the National
Wildlife Federation, and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida), which describe the
state of the Everglades from the mid-1800s to the present day, the impacts humans have had
on water quantity and quality, and the overall environmental health of the region.
These web sites educate users by providing information on the history of the Everglades from
various perspectives. The National Park Service, for example, tells "The Everglades Water
Story," which illustrates the size and habitat of the Everglades before the area was inhabited
by humans, along with the impacts that reservoirs, farming, and industrial development have
had in reducing the diversity and number of wildlife populations in the area. The Florida
Everglades site prepared by the Chamber of Commerce includes a first-person historical
account of the changes in the Everglades told by a lifetime resident of the region.
The landscapes in the Everglades today are a direct
result of geologic events in the past. The Living
Everglades web site therefore includes links to
seven web sites that review the geological influ-
ences on the Everglades area, beginning with the
impacts from climate change and rising sea levels
that occurred as glaciers receded.
This portion of the site also includes a series of
downloadable maps from the Florida Geologic
Survey. Understanding the geology of the
Everglades gives users an appreciation of how this
fragile ecosystem and its various habitats devel-
oped over the course of time and a perspective on
the dramatic effects of natural and human activi-
ties on the region in just two centuries.
3.1 c Habitats
Though the Everglades is often characterized as a swamp or marsh, several very distinct habi-
tats exist within its boundaries. Slight changes in elevation, water salinity, and soil can create
entirely different landscapes, each with its own community of plants and animals. The
"Habitats" section of the web site includes a "virtual tour" of the Florida Everglades devel-
oped by the USGS Center for Coastal Geology. This section contains information on general
characteristics of the Everglades ecosystem and specific descriptions of the animal and plant
life residing in the region.
Natural areas are important for their recreational value, historic importance, native wildlife,
and scientific research. Many natural areas also benefit people indirectly, even those that are
seldom visited. Salt marshes, mangrove swamps, and coastal lagoons are necessary habitats
Overview of the Living Everglades Web Site
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for almost all species of marine fish and shellfish. Scrub areas
allow rainfall to soak underground, recharging water reservoirs
that contain drinking water. Swamps and other wetlands con-
trol floods, purify water, and produce freshwater fish. An
understanding of the different habitats within the Everglades
gives users a greater appreciation of the ecosystem and its eco-
logical, economic, and social value.
3.1d
Water Resources
Water Quality Parameters
The "Water Resources—Water Quality Parameters" section of
the web site includes information on dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, alkalinity,
salinity, and fecal coliform bacteria. These are some of the many parameters that are meas-
ured and graphed in the "Map-Based Data Queries" section, located under "Obtaining Data"
on the navigation bar on the home page. Understanding these terms can help users find
information when conducting a map-based data query.
Physical Parameters
This section of the site includes information on rainfall water levels, water flow, turbidity,
electrical conductivity, water temperature, air temperature, and soils. The descriptions for
each parameter described in this section can help users understand the data they view when
conducting map-based data queries on the site.
3.1e Weather
This section of the web site reviews the weather conditions in the Everglades region, includ-
ing temperature and rainfall. The ability to monitor weather trends is a helpful tool for scien-
tists interested in maintaining the environmental qualities of the region. By monitoring water
and weather conditions, and by using canals and levees as necessary to send water out to sea
or to storage areas before, during, and after storms, the impact and duration of flooding in
the area can be controlled.
The climate in the Everglades is primarily
humid subtropical, with two seasons: the 5-
month rainy season, from June through
October, when 70 percent of the year's rain
falls and most hurricanes occur; and the 7-
month dry season, from November through
May.
In South and Central Florida, average yearly
rainfall is about 53 inches, though actual rain-
fall varies widely from year to year and from
location to location. For example, historical
annual rainfall for the city of Miami ranges
from a high of 89 inches to a low of 34 inches.
1 2
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Due to this wide range, one part of the region might be flooded at the same time another
area is in the midst of a drought.
3.2 What Are the Main Interactive Features of the Web Site?
The Living Everglades web site features several interactive sections where the user can plot
graphs and charts for the specific parameters described previously. The web site also includes
educational tools and features for elementary to college-level students and teachers. Details
on these features of the web site are highlighted in the following sections.
3.2a Data Queries
The heart of The Living Everglades web site includes the two main methods for obtaining
environmental data about the Everglades ecosystem: (1) the map-based data queries, and (2)
the pre-defined data queries. These data queries make it easy for users to obtain up-to-date,
long-range, and historical data on a variety of topic areas.
Map-Based Data Queries
The "Map-Based Data Queries" section of the web site
guides users through a variety of environmental manage-
ment data for most of Central and South Florida. Before
launching into the map-based data query, users can click
"Tutorial" on the navigation bar on the home page for an
animated, self-guided tour on how to use this section.
The "Map-Based Data Query" link takes users to a map
divided into separate watershed regions. From here, users
can select the "Region Search" tool to get information on
a specific watershed: "Media Found" and "Data
Parameters."
The "Media Found" section includes documents on the
SFWMD restoration projects related to the watershed
area selected as well as descriptive audio and video files
(users need RealPlayer™ to view audio
and video files).
The "Data Parameters" section offers various selection
criteria for users, including data frequency and type.
Users can select daily or random interval frequency levels;
they also can select data based on both levels of frequen-
cy. The data type options vary by the region and frequen-
cy of the parameters selected, but they can include water
level, water flow, phosphorus, rainfall, and more. After
selecting for data frequency and type, users are shown a
list of agencies that supply these data.
Once users select the agencies whose data they would like to review, small icons pop up on
the map, indicating the monitoring stations where these data are collected. Up to five data
collection sites can be selected at one time.
1 3
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Sample Data Search
Conducting a data search on The Living Everglades web site using a map-based query is a simple
process. Consider the following example.
For the watershed region located in East Collier County, users can select:
Level of frequency: "Daily" and "At Random."
Data Type:
Agency:
"Water level."
"Everglades National Park," "South Florida Water Management District," and
"U.S. Geological Survey."
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When users hit the "Search" button, the map indicates
the monitoring stations where these data are collected.
Users can select one station by clicking on the icon indi-
cating the section on the map. For example, they might
select the "Airplane" site. After hitting the "Plot Selection"
button, users can access all of the data collected at that
monitoring station for the selected data type. The data
can be displayed as a line chart, a bar graph, a data
table, or a combination of the three. Users can then
choose the time period for which they would like to chart
data. Users also can copy and paste the data tables into
a spreadsheet program to conduct a statistical analysis
of the data.
Users can search the site by large regions that encompass many watershed areas or by smaller
regions that focus on a portion of one watershed, using the "Rectangle Search" tool. The
"Layer Control" option changes layers settings; by stripping away layers, a variety of features
can be viewed. For example, users can take away the watershed layer to view the map by
county instead. Highways and canals also
Region Search Tool can be added or stripped away, so users can
Layer Control Tool Rectangle Search Tool have a more specific view of the area being
searched. The "Region Search" tool and the
"Rectangle Search" tool can still be used to
hone in on the specific data for a watershed
«tMLi«it»*KM>pMi*»or *•*«!*» or county.
Pre-Deftned Data Queries
Pre-defined data queries are intended to pro-
vide up-to-date answers on frequently asked
questions without requiring users to use the
map interface. As of summer 2002, the web
site included three pre-defined data queries:
• Average water level per month in
2000 for Lake Kissimmee.
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1 4
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• Monthly rainfall in 2000 for Lee County.
• Top 10 rainy days in 1999 for Lake Okeechobee.
The SFWMD will add more pre-defined data queries to the site in the
future.
3.2b Education, Curricula, and Other Resources
The role of teachers and educators in Everglades restoration is vital, for the
students of today might very well be the engineers and ecologists who
design and implement Everglades restoration activities tomorrow. The
"Education" section of the site includes a host of web pages compiled to
help teachers gather educational resources centered on the Greater
Everglades ecosystem. The site highlights a myriad of web links, including
teachers' workshops that focus on the Everglades and water quality in
South Florida. Resources for teachers include a list of books, guides, and
curricula developed by scientists and educators, as well as classroom ses-
sions whereby teachers can take a 3-hour trip on the Kissimmee River,
where they will be introduced to field methods in water quality monitor-
ing, aquatic plant and invertebrate sampling, and
identification techniques.
Additional resources for teachers and students
include audio and video tapes on the Everglades,
available from the Everglades National Park
Bookstore and the SFWMD. Moreover, users
can find books and other publications focusing
on the Everglades through these and other
sources noted on the web site.
Teachers who have developed a lesson plan using
the web site materials are encouraged to post
their plan to the web site. As the SFWMD
receives lesson plans, they are posted on the page
so other teachers can access them. Teachers who
develop Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
or Sunshine State Standards correlations using the
materials also will be able to post these to the web
site. Educational resources can be forwarded to
Loisa Kerwin, Director, Riverwoods Field
Laboratory at .
3.2c Fun and Games
The "Fun" section of the web site is aimed at
making learning about the Everglades, wildlife,
and nature interesting to schoolchildren. This
section of the site features:
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• .
1 5
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• Printable coloring book pages depicting drawings of animals that live in the region,
including the alligator, spoonbill, manatee, wood stork, and sea turtle.
• A "Concentration"-type game where players try to match up the year with the number of
species counted in the Everglades at that time.
• E-postcards that children can send to friends and family, which feature a picture of a
wood stork, manatee, or spoonbill—animals that make their home in the Everglades.
• Links to a variety of educational web sites, including an EPA Planet Protectors Club
Online Coloring Book and other materials from EPA. The site also includes links to web
pages created by the National Park Service highlighting classroom activities for children in
kindergarten through 6th grade, resources for teachers, and links to ,
a web site developed by Defenders of Wildlife to teach schoolchildren about endangered
species.
3.2e Tour
The Living Everglades web site will eventually include a "Tour Your Watershed" section, which
will contain links to information on the Kissimmee Pviver, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades,
and the Florida Bay.
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Chapter 4—Creating a Similar
Web Site
This chapter provides basic instructions to help
other agencies and organizations plan for and cre-
ate a web site similar to The Living Everglades web
site. The chapter assumes that your organization is
already collecting, storing, and managing environ-
mental data in a database system that you would
like to make publicly accessible through a web site.
The steps in the web site development process
include the following:
• Determine the main functions for your web site
• Conduct a data inventory
• Choose a data access/delivery system
• Decide how to make your web site user-friendly
• Ensure ease of management and updates for your web site
• Determine costs, time required, difficulty level, and labor requirements
• Create your web site
• Involve stakeholders
Keep in mind that creating a web site does not mean that your organization needs to host
the web site. There are many businesses called application service providers that can provide
web hosting services for you.
4.1 Determine the Main Functions for Your Web Site
The first step in the web site development process is to determine your web site's main func-
tions by considering its purpose and audience. For example, the SFWMD wanted The Living
Everglades web site to provide useful, clear, and up-to-date information on the Everglades and
the SFWMD's restoration projects to a wide breadth of Florida citizens, including teachers
and students, the general public, and environmental scientists at universities and nonprofit
organizations.
The SFWMD wanted the taxpayers of South Florida to understand the stresses on the
Everglades ecosystem and the status of efforts to restore and preserve the region. In addition,
by having teachers and students use The Living Everglades web site, the SFWMD hoped the
next generation would gain an understanding of the value of ecosystems such as the
Everglades and would learn how to use high-tech tools, such as web-accessible environmental
databases, for gaining knowledge of the status of ecosystems. The web site also provides easy
access to data in DBHYDRO and other SFWMD databases that could be helpful to envi-
ronmental researchers and scientists. In addition to these primary audiences, the SFWMD
recognized that the audience for the web site will likely include many other interested parties
1 7
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in the United States and internationally, given the scope and historical importance of the
Everglades restoration project.
Given the purpose and audiences for The Living Everglades web site, SFWMD decided the
site should provide the following functions:
• Background information. Background information on the Everglades and the science of
ecological monitoring and restoration can help users appreciate the importance of the
Everglades system, learn what must be achieved to restore the Everglades, and understand
the scope of the problems facing agencies involved in the restoration and preservation
effort.
• Map-based query feature. Users can query the environmental database using maps that
visualize results, facilitate ease of use, and help provide a relational context. Maps enable
users to access data from a particular site in the Everglades by simply clicking on that area
on an online map (they do not need to know the names or locations of the SFWMD's
monitoring stations). The maps also show users where geographical elements are located
in relation to each other. This facilitates an understanding of how ecological processes in
one area, such as water flow in the Kissimmee River, can affect wildlife habitat in areas
downstream from the river, such as in the Everglades.
• Chart query results. By presenting the results of queries in a time-series chart, which is a
chart indicating the time or date for each data observation, users can better understand
data trends and patterns.
• Spatially relevant data. "Spatially relevant" data all have geographical locations connected
with them so users can gain an understanding of the environmental health of different
areas and specific parts of the ecosystem.
• Temporally relevant data. By giving the public access to the most up-to-date, quality-
assured data available from public agencies, SFWMD can ensure the data are "temporally
relevant"; that is, data are available from recent enough observations to allow for analysis
of the current ecological situation.
• User-friendliness. The SFWMD wanted to ensure that all Florida
citizens—not just computer technicians—would be able to obtain
useful information from the web site on the health of the Everglades
and the district's restoration projects.
4.2 Conduct a Data Inventory
After deciding your site's functions, the next step is to conduct an inven-
tory of your existing data. To create a web site similar to The Living
Everglades, consider the types of environmental data already stored on
your organization's database (e.g., water levels, pollution concentrations,
wildlife population data), but also consider:
• Relevant GIS data.
• Environmental reference documents that describe your ecological
restoration projects and goals.
• Audio and video files that relate to various regions in the ecosystem
(e.g., pictures or vocalizations of native wildlife species, aerial views
of particular landscapes).
Chapter 4
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• Other relevant public data in the area.
The inventory will help you identify what data you have, along with any data gaps. At this
point, you might want to contact other environmental organizations and agencies to deter-
mine if they have any of the data you are seeking. For example, you will likely need to obtain
GIS data from other agencies, such as USGS. Keep in mind that occasionally you might
need clearance or permission to make data from other agencies and organizations publicly
accessible.
When you seek data from other agencies and organizations, you might want to consider
forming partnerships with them. Through these partnerships, you might be able to share
data more easily in the future, develop future projects jointly, and increase the publicity for
your site (see Chapter 6, Working With Stakeholders and Partners).
4.3 Choose a Data Access/Delivery System
After deciding what data sources to make available through your web site, you will need to
choose a method for accessing and conveying this information. This method will be your data
access/deli very system. This system will need to be constructed using various software compo-
nents (see Chapter 5 for information on the software design of The Living Everglades web
site). As a general rule, the more sophisticated the system, the higher the cost. Two of the
biggest issues you will need to address are user-friendliness and scalability.
4.3a User-Friendliness
The less sophisticated the intended user, the more simple
and user-friendly your data query and results visualization
should be. Keep in mind that more sophisticated users
(e.g., scientists, researchers) also will demand a simple and
user-friendly data query and results visualization and will
avoid using a more difficult interface even if they are capa-
ble of using it. A more user-friendly site helps all users save
time and avoid frustration.
Because the SFWMD wanted its site to be accessible to a
wide variety of audiences, it chose to construct a very user-
friendly and powerful data access/delivery system—the
map-based query feature of The Living Everglades web site.
This system is user-friendly because it allows users to access
SFWMD environmental data via maps and conveys the
results of user queries through charts. SFWMD's system dis-
plays maps at various scales (i.e., close-ups or showing the
entire map), clearly shows the location of monitoring stations,
and is interactive (i.e., it allows users to choose monitoring
stations by clicking on the map itself).
When contemplating your own data access/delivery needs,
think how user-friendly your site needs to be. Consider, for
example, if users require time-series charts or if they can ade-
quately view results in a simple data table or text file. Also,
consider if you need a map-based query feature. Although
maps make it easier for users to choose data from particular
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Creating a Similar Web Site
-------
locations, if your agency only has data from a few stations, you might simply list the loca-
tions and provide hotlinks to the data available for each station. Also, if you do want to pro-
vide a map but have only a few monitoring stations, you will probably not need to make the
map interactive.
Finally, if you are interested in providing environmental reference documents and audio and
video files through your site, you have the option to not make these accessible through a
map-based query. You could still provide access to these files via hotlinks on a different
HTML page. The SFWMD used innovative software that allowed it to make all of these files
available through its map-based query feature.
Scalability
Scalability refers to the ability of software and hardware to adapt to increased demands, such
as the number of simultaneous users and the amount of data
uploaded or downloaded per day. Different data delivery/access sys-
tems vary in their scalability. If your data delivery/access system can-
not handle user demands, the speed with which the web site processes
users' data queries might decrease substantially. Worse, it might crash
and require significant resources to repair. After anticipating the num-
ber of users using your site and the amount of data to be downloaded,
contact software vendors (see Appendix G, Technical Contacts) to
determine if they can meet your scalability needs.
If you do not anticipate any significant scalability issues, you might be
able to save money on the software you need to create your data
access/delivery system. You can use Microsoft® Access, for example,
to serve as a data mart—the subset of your database that will be acces-
sible through your web site—if you do not anticipate a large number
of simultaneous users or data downloads. If you decide to use
Microsoft® Access version 2002 for your data mart, your cost will be approximately $340.
Your choice of software products should be made holistically however, by considering how
well software products purchased from different vendors will interact with each other.
Because the SFWMD anticipated that The Living Everglades site would be used by a large
number of people and would involve downloading significant amounts of data, the district
purchased software components that could handle high system demands (see Chapter 5 for
more information). The SFWMD decided to use the Oracle® 8i database server for a number
of reasons, including its ability to address the SFWMD's scalability concerns. Depending on
the license purchased, this software can cost many thousands of dollars. In addition, IT staff
for Oracle generally run at least twice as high as IT staff for Microsoft® Access.
After considering your data access/delivery system needs, you might determine that you
would like to construct the same data access/delivery system used by the SFWMD for The
Living Everglades web site. In this case, you can receive for free some of the custom-made
software design components used by SFWMD to construct this system since these compo-
nents were created using EMPACT funds. (Contact Brian Turcotte, 561 682-6579, or Marie
Pietrucha, 561 682-6309, both of the SFWMD, for more information; also see the
Appendices to this handbook for more details.)
2 0
Chapter 4
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Keep in mind that the SFWMD's data access/delivery system is not your only option. You
can create a useful web site that includes at least some of the same features of the SFWMD's
site by using different software and making different design choices.
4.4 Decide How To Make Your Web Site User-Friendly
To make your web site user-friendly you will need to address the graphical user interface
(GUI), develop a consistent look for your site, provide special features that make the site easy
to use, and make sure the site functions properly and responds quickly to user requests.
4.4a The GUI
An important part of the data access/delivery system
is the GUI. GUI is a term used to describe the
HTML links, icons, buttons, checkboxes, and drop-
down lists that allow the user to tell the web site to
perform certain commands with a click or two of a
mouse button. For example, when the user clicks on
an HTML link, represented by underlined text, this
tells the web site to open a window and access the
new web site referred to by the underlined text.
In an example from the SFWMD site, when the
user clicks on an icon of a polygon within the map-
based query, this tells the web site that the user
wants to choose data from a particular region from the map and allows the user to click on
that region to start the data-gathering process. A good GUI can make a web site much more
user-friendly which will make it more enjoyable and easier for people to use the web site.
For the map-based query feature, the SFWMD made use of a number of icons, checkboxes,
and drop-down lists to facilitate ease of use. For example, by providing an icon that a user
could click on to choose to perform a regional search in the map-based query, the SFWMD
avoids requiring the user to learn and enter programming language. In most cases, the soft-
ware used by the web site designer to create the web site provides a variety of GUI options to
the designer.
4.4b A Consistent Look
Developing a consistent look for your web site is important because it can make your web
site more pleasing to the eye, more memorable, and less confusing to read and use. A consis-
tent look requires "branding"—the consistent use of colors, fonts, images, and graphic ele-
ments; menus and navigation aides; and footer information.
4.4c Special Features
You might want to consider adding special features to your web site to help users learn how to
navigate your site more quickly. These features include help functions, search functions, site
-------
maps, and e-mail contacts to allow users to ask questions and provide feedback to you. Self-help
features can reduce the amount of time your organization spends providing technical support to
users. The SFWMD, for example, provides an online, self-guided tutorial through The Living
Everglades web site that teaches users how to perform the map-based query.
4.4d Proper Function and Response
You must also ensure that your web site functions properly and responds quickly to user
requests. To provide quick response times for users, the SFWMD designed The Living
Everglades web site in such a way as to minimize the amount of data processing that needs to
occur on the user's computer, which increases response times. The main disadvantage of this
method is that it requires a high-performance central server, which can increase costs.
4.5 Ensure Ease of Management and Updates
Web site management and updates take considerable time and effort. Two main strategies can
ensure the ease of management and updates of your web site. One is to use a software appli-
cation design that makes it easy to modify or replace the software components that make
your web site possible. The other is to make sure your web site can handle anticipated system
loads and therefore avoid system crashes.
By designing your web site properly, you will be able to minimize the costs and other
resources required to manage and update it. For example, the SFWMD's choice of software
(the Oracel9iAS application server) and web design makes updates simpler; SFWMD does
not have to change programming language within each of the web pages individually.
Instead, it can change code used by all web pages within the application server itself. This
method reduces the redundancy of programming code in the web site design (see Chapter 5
for more information on the SFWMD's software application design).
4.6 Determine Costs, Time Required, Difficulty Level, and
Labor Requirements
The costs, time required, difficulty level, and labor requirements for
developing your web site will depend on a number of factors, includ-
ing the functions you choose for your web site, the types of data you
choose to make accessible, the data access/delivery system itself, and
your available funds. In addition, you will need to carry out a major
effort in terms of extracting data from your archival database, cleaning
up and transforming your data, and loading your data into the data
mart. The extent and cost of the data extraction, transformation, and
loading effort will depend on the state of your data (i.e., differing data
formats and database structures). As you plan the development of
your web site, you might want to use the table on page 23 to help you
identify your costs.
To create The Living Everglades web site (including carrying out the
stakeholder process and promoting the web site), the SFWMD
received an EMPACT grant for $488,598. The SFWMD also provided a matching contribu-
tion as part of the grant agreement. As mentioned earlier, an organization looking to create a
similar web site might be able to incur significantly fewer resources by utilizing the
SFWMD's custom-made software products and programming language (contact Brian
Turcotte, 561 682-6579, or Marie Pietrucha, 561 682-6309, at the SFWMD for more infor-
22 Chapter4
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mation). These products include the web site design and data mart design. In addition, if
you decide to streamline the functions for your web site or reduce the sophistication of your
data access/delivery system, your costs will be less. On the other hand, reducing the cost of
some of the essential components of your web site might be difficult (e.g., the cost of provid-
ing temporally relevant data).
The SFWMD estimates that creating a similar web site to The Living Everglades site would
require three or four software developers working for about 6 months (moderate to heavy
commitment of time). SFWMD rates the difficulty of this project anywhere from moderate-
ly complex to complex.
Is
Initial research
Determining functions
Data inventory
Investigating software for data delivery/access system
Software purchases
Database server
Application server
Web server
Mapping software
Chart software
Web design software
Design and programming costs (usually requires hiring software consultants)
Data mart design
Data extraction/clean up/load (80% of effort in data marts)
Creating a single working product from various software components
Web site design
Administrative costs
Planning
Training
Direction and oversight
Deliverable review
Ongoing support and maintenance
Stakeholder process
Identifying stakeholders and partners
Establishing partner agreements
Carrying out stakeholder training sessions
Promoting your web site
After you have completed the preparatory work covered in this chapter, you will be able to
proceed with the actual steps required to create your web site. Chapter 5 describes how the
SFWMD created its site to achieve its goals, the general steps required to construct the web
site, and the SFWMD's recommendations for other agencies interested in creating a similar
site. Chapter 6 describes how to work with stakeholders to ensure your web site meets the
needs of your intended audiences.
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The Softw kpplii esign
I his chapter describes the overall structure of The Living Everglades web site, the functions
of each software component included in the web site design, and general instructions for
constructing the web site based on this design. If you are a project manager, note that
this chapter and the appendices in this manual can be
used by a software consultant or an in-house expert as a
starting point for the creation of your web site. Please
refer to the glossary (Appendix F) for definitions of com-
puter terms used in this chapter.
The Living Everglades web site is a highly complex soft-
ware application that required a significant amount of
expertise and resources. If your agency does not have the
same amount of in-house expertise as the SFWMD, you
can still create a similar web site with enough financial
resources, consulting expertise, and technical assistance
from outside sources.
If you are interested in creating a similar web site for your
own organization, consider which aspects of The Living
Everglades web site are necessary to include. As discussed
in Chapter 4, developing a useful web site that includes
some of The Living Everglades features is possible without
using all of the same software or techniques. Lastly, for
useful tips when creating your web site, refer to
SFWMD's lessons learned from developing The Living
Everglades web site listed at the end of this chapter.
5.1 I the Design
For the SFWMD to create the map-based query feature,
provide quick response times for users, address scalability
issues, and ensure ease of management and updates, it
needed to purchase sophisticated software components
and then program the components to coordinate with
each other and handle the tasks required of them.
Some parts of The Living Everglades web site (not the
map-based query feature) are constructed using a stan-
dard web architecture. When the user types in the URL
for The Living Everglades home page, for example, the
user's web browser accesses the web site information
housed on a server located in the SFWMD's home office
and displays it for the user on his or her computer.
Whenever the user clicks on a hotlink within the web
site, the server tells the web browser to open a window
The SFWMD's Philosophy on the
Software Design of The Living
Everglades Web Site
The philosophy behind the software design
for the web site was to provide a database-
driven site that uses data structures and
access methods specifically designed to
handle time-series, spatial, and multimedia
data. The SFWMD used the Java™ pro-
gramming language in its design because it
provides a direct and portable interface to
the web site's data structures, which ensures
flexibility and high performance. In addi-
tion, the SFWMD designed the site within a
Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework,
which separates three distinct forms of func-
tionality within an application. In the case of
The Living Everglades web site, the data
mart is the Model, the user interface is the
View, and the Java™ programming lan-
guage, which "serves up" information from
the data mart to the user, is the Controller.
For more information on the MVC frame-
work, see the Glossary (Appendix F).
2 4
Chapter 5
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Three-tiered Design
User
Presentation Layer (web site)
display results in chart
dynamic map interface
SFWMD
2nd Tier (application web server)
database answer
in chart form
database
query
chad
ng software
KavaChart
mapping software
3rd Tier (archived data and database server)
archival database and other data sets
dBHydro
GIS data
other data ~
and access web site information
from the URL location referred to
by that hotlink.
These simple functions require only
two layers of software and hardware:
(1) the web browser housed on the
user's computer, and (2) the server
software housed on the SFWMD's
web server. This situation is
described as a two-tiered client/serv-
er architecture, where "the client" is
a term for the user's computer
(including the interface or presenta-
tion layer), and the second tier is the
web server.
To provide the map-based query fea-
ture and time-series charts through
The Living Everglades web site, how-
ever, the SFWMD needed to expand the site's design by adding specialized software compo-
nents to the second tier and a third tier containing a database server. This setup is described
as a three-tiered client/server architecture. The third tier, which can be thought of as the bot-
tom tier, is the location where a subset of the SFWMD's environmental data—the data that
the SFWMD chooses to make available to the general public—are stored.
The subset of environmental data is called the data mart and is managed by the SFWMD
through the Oracle® 8i database server software. The data mart is periodically updated with
data from the district's archival database, called DBHYDRO (see Chapter 3 for more details
on DBHYDRO). The updates flow through a data gateway. In addition to environmental
measurement data, the data mart includes other applicable information as well, such as GIS
data, environmental references and other documents, and audio and video files. The data
updates are one of the most complex "back end" pieces that SFWMD uses.
The specialized components that the SFWMD added to the second tier include mapping
software, charting software (to chart time-series data), and a combination application/web
server. The mapping software, called MapXtreme® for Java™, and charting software, called
KavaChart, communicate with the data mart on the third tier and provide visuals of the
results of database queries and other user commands. The application/web server, called
Oracle® 9iAS, obtains information provided by MapXtreme and KavaChart and then pro-
vides these to the client (i.e., the user's computer via the web browser).
The SFWMD made sure that all of the components for its software application, both on the
third tier and the middle tier, use the Java™ programming language when issuing new com-
mands and when communicating with each other. According to the SFWMD, compared to
other programming languages (e.g., ColdFusion, Active Server Pages, and PHP), Java™ pro-
vides maximum portability—it works in a wide variety of computer environments, in both
the SFWMD's UNIX-based servers and its Windows-based servers—and provides perform-
ance enhancement by improving response times to user requests. (Note: the SFWMD does,
however, use some of the above programming languages to create dynamic web pages for
other purposes.)
enable map-based
database query
reply
data ma
rt
Oracle 81
-------
The installation and integration of these software and hardware components is a very com-
plex process. To succeed, the SFWMD made use of software development consultants rather
than relying solely on in-house expertise.
5.2 A Closer Look at Each Tier
In this section, you will learn more details about each of the three tiers that make up the web
site and general instructions for constructing each tier.
5.2a The Third Tier: The Data Mart
On the third tier, the SFWMD uses Oracle® 8i
database server software. Oracle® 8i helped the
SFWMD realize the potential for The Living
Everglades project. SFWMD believed that an impor-
tant benefit of using Oracle® 8i as a database server
was that it can store and manage many types of
information, including spatial data (such as maps
and other GIS data); time-series data; and a variety
of text and media files, such as documents, audio
files, and video files.
Most other database servers can only manage one
type of information—either spatial data, time-series
data, or media files and documents. In addition, since Oracle® 8i is a relational database,
SFWMD knew that the software was capable of referencing these various types of informa-
tion to each other. For example, when a user chooses to access data from a particular geo-
graphical region, the database provides the user not only with the appropriate time-series
data, but also all text and media files from that geographical region.
One of the reasons why Oracle® 8i can perform these functions is that it makes use of
object-oriented programming and the object-relational model. In addition to the features
noted above, object-oriented programming provides a number of other benefits including
reduced development time, simplified system design, and greater system security. Finally,
since this software makes use of the Java™ programming language, it can be used to create a
web-accessible database. SFWMD noted that Oracle® 8i is set up to communicate with
Java™-based software programs, such as MapXtreme® for Java™ and KavaChart (see
Appendix G for technical contacts), which are deployed on the middle tier. It does not
require any Java™ code sent between the two tiers to be recompiled or modified in any way.
The modules of Oracle® 8i that store and manage the different types of data are Oracle®
Spatial, Oracle® Time Series, and Oracle® interMedia. On the SFWMD's data mart,
Oracle® Spatial holds GIS data that the SFWMD obtained from USGS, EPA, and the dis-
trict's own primary spatial data sets. The GIS data includes map coverages of water basins,
counties, land use, canals, roads, lakes, and preserves. These data were loaded into Oracle®
Spatial directly from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) coverage format using
FME® Oracle Suite from Safe Software. On Oracle® interMedia, the SFWMD stores
Microsoft® Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, PDF files, and video and audio files.
The core of the database includes the subset of environmental measurement data from
DBHYDRO and is stored on the Oracle® Time Series module.
2 6
Chapter 5
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Oracle®
Spatial
CIS data
The data mart is updated periodically with new,
up-to-date data from DBHYDRO (and other
applicable data sources). Specifically, the Oracle®
Time Series module is updated every week,
Oracle® Spatial every 6 months or as needed,
and Oracle® interMedia as needed. The data
mart is located on a Solaris 8 server, which pro-
vides a UNIX-based operating environment.
DBHYDRO (the archival database) is managed
using the Oracle® 7.3.4 database server software
and is located on an Open VMS server, separate
from the data mart. All of the data in DBHY-
DRO have gone through a rigorous quality assur-
ance/quality control (QA/QC) process. Because
of the QA/QC process, the data available through
The Living Everglades web site are not real-time
data; however, the data are timely. (Note: The
SFWMD uses telemetry to collect real-time data for its daily monitoring purposes.)
A firewall exists between the data mart and DBHYDRO because the SFWMD does not
want the production version of DBHYDRO to be accessible to the general public, which
ensures the data remain secure and unaltered. DBHYDRO, therefore, remains internal to the
SFWMD. The firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a pri-
vate network.
Oracle®
interMedia
Document
storage
5.2b Constructing the Third Tier
To set up a data mart on the third tier, you will need to complete three main steps:
• Purchase database server software.
• Create the data mart design.
• Create scripts or purchase specialized software (ETL tools) for data extraction, data
cleanup, and loading into the data mart.
Your first step is to purchase database server soft-
ware and have a server with enough power to store
and run the software. The next step is to create a
schema, or database structure, that defines what
data will be in the database, how the data will
relate to each other, and the attributes and methods
associated with each data type (which need to be
defined for software that makes use of object-ori-
ented programming). (See Appendix A for the enti-
ty-relationship diagram that represents the data
mart structure used for the third tier of The Living
Everglades web site.)
The final step, which generally requires 80 percent
of the resources necessary to implement a data
HIGHWAY_
GEOM
LENGTH
PREFIX
HIGHWAY TYPE
SUFFIX
8TH_CODE
Behind the We b Site
2 7
-------
mart, is to extract, prepare, and load your archival data into the data mart, using your own
custom-designed scripts or extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) software tools.
Scripts perform a number of functions, including helping to populate the data mart with
updated information from your archival database (see Appendix C for more information on
scripts used by the SFWMD). ETL tools are especially useful for implementing data marts
when your archival databases are varied in structure and contain data in various formats.
You will usually need to hire a software consultant who specializes in creating and managing
databases (especially object-relational databases) to set up a data mart, due to its complexity
and technical requirements; however, you should be able to accomplish some initial steps
with the help of the database software user's manual. One step that can save you time is to
make use of the schema already created by the SFWMD. The schema, which can be thought
of as a blank template, is generic enough that it can work for any organization's database
regardless of the format. The SFWMD is offering the schema to other agencies and organiza-
tions for free. In addition to providing the schema to agencies, the SFWMD can provide the
table list (see Appendix B for the schema's table list), which describes the purpose of each
data table within the schema and a description of the data fields within each table.
After creating the schema, you will need to load your collection points (environmental meas-
urement data) into it, as well as any other files, such as environmental reference sources (doc-
uments), audio and video files (if desired), and site-specific GIS data. You can obtain GIS
data from USGS and state agencies. Some GIS data are available on the Internet. You will
not need to enter information manually into the data mart. Instead you can use ETL tools or
scripts that can add the data automatically to the appropriate data mart tables.
The costs of creating the data mart depend largely on the consultant's fees, server software
purchased, and the variety of data formats and data structures on your organization's archival
databases. Keep in mind that costs will likely be lower if you choose to use the SFWMD's
schema.
For more details on implementing a data mart, see Appendix C, which provides the develop-
ment documentation for the data mart used for The Living Everglades web site. It is impor-
o o r
tant to note that SFWMD had previously spent a lot of time developing and streamlining the
archival database, DBHYDRO, which allowed for a relatively simple data extraction, trans-
formation, and loading process.
Media_Type_Master
media_type_id
media_type
media_extension
media_plugin_reader
media_URL
media_mime_type
This table would hold the different types of media/document details, such as their exten-
sions, type of document, and the software needed to access these media/documents.
10 Primary Key Unique number given to the document type.
50 Not Null Description of type e.g.Word, Excel, Adobe, ram
etc.
6 Not Null e.g. .txt, .doc, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .avi, .ram etc.
200 MS-Word, Acrobat Reader, Real Player etc.
256 Column would contain the URL suggesting
where the Media Reader can be found for
download.
256 Mime Type for the particular file extension.
Useful to identify the Plug-in Reader for that file.
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
-------
5,2c The The
The middle tier of The Living Everglades
software application includes the Oracle®
9iAS (v. 1.0.2.2) application/web server soft-
ware, MapXtreme® for Java™, KavaChart,
Java™ 2 Platform Enterprise Edition
(J2EE), and frequently used bits of Java™- '•
based code. The components on the middle
tier are the "brains" of the software applica-
tion—together, they receive and carry out
the commands of the user. In addition, the
middle tier components create all of the
visualizations on the web site, including the
maps, charts, GUI, text, and web site
design. The middle tier components are all located on a server that has a Windows 2000
operating system. (Note: MapXtreme® for Java™ and KavaChart could be run on an inde-
pendent platform instead of the same server as the other components.)
The Oracle® 9iAS application/web server software "serves up" the web pages and images to
the client, receives commands and other input from the user, and exchanges information
with the applications on the middle tier such as MapXtreme® for Java™ and KavaChart.
The web server part of the Oracle® 9iAS includes the OC4J (Orion) servlet container for
J2EE. All of the middle tier components are Java™-based. To interpret compiled Java™
code, Oracle® 9iAS makes use of the Java Virtual Machine.
In addition to exchanging information with Oracle® 9iAS, MapXtreme® for Java™ and
KavaChart exchange information with the data mart located on the third tier. For example,
by making use of the GIS data on Oracle® Spatial (on the third tier), MapXtreme® for
Java™ provides the map interface for the user via the web browser (the top tier, see Section
5.2e). Similarly, KavaChart creates charts and tables using the time-series data on Oracle®
Time Series (on the third tier). Just like the database server software, both MapXtreme® for
Java™ and KavaChart make use of the object-relational model.
The map interface provided by MapXtreme® for Java™ works through a process called
geocoding. This process assigns coordinate values (latitude and longitude) to the maps.
When the user chooses a particular point on the map, MapXtreme® for Java™ determines
the map coordinates referred to by the point, and then accesses the environmental informa-
tion from the third tier's data mart that covers those coordinates (Oracle® interMedia on the
third tier makes location queries possible by providing geometric locator services for the
user).
By placing already compiled, frequently used bits of Java™ code on the middle tier that are
accessed whenever needed, the SFWMD enables The Living Everglades web site to respond
more quickly to user requests and makes the entire software application easier to manage and
to further develop. Some of this code is organized and archived in libraries within the middle
tier. This organization method is better than having too much Java™ code on the HTML
pages themselves. The HTML for these web pages instead include a short Java™Script com-
mand that references the Java™ code in the middle tier libraries to perform a particular
action. This approach allows for flexibility in the user's choice of web browser since process-
ing is dependent on the application/web server instead of the user's particular choice of web
browser. The Java™ code libraries provide many services, including customized user inter-
-------
face presentation features, off-the-shelf server-side mapping application programming inter-
faces, database connectivity and query processing, server-side graphing, and HTTP response/
request services.
J2EE is the coordinating center for the entire middle tier. The SFWMD used J2EE to estab-
lish the connections between Oracle® 9iAS, MapXtreme® for Java™, and KavaChart. J2EE
makes the entire system work by allowing all of the different components to work together to
produce a result that can be transmitted to the user's computer via the web browser.
5.2d the Tier
The first step in creating the middle tier is to purchase the software components. The most
expensive software component is MapXtreme® for Java™, which can cost between $10,000
and $30,000, depending on the server. KavaChart (including source code) costs about
$1,000. You will at least need a trial development license from MapXtreme® for Java™ to
get started. When you license MapXtreme® for Java™, you can have as many development
licenses for it as you want as long as the licenses are not for production work. Oracle® 9iAS
also has a cost, but you can save money by substituting freeware server software such as the
Apache Tomcat servlet container (for more information, go to the Jakarta Project web site at
). Other middle tier components (such as frequently used
bits of custom-developed Java™ code) are available for free from the SFWMD to interested
government agencies.
After purchasing the software components, you will need the expertise of a software develop-
er to piece together the various components and then make sure these components can
receive commands from the client and obtain query results from the data mart. The software
developer will use application program interfaces (APIs) within MapXtreme® for Java™ and
KavaChart for program configuration and will then use J2EE to connect the various middle
tier components into a single working unit.
To create the web pages, you can use web development software such as Macromedia®
Dreamweaver®. The GUI for the web pages can be created using this web development soft-
ware, and the GUI for the map-based query feature can be created using ready-made compo-
nents within MapXtreme® for Java™. The web site design created by the SFWMD can be
given to other government agencies for their use for free.
Keep in mind that there are pros and cons associated with using software such as
MapXtreme® for Java™ or KavaChart since both require a large amount of custom coding.
Although this type of software allows for full customization of your product to meet your
needs, it can be expensive to maintain and document and requires more dependence on in-
house staff knowledge. Another option is to create your web site using a simpler, ready-made
web portal product. Web portals, which are web sites that provide a wide range of resources
and services, can give users the ability to create their own sophisticated web sites using easy-to-
use on-line tools.
To ensure the web pages are compliant with Section 508 of the amended Rehabilitation Act
of 1998, you will need to ensure all graphic elements contain embedded "alt tags" for visually
disabled users. These "alt tags" include descriptions of any pictures, charts, and maps that can
be heard by visually disabled users when accessed using specialized software.
-------
5.2e The Top Tier: The Presentation Layer
The presentation layer is the top tier. Through
the user interface such as a web browser, the
user can view and interact with the web pages
"served" to the user's computer (i.e., the client)
by the middle tier. The web pages are created
with HTML code as well as Java™Script and
Java™ Server Pages (JSP). The user accesses
the map-based query feature through the pres-
entation layer and is able to use the map query
GUI to send commands to the SFWMD's
data mart. The GUI captures user input neces-
sary to build a data mart query through maps,
time window selection, and data specifics. A
firewall exists between the presentation layer
and the middle tier for data security.
*H ••
5.2f Constructing the Top Tier
The presentation layer is created by all of the workings of the middle tier software. The user
will need to have a web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape version 4.7 or better) and a
computer with sufficient power to use the web site, especially the map-based query feature.
The Living Everglades site is structured in such a way, however, as to minimize the user's hard-
ware requirements while still providing excellent response time to user queries and commands.
5.3 Protecting the Software Application: Backups and Security
Issues
You will probably want to back up your software
application after you construct it. The SFWMD
backs up The Living Everglades site with:
• Daily incremental backups
• Weekly full file system backups
• Weekly Oracle® exports to removable media
The SFWMD also has a disaster recovery plan as
defined by its standard IT department practices. It
can restore from backups, but does not have a "hot"
site that it can "cut" to in case of hardware failure.
Security can be provided by constructing two firewalls: one between your archival database
and the data mart, and another between the client and the middle tier. In addition to con-
structing fire walls, the SFWMD retained a sufficient amount of redundancy in the software
application to address security issues. The SFWMD found that the main security concern it
had was from Java™Script, which tends to "expose" pathways to the server. To address this
concern, you can set up a development server inside the firewall to develop and test
Java™Script applications that are inaccessible to users and then use a separate production
server (also called a deployment server) to install Java™Script applications that are user-
accessible.
-------
The SFWMD learned a number of lessons when developing The Living Everglades web site.
The SFWMD recommends the following when constructing your web site:
• If possible, use only one IT company for both the data mart and the user interface.
The SFWMD hired one IT company to develop the data mart and a second IT company
to create the web site interface. Using different IT companies for each of these tasks
slowed down the development process. If two IT companies are necessary, be sure to facil-
itate the communication between all parties through explicit Statements of Work.
• Set aside funds for teaching staff new technology. The SFWMD did not realize that it
was required by its change control procedures (i.e., procedures to protect the information
security of in-house computer systems) to use in-house IT staff to implement the middle
tier technology in SFWMD's production environment. The SFWMD did not initially
budget for this and therefore needed to spend extra time teaching IT staff the new tech-
nology, performing coordination, and providing the desired oversight. The SFWMD
found it challenging to develop mentoring methodologies for agency staff for this new
technology.
• Take steps to avoid IT bottlenecks. The SFWMD encountered several IT bottlenecks
because it had difficulty obtaining a timely commitment of hours from SFWMD database
administrators and UNIX system administrators to perform certain necessary tasks. To
avoid this problem, the SFWMD recommends ensuring IT management and rank-and-
file employees commitment from the beginning, and not just the approval of executive
management. The SFWMD spent a lot of time educating IT management (four training
sessions in 2 years). Realize that your IT department will usually be very busy and under-
staffed and might experience staff turnover. Stakeholder interest (see Chapter 6) and feed-
back might refuel interest among upper management, who then can provide relief to
overburdened IT staff.
• Provide sufficient attention to web site content management to ensure resources are
used effectively and without redundancy. The SFWMD found that maintaining meta-
data for documents in the Oracle® interMedia portion of the data mart and linking these
documents to spatial features was a part-time job on a continuing basis for a content man-
ager. Web site content management is a new discipline and requires management atten-
tion to ensure resources are utilized effectively and without redundancy. The SFWMD
sees the data mart as a content management system. It notes that its data mart is comple-
mentary to commercial content management systems because it extends functionality that
is not part of any commercial package. On the other hand, the data mart does not replace
commercial content management offerings because such offerings have robust workflow
built into them to handle version control and approval.
• Address data security. The SFWMD data mart is created from documents and data
stored in different places and is backed up incrementally on a daily basis with a full
backup performed each week. If the database were lost or corrupted, it could be re-creat-
ed. For additional security, the database tables are "owned" by a single Oracle schema for
which password access is limited to a few key individuals. Also, all of the data tables have
public synonyms and the pseudo-user "public" has "read access" to all tables.
• Consider the pros and cons of using software consultants. Software consultants can
provide for faster development of sophisticated web sites and can bring new expertise in-
-------
house; however, they are generally more expensive per hour than in-house staff, and find-
ing consultants with an environmental background might be difficult. Although in-house
staff are usually less expensive per hour than consultants, there is always the risk of "staff
flight" after providing training on new technology. On the other hand, in-house staff
might become more dedicated to the project because they have had the chance to develop
the web site.
Budget extra time for deliverable review.
C1','.,.,,; ' ._•.-'"._ '.
In the initial phases of searching for qualified consultants to construct a web site similar to The Living
Everglades web site, the SFWMD recommends asking the following questions:
Oracle Database Administrator (for building the data mart):
• Are you an Oracle Certified Database Administrator?
• Do you have at least 4 years of professional experience? (practical experience is helpful)
Java™ Application Development (for writing the source code):
• Are you a J2EE Certified Programmer?
• Do you have at least 4 years of professional experience? (practical experience is helpful)
• What is your prior experience with Internet-based map servers such as MapXtreme® for Java™?
Database Programmer (for implementing the data mart):
• What is your prior experience with Oracle® Spatial? ',* ,—
• What is your prior experience with Oracle® TimeSeries?
• What is your prior experience with Oracle® interMedia?
-------
er 6—W ing With
It is important not to create your web site in isolation—you will need the input of stake-
holders and partners to ensure that your web site is both useful and user-friendly to all of
them. This chapter explains how to work effectively with stakeholders and partners. You
will learn why an implementing agency needs partners and stakeholders, how to identify and
recruit partners and stakeholders, and how to conduct the stakeholder process. A case study is
included at the end of the chapter showing how the SFWMD worked with one partner to
improve the project web site, train specific audiences how to use it, and ultimately promote
opportunities for the public to extract and view data.
6.1 What Are Stakeholders and Why Are They Important?
In general, stakeholders are people or organizations with a
particular interest or investment in a project. They can
include the intended audience and users of the project's
products, as well as those individuals who are supporting
a project (financially, technically, politically, or otherwise).
By definition, stakeholders are affected by the perform-
ance or outcome of a project, and therefore, many are
compelled to participate in the project's development.
Involving stakeholders in a project can help an agency
receive valuable direction and feedback as a project pro-
gresses. This input creates a more useful and better target-
ed end product, plus it saves time and money down the
road that might have to be spent to correct or revise the product. Stakeholder involvement
also is critical for building consensus and support for the finished product.
The Living Everglades web site project involved three distinct groups of stakeholders:
• Intended users of the web site, including educators, students, citizens, scientists, and
environmental groups. Restoring the Everglades is an endeavor that directly impacts the
citizens of South Florida, who are helping to subsidize the project through their tax dol-
lars; it is therefore critical that these individuals' perspectives and needs for the web site are
communicated and understood.
• Partners, or those intended users that are actively helping to make the project happen by
providing resources, specialized skills, or in-kind donations. Partners in The Living
Everglades web site included a variety of agencies and institutions, including colleges, local
government offices, and businesses.
• The media, including television stations and broadcasters, radio managers and broadcast-
ers, and newspaper publishers and reporters, who can help promote the finished product.
The SFWMD identified and recruited stakeholders and partners to participate in the design
phase of the project, as well as to assist with outreach, training, and promotion.
Chapter 6
-------
6.2 How Do You Identify and Select
Stakeholders and Partners?
When identifying stakeholders and potential partners,
consider the audience and purpose of your project.
Most likely, your audience and your stakeholders are
the same people. For example, your audience may be
defined by a geographic region, or by their profession
or investment in the project. Think about who is
going to use the finished product and who cares about
the information it will communicate. These considera-
tions will help you figure out who has a stake in the
outcome of your project and how you might involve
them.
Often, stakeholders are already organized in groups, such as government agencies, communi-
ty action groups, and educators, each with their own communication network. They have
regularly scheduled meetings or conference calls and use web sites, e-mail lists, and list
servers to communicate with one another. Tapping into
these networks can help you identify and reach more
stakeholders. If your organization has a Public
Information Department, be sure to partner with them
early and often.
The SFWMD's targeted audience includes the nearly 6 million peo-
ple who live in the 16-county region served by the district. Of those, 4.7
million live in Dade, Broward, Orange, and Palm Beach Counties. To reach
out to the students, educators, and citizens who live in this area, the SFWMD
coordinated with organizations that have existing networks in these counties—in
particular, the Florida Center for Environmental Studies (see Section 6.8 in this chapter
for more information on the stakeholder recruitment process).
Nj
The SFWMD maintains an ongoing partnership with scientists in the environmental
community who work with the agency's engineers and researchers to propose visual per-
formance measures for water quality and hydrologic data of the type that are housed in the
web site's data mart. The SFWMD tapped into this existing network and utilized it to for
review and comment in developing the web site's GUI.
6.3 How Do You Determine the Roles and Commitment of
Stakeholders and Partners?
Once you have engaged a group of stakeholders and partners, they must understand their
specific roles and commitment. Generally, a stakeholder's role is to represent the interests of
its respective group. The stakeholder's commitment is to clearly communicate its group's per-
spectives and comments to project developers, who in turn make adjustments to meet the
stakeholder's needs.
Partners are sometimes compensated for their efforts, or another arrangement is worked out
(see box on page 36). Becoming a partner requires a different level of commitment that is
worth documenting. A commitment letter or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are
ways to ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and expectations. A commit-
ment letter or MOU should spell out what each party will contribute to the project, outline
Working With Stakeholders and Partners
35
-------
"". -:;__" ,-_• ••_•'_
Partner commitment can take a variety of forms, includ-
ing the following:
• In-kind donations. An "in-kind" donation is a noncash
contribution of time, services, or goods by a donor to
support a project. In-kind donations are valuable in
building relationships and expanding your resource
capability, since you can reserve your cash to pay for
services that you haven't been able to get donated.
• Cost-share. Partners and the originating agency split
the costs of a particular project, such as developing a
curriculum.
• Donations. Partners provide monetary funds, which
are typically used at your agency's discretion.
• Compensated effort. A partner agrees to perform a
particular service or task and is compensated for its
effort by a specified fee.
measurable goals, establish specific time
frames, and delineate resource allocations or
in-kind contributions.
Partners in the development of The Living
Everglades web site played various roles,
such as collecting needed evaluation data,
assessing the user-friendliness and function-
ality of the site, and promoting the site
through advertising assistance (see box on
"Partner Roles" below).
In exchange for the services offered by part-
ners, the SFWMD provided regular updates
of the progress of its efforts and supplemen-
tal training to designated partner represen-
tatives. These representatives, in turn,
provided training to other staff, students, or
teachers who utilized the web site for
research projects, teaching assignments, and
other activities.
"" . -:;__"r_:. 'ij'-J TMW
The SFWMD worked closely with one partner, the Florida Center for Environmental Studies (CES),
located at Florida Atlantic University, to host workshops for potential web site users (stakeholders) and
to coordinate outreach and training to universities, community colleges, and K-12 educators. CES also
collected best practices from teachers and reached additional users through a list server for stakehold-
ers and EMPACT advertisements on its web site (see Section 6.8 at the end of this chapter for more
information on CES and its role in the project).
The SFWMD worked with a number of other partners to enhance and promote the web site, including
the following:
• Palm Beach Community College. Palm Beach Community College provided regular communica-
tion and feedback on improving the ease of use and functionality of the site.
• Palm Beach County of Environmental Resources Management (ERM). ERM worked with the
SFWMD's system designers to ensure the site's relevance and ease of use. The agency also provid-
ed advertising assistance, including providing a hotlinkto The Living Everglades web site from
ERM's homepage.
• Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District. This district provided feedback to the SFWMD
on the ease of use of The Living Everglades web site and suggestions for improving its functionality
for different stakeholder groups.
• Scientific Environmental Applications, Inc. This company assessed the web site for ease of acces-
sibility and education soundness.
-------
6.4 What Are the Benefits of
Forming Partnerships?
Partnerships should be mutually beneficial for both
the implementing agency and the partner. The
implementing agency benefits by involving part-
ners who can offer critical advice and feedback for
enhancing the project and ensuring its goals are
met. Involving partners in the development and
testing phase can often save resources that would
have to be expended later to "fix" a project.
Partners also help spread the word about the proj-
ect to potential users and can be instrumental in
actively advertising and evaluating the project,
thereby reaching greater numbers of the targeted
audience.
Partners benefit by playing an active role in a project's development. They get a chance to
offer their input and have their voices heard. They also gain valuable information and train-
ing to enhance their own programs and the opportunity to promote some of their work.
6.5 What Challenges to the Stakeholder Process Can You
Anticipate and Address?
Remember that your project will not be the sole responsibility or "job" of any stakeholder or
partner. Your organization, therefore, must make it easy for stakeholders and partners to ful-
fill their roles. Get feedback in an organized, convenient way, such as selecting the stakehold-
ers' preferred means of communicating—whether by e-mail, phone calls, faxes, or
face-to-face meetings. When meeting, choose meeting times and locations that are conven-
ient to the stakeholders involved. The meeting facilitator also should be organized, efficient,
and well-prepared.
Below are some general guidelines to consider when interacting with stakeholders:
• Ask project developers to attend stakeholder meetings. Communicating stakeholder
comments to project developers can often be difficult, since they do not always "speak the
same language." Face-to-face interaction allows stakeholders to express their comments
and concerns without third-party translation. Project developers see first-hand how users
interact with and respond to the project. By interacting directly with stakeholders, devel-
opers can resolve issues more easily.
• Keep stakeholders informed. Clarify expectations and commitments up front. Let them
know you appreciate their time and effort by carefully listening to their feedback. Once
they have offered input, communicate how you addressed their comments and keep them
informed of the project's status.
• Make it easy and enjoyable for them to participate. The SFWMD chose central loca-
tions and served lunch to its workshop participants to help them fit the 3.5-hour work-
shop into the participants' day (see Section 6.8 in this chapter for more information on
the workshops).
Working With Stakeholders and Partners
37
-------
• Be prepared. If your project is "in the works," provide a product that is usable enough to
solicit stakeholder feedback. For example, isolate one version of your web site that func-
tions well enough to be tested.
• Grant easy access. If your web site or database is not publicly accessible through the
Internet, you may have to assemble your stakeholders in one place to provide access to the
product. Another option would be to password-protect a web site or establish a file trans-
fer protocol and grant access to only stakeholders.
6.6 Will Be for
Once stakeholders have access to a working version of your project, you must decide how
you will interact with them. Do you want to interact with them one at a time, or would it be
more efficient to address groups at time? A number of formats are available, including indi-
vidual phone calls, workshops, conference calls, video conferences, meetings, web sites, e--
mail, and list server distributions. The most effective format depends on what resources you
have available, the number of participants, and the level of interaction you expect.
The SFWMD and its partner CES integrated stakeholder feedback, user training, and out-
reach into a workshop format. The workshop format allowed the SFWMD to address an
entire group of stakeholders at one time and grant direct access to the project. It also enabled
stakeholders to interact directly with the project's developers (see Section 6.8 for more infor-
mation). To reach more of the 16-county region, they recruited additional partners who
could use their own facilities to host the workshops.
When the stakeholder process is complete, you will have a usable project and a baseline of
targeted users. How do you maintain the process and continue to promote your resource?
If your project involves a web site or database, it will be accessed by users who will likely con-
tinue to have questions and comments. One way to track and respond to these comments is
to set up a section on the web site for submitting electronic questions. Users can post or e--
mail questions that you or even other users can answer. Compile frequently asked questions
and post them on the web site. This will save time and resources by not having to answer the
same questions over and over again.
Many times, the targeted audience of your project has great ideas about how to use your
resource, whether it's a database, web site, or other source of information. For example, the
SFWMD and its partners collected best educational practices from teachers involved in the
stakeholder process. These best practices include curricula, projects, and lessons that educators
created while teaching their own students about the changing health of the Florida Everglades.
Stakeholders and partners also can help you to continue to promote your web site after its
completion. By distributing information digests summarizing ecological analyses of data from
The Living Everglades web site to stakeholders and partners in many locations, the SFWMD
will effectively promote its web site to its audience.
The SFWMD has plans to contact the media to further promote and advertise The Living
Everglades web site. It expects to take this step when the web site has been fully tested and is
in working form. To reach an even greater number of stakeholders, the SFWMD will work
with the media to identify other public channels such as TV, radio, and newspapers.
-------
The SFWMD contracted with CES to host workshops for target audiences, including the
general public, teachers, and environmental professionals and scientists. CES recruited work-
shop participants, prepared training materials, facilitated the workshops, and gathered stake-
holders' comments.
Initially, CES facilitated and implemented three regional workshops for elementary, middle,
and high school teachers and other educators. The purpose of the workshops was to intro-
duce teachers to the web site, provide examples of how they can use it, explain origins of
data and resources, and link data and resources with the CERE
The SFWMD bundled together web site user training, stakeholder input, and outreach into
a single workshop format, with three goals in mind:
• Training. Availability of the data to the cooperating stakeholders will enhance educational
opportunities in the principles of environmental protection by augmenting existing edu-
cational programs throughout South Florida, such as the university system, the public and
private school systems, and environmental organizations.
• Outreach. The stakeholders will promote the web site as material for classroom projects
and discussions in which teachers and students learn about the Everglades ecosystem
health indicators.
• Stakeholder input. Cooperating stakeholders play an active role in developing the design
of the web interface. Stakeholders can:
— Provide design review of the web interface.
— Suggest the proper level of detail and user-friendliness.
— Propose appropriate graphic formats to convey environmental information for public
consumption.
— Aid in document selection and organization.
The SFWMD partnered with CES because of its unique qualifications. As part of the Florida
State University System (SUS), CES is sponsored by Florida Atlantic University, represents
11 universities, and acts as a facilitator and coordinator of research and training related to the
environment—particularly those programs addressing water-dominated ecosystems. As a
research and training facilitator and environmental education center, CES includes field
studies for students and professional development opportunities for educators, as well as
workshops, internships, and academic programs.
As a partner in developing The Living Everglades web site, CES agreed to fulfill the following
tasks:
• Train educators how to utilize The Living Everglades web site as a teaching resource.
• Collect information on "best practices" from teachers.
• Survey users and evaluate the utility of the web site.
-------
Identifying and Recruiting Stakeholders
To identify and recruit stakeholders, the SFWMD and CES advertised information about
The Living Everglades project and outreach program on web sites and sent e-mail flyers and
invitations to targeted audiences (see copies in Appendix D).
Promoting the Workshops
To promote the workshops, CES sent workshop promotional flyers and materials to science
coordinators of middle and high school students. In addition, CES promoted the workshops
electronically using the state's existing educational network and stakeholder networking. The
educational network includes county school boards and professional organizations such as the
Florida Association of Science Teachers and the League of Environmental Educators of
Florida. For example, CES reached secondary school science teachers by working closely with
county science coordinators and the Broward and Palm Beach County School boards. As part
of the SUS, CES also worked with its existing network of faculty and contacts. CES contact-
ed school boards and regional stakeholders network to promote the workshops and web site
to teachers.
Choosing a Location for Workshops
To select locations for workshops that would reach the greatest number of people, CES
sought population centers throughout the SFWMD's 16-county region. Within each strategic
region (which, in this case, included Orlando, Miami, and Ft. Myers), CES identified organi-
zations that had suitable facilities. To host a workshop, an organization had to have a com-
puter training facility with an adequate number of computers with Internet connections. In
many cases, CES worked with existing stakeholders to sponsor workshops or already had a
strong working relationship with suitable organizations through previous successful projects.
Assembling Workshop Tools
Before actually facilitating the workshops, CES invested time and effort in assembling the
tools it would need to effectively meet its outreach, training, and stakeholder goals. By invest-
ing this time and effort, CES optimized the time of attending stakeholders. (An agenda is
available in Appendix D.) The tools used in the workshop included:
• PowerPoint presentation. To kick off the meeting, the SFWMD used a PowerPoint pres-
entation to give an overview of the Everglades Restoration Project, the agency's role, and
the status of The Living Everglades web site.
• Draft web site. To effectively host a training session, CES needed a product from which
to work, which was a challenge since the web site was a work in progress. By working
closely with the software developers, however, CES established a working draft web site
and prepared it for stakeholder review by developing examples of queries and results on
the web page, and a help system and tutorial to guide the user in navigating the web page.
CES worked with developers to understand the current status of the draft web site. To
provide better feedback to the SFWMD, CES invited the developers of the web site to the
stakeholder meetings. This way, developers witnessed firsthand the interaction of users and
the web site and could make the most appropriate changes.
-------
Tutorial. To help initiate users, CES developed a tutorial to illustrate how to navigate the
site. The tutorial was made available on the draft web site. For the workshops, CES creat-
ed the same tutorial in PowerPoint and walked users through their first data request. In
addition, CES produced a comprehensive Users Guide that was used to help train users
about the complexities of the site and was distributed to all workshop participants.
Development worksheet. CES developed a web development worksheet as a tool for
attendees to critique the web site, provide suggestions for improvement, and list addition-
al resources they would like to see included. Stakeholders were asked to develop at least
three questions for the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of the web site. This task
helped the SFWMD and CES appreciate the web site from the users' perspective. The
worksheet also asked participants to develop three predefined queries, one for each of the
data parameters: water quality, hydrology, and weather.
-------
Appendix A: Schema for Data Me
The following schema, illustrated in this entity relationship diagram, shows the design and
interrelationships for the data mart for The Living Everglades web site.
The SFWMD will make the data mart schema available at no cost to all interested agencies
and organizations. Contact Brian Turcotte, 561 889-4794, or Marie Pietrucha, 561 682-
6309, for more information.
SECTKJKLQTR
SECTION_SUB_QTH
HORIZJ3ATUM
ALT_HORI?_DATUM
SECTIONJUB_J8UB_QTH
USER_OSID
DATE_CHEATED
42
Appendix A
-------
The following table list for the data mart for The Living Everglades web site describes the
characteristics and purpose of each data mart table and each field within each table.
The interrelationships of the tables is illustrated in the data mart entity relationship diagram
(Appendix A).
Media_Type_Master
This table would hold the different types of media/document details, such as their exten-
sions, type of document, and the software needed to access these media/documents.
media_type_id
media_type
media_extension
media_plugin_reader
media_URL
media_mime_type
Media_Agency
media_src_agency_id
media_agency_name
media_agency_contact
NUMBER 10 Primary Key Unique number given to the document type.
VARCHAR2 50 Not Null Description of type e.g.Word, Excel, Adobe, ram
etc.
VARCHAR2 6 Not Null e.g. .txt, .doc, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .avi, .ram etc.
VARCHAR2 200 MS-Word, Acrobat Reader, Real Player etc.
VARCHAR2 256 Column would contain the URL suggesting
where the Media Reader can be found for
download.
VARCHAR2 256 Mime Type for the particular file extension.
Useful to identify the Plug-in Reader for that file.
This maintains the Agency which digitized the Document. This is separate from
TS_AGENCY which stores the agency data who have collected the data.
VARCHAR2 4 Primary Key Unique number given to the agency which digi-
tizes the media/document.
VARCHAR2 50 Name of the Agency which digitized the docu-
ment.
VARCHAR2 50 Name of the contact person.
-------
Media_Master
media_id
media_type_id
media_title
media_date_creation
m ed ia_sta rt_d ate
media_end_date
media_ISBN
media_DEWEY_NO
media_Other_Ref_No
media_SFWMD_ref_no
media_physical_cabinet
media_project_no
media_hyper_link_File_path
media_quantity
media_unit_of_measure
media_summary
media_language
media_storage_code
media_batch_no
media_comments
media_image_text
media_complexity_No
Media_avi_flag
This contains the general attributes of a document/media
NUMBER 10 Primary Key Unique number given to the media/document.
NUMBER 10 Foreign Key This is the Foreign Key refers to
Media_Type_Master.
VARCHAR2 2000 Not Null Title of the Document.
DATE Not Null Data of Creation of the media/document.
DATE Not Null Start Data of Validity of the media/document.
DATE End Date of Validity of the media/document.
VARCHAR2 15 Reference Number.
VARCHAR2 15 Reference Number.
VARCHAR2 15 Reference Number.
VARCHAR2 15 Reference Number.
VARCHAR2 2000 Location - where the physical media/document
is located.
VARCHAR2 30 Project number for which the media/document
is related. This refer to Projectjd in SP_Projects
table.
VARCHAR2 256 Hyper link of the media/document, or Path of
the file.
NUMBER 15 The Quantity Example. No. of Pages, No. of
Floppy disks need to store the e-document, etc.
VARCHAR2 5 Ex. Pages, Mega Bytes, Slides etc.
CLOB The Executive Summary of the Document.
VARCHAR2 30 Language of the Document. Would be descrip-
tive such as English, Spanish etc. (International).
VARCHAR2 1 Not Null Storage code referring .. If the media is stored
in Oracle (O), or as a File (F) or is it a URL (U).
VARCHAR2 30 Reference No. which indicates the batch of digi-
tization given to the agency.
VARCHAR2 4000 General Comments.
VARCHAR2 4000 Any text related to that is related to a specific
Image, Audio or Video which is to be displayed
as the sub-titles.
NUMBER 1 Not Null 0 thru 9 will decide the complexity number for
the document. Default is 0. 0 is least complex.
VARCHAR2 1 Not Null T - for Text/Word/Excel/PDF documents, A for
Audio file, V for Video/animation files and I for
Image files.
-------
Media Text
media_text
Media AVI
This table would contain the Text documents.
media text id
media id
media sequence
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
7
10
3
Primary Key
Foreign Key
CLOB
Not Null
Unique number assigned to the Text Document.
This is the Foreign key to Media master table.
This column would hold the sequence number
for the media/document if that particular
media/document is split and needed to be
assembled during the display time.
The contents such as MS-Word, Text Files etc.
This table would contain the Text, Audio, Video Image files.
media avi id
media id
media sequence
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
7
10
3
Primary Key
Foreign Key
media avi
BLOB
Not Null
Unique number assigned to the Text Document.
This is the Foreign key to Media master table.
This column would hold the sequence number
for the media if that particular media is split
and needed to be assembled during the display
time.
All audio, video and image files, such as Bit
Map Files, GIFs, JPGs, MP3s, AVIs etc.
Media_AuthorShip
Has the details of the author worked on the media/document.
media Author id
media author name
media designation
media-Comments
Media New Old Name
media name id
media id
media new name
media old name
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
This holds the old
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
10
30
30
256
and new
10
10
256
256
Primary Key
names of the
Primary Key
Foreign Key
Unique number given to Authorship for
media/document.
Name of the Author.
Author's Designation.
Comments about the author.
media or the document.
Unique number for the name.
This is the Foreign key to Media master
New Name of the Document.
Old Name of the Document.
^m
this
^m
table.
Media_Keyphrase
media_key phrase
This table would hold all the keywords that would be used to identify a particular docu-
ment/media for display. Mostly used for Non-Text documents e.g. Audio, Video, etc.
NUMBER 15 Primary Key A Unique Key Assigned to the Key Phrase.
VARCHAR2 10 Foreign Key This is the Foreign key to Media Master table.
VARCHAR2 128 Not Null Phrase which would be useful for the search of
a document or media.
-------
Media_StopList
This table would hold all the keywords that would be used to identify the documents using
which the document/media should not be displayed. Mostly used for Non-Text documents
e.g. Audio, Video, etc.
stoplistjd
media_id
media_Stoplist
NUMBER 15 Primary Key Unique Key assigned to the Stoplist.
VARCHAR2 10 Foreign Key This is the Foreign key to Media Master table.
VARCHAR2 1 28 Not Null Phrase can be used to avoid the selection of the
documents/media for display.
Media_Syn_Hom
Syn_hom_id
media_id
media_Synonyms
media_homonyms
This table holds the synonyms or the homonyms of the media/document.
NUMBER 15 Primary Key Unique Key assigned to the synonym/homonym.
NUMBER 10 Foreign Key This is the Foreign key to Media master table.
VARCHAR2 128 Synonyms of media/document.
VARCHAR2 128 Homonyms for the media/document.
Media_Object
This is used to relate spatial data with Inter-Media. Used for searching document based
on spatial data.
media_id
Object_GID
Table name
NUMBER 10 Foreign Key This is the Foreign key to Media master table.
VARCHAR2 32 Foreign Key Refers to Media_master, SP_County, SP_Sites,
SP_Wetlands, SP_Landuse, SP_Projects,
SP_Water_Conservation, SP_Station,
SP_Preserves, SP_Political_County, SP_Highway,
SP_Parks, SP_Lakes, SP_Basin, SP_Canals.
VARCHAR2 30 Not Null The table name whose primary key is referred
in object_GID as foreign key. Should be vali-
dated from data dictionary.
SP_County
This table keeps track of the counties relevant to DBHYDRO.
Object_GID
County_name
Geom
County _fips
fips
dropped.
VARCHAR2 32
VARCHAR2 32
SDO GEOMETRY
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
Primary Key The Unique identifier of County.
Full name of county.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the County.
*FIPS code (001 -135)
*State FIPS code (1 2) This item could be
-------
SP_Political_County
Stores the Political Boundaries of a County. Used for query, not for display.
Object_GID
Geom
Fips County
County Abbr
County Name
SP_Basin
Object_GID
Basin name
Geom
SP_Lake
Object_GID
Lake Name
Geom
Poly_Code
Lake Type
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
32
3
2
32
Primary Key The Unique identifier of Political County.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Political County.
*State FIPS code (3-digit: 001-135)
*2-digit County Abbreviation.
"County Name.
This table keeps a list of the hydrologic basins relevant to SFWMD. These basins should
match those tracked in the District's geographic information system (GIS).
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
32
40
r
Primary Key The Unique identifier of Basin.
The full name of the hydrologic basin.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Basin.
This table stores data about lakes of South Florida.
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
32
50
2
6
Primary Key The Unique identifier of Lakes.
Full Name of the Lake.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the lakes.
This item will not exist.
This item will not exist.
-------
Canal Name
Geom
Length
Mews Class
Canal Type
Class
Alias
Verified
NRCS
Date_
Water
Bottom width
Top width
Depth
side slopel
side slope2
Highway Name
Geom
Length
Prefix
Highway Type
Suffix
STR_Code
ARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
ARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
50
9
12
20
6
25
3
10
11
3
5,2
5,2
5,2
3
3
50
9
2
4
2
2
rimary Key
Full Name of the Canal.
Spatial Component. Used to store
information for the Canals.
""Length of this REACH; Total canal
calculated by application.
""Unnecessary.
""Primary, Secondary, River, etc.
""Major vs. Minor.
""Alias Name for canal.
*??
*??
*??
*??
Bottom width of canal.
Top width of canal.
Depth of canal.
One side of slope.
Other side of slope.
rimary Key
Full Name of the highway.
Spatial Component. Used to store
information for the Highways.
the geometry
length to be
the geometry
""Length of this road segment; Total length to be
calculated by application.
*NE, SW, etc.
*ST, RD, AVE, etc.
*W, N, SE, etc.
* Relative size of road (i.e., Interstate vs. boule-
vard)
-------
Site
Site_Name
Geom
ARCHAR2
VARCHAR2 10
VARCHAR2 60
SDO GEOMETRY
rimary Key
Abbreviation for the site.
Full Name of the Site.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Sites.
SP Park
This table contains information about different parks of south Florida.
Object_GID
Park_Name
Geom
VARCHAR2 32
VARCHAR2 50
SDO GEOMETRY
Primary Key The Unique identifier of the Park.
Full Name of the Park.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Parks.
SP_Project
This table contains information about different projects of SFWMD e.g., Everglades
Nutrient Removal Project.
Object_GID
Projectjd
Project_Name
Geom
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
32 Primary Key The Unique identifier of Projects.
VARCHAR2 50
SDO GEOMETRY
Unique Key Refers to column Group_Name in TS_Group
table.
Full Name of the Project.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Projects.
SP_Preserve
Object_GID
Preserve_Name
Geom
This table contains information about different preserves for e.g. National Preserves.
VARCHAR2 32 Primary Key The Unique identifier of Preserves.
VARCHAR2 50 Full Name of the Preserve.
SDO_GEOMETRY Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Preserves.
SP Water_Conservation
Object_GID
Conservation_Name
Geom
This Table contains information about water conservation areas.
sra
31
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2 50
SDO GEOMETRY
32 Primary Key The Unique identifier of Water Conservation.
Full Name of the Conservation.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Wet Conservation.
-------
SP Wetland
This table contains information about wetlands.
Object_GID
Wetland Name
Geom
Attrib
Sys
Subs
Classl
Class2
Subcl
Subc2
H2O
Chem
Mod_
NWI_Env
NWI_Veg
NWI Codel
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
32
50
20
1
1
3
2
1
1
2
1
10
1
1
2
Primary Key The Unique identifier of Wetlands.
Full Name of the Wetland.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Wetlands.
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
*See NWI metadata
Geom
Flucs_Levl
Flucs_Lev2
Flues Lev3
ARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
VARCHAR2 3
VARCHAR2 3
VARCHAR2 4
rimary Key anduse
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the land use.
*See LU95 metadata
*See LU95 metadata
*See LU95 metadata
-------
SP Station
Station attributes.
Station
Site
Object_GID
Station_desc
Lat
Longitude
Traveljnfo
Landmsl
Submitting_agency
Huc_code
Station_Type
Horiz_control_date
Por_min_date
Por_max_date
Class
Section_qtr
Section_sub_qtr
Horiz_datum
Alt_horiz_datum
Section_sub_sub_qtr
Geom
User_osid
Date created
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
DATE
DATE
DATE
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
SDCM3EOMETRY
VARCHAR2
DATE
1 0 Primary Key
10 Foreign Key
32 Unique Key
78
9.3
9.3
2000
7.2
13
2
12
12
A common pneumonic by which to refer to the
location.
Name for general location of station (often used
to simplify plotting). Refers to SP_Site.
The Unique identifier of station.
Description of the location.
Latitude.
Longitude.
Information on how to get to the station.
Station elevation (ft msl).
Used to track the origin of the station record.
USGS Hydrologic Unit Code. HUCs are similar
to basins.
Used to track the nature of the environment in
which the station is located.
The date the location was determined.
Derived from the start date of all the time series
at this station.
Derived from the end date of all the time series
at this station.
Used to distinguish between water quality and
hydrologic stations or both. Valid values are
ALL, DTA, and WQ.
A Vi mile by Vi mile "square" within a given
section. These squares divide the section into
quarters.
1 Vi, by Vi, mile "square" within a given quarter
section.
Coordinate system for location information.
Should be NAD83.
Identification of alternate horizontal datum
(coordinate system). For practical purposes this
is NAD27 for all data. However, this design
allows for it to be any coordinate system.
1 1/8 by 1/8 mile "square" within a given sub
quarter section.
Spatial Component. Used to store the geometry
information for the Station.
Used for auditing changes to this table.
Used for auditing changes to this table.
-------
ARCHAR2
rimary Key single character that is indicative of the quali-
Description
VARCHAR2
45
The translation of the code into meaningful lan-
guage. For instance, a code of 'E' means the
value was Estimated.
TS_Date_Quality
Date_quality
Accuracy
TS_Frequency
Indicates Accuracy Of Time Stamp.
Freq_description
TS_Missing_and_Gap
Dbkey
Start_date
Code
End_date
TS_Daily_Data
Dbkey
Daily_date
Code
Value
Revision date
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
10
Primary Key A single character which is translated into some
amount of time by the associated "accuracy"
column.
The accuracy to which a given time stamp is
known +/- the amount of time show.
This table contains a list of the frequencies at which various time series are summarized.
VARCHAR2 2
VARCHAR2
20
Primary Key Abbreviation of the frequency (i.e. DA is for
Daily)
Spelled out description of the abbreviation.
Time series details for missing and not available data.
VARCHAR2
DATE
VARCHAR2
DATE
Daily Values Data.
VARCHAR2
DATE
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
DATE
Primary Key This columns refers to ts_keyword_tab.
Primary Key Starting Date the data was found missing.
Foreign Key This column refers to TS_code. Contains values
of M and N referring to Missing and Not
Available data.
Ending Date the data was found missing.
5 Primary Key This columns refers to ts_keyword_tab.
Primary Key Time series data: Oracle date data type with
hours and minutes portion equal to 0000.
1 Foreign Key A quality indicator that references the TS_code
table.
8.3
Time series data value.
Revision date for data. Code changed or value
changed.
-------
TS Random Data
Data Which Is Collected At Irregular Or Widely Spaced Intervals.
Dbkey
Random_date
Code
Date_quality
Value
Revision_date
Comments
Data.
VARCHAR2
DATE
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
DATE
VARCHAR2
8.3
50
Primary Key This columns refers to ts_keyword_tab.
Primary Key Date/time stamp for value.
Foreign Key Indicates quality or other attributes of value.
Refers to TS_code table.
Foreign Key Indicates date/time accuracy. Refers to
TS_Date_Quality.
Code changed or value changed.
General Comments about Random Sample
TS Comment
This table stores comments for sample data stored in table "sample".
Sampjd
Comments
TS_Recorder
pi
Recorder
Recorder_description
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
13 Foreign Key Identifies a discrete sample within a project.
Usually sequential numbers 00001 - 99999.
Refers to TS_Sample.
240
Comments for Sample Data.
Recording Device details.
VARCHAR2 4 Primary Key Abbreviation of the recording device.
VARCHAR2 70 Description of the abbreviation.
-------
Typejabel
Units
Usgs_param
Data_class
Storet_code
Geosys_code
Description
Test number
Ndec
Method
Subclass
Heading
Rep_units
Comments
TS_Statistic_Type
Statistic_type
Type_label
USGS Code
ARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
rimary Key
NUMBER
25
30
5
7
5
2
200
3
VARCHAR2 10
VARCHAR2 5
VARCHAR2 8
VARCHAR2 8
LONG
Statistical method used to report data.
The long name for the data type.
Units of measurement of the specific data type.
This attribute might more correctly be modeled
at the result or data record level.
The 5 digit code used by the USGS to indicate
the type of measurement.
This field has the value 'FLOW, 'STAGE',
WEATHER', or 'WQ' and provides for the sepa-
ration of datatypes into different disciplines.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
database alias for this particular data type.
Code used by Florida Bureau of Geology
GEOSYS system.
A description of the data type.
Test number is a SFWMD assigned identifier
used to supplement EPA STORET codes for
water quality data. Sometimes the EPA may not
have a STORET number for a given kind of
measurement so the SFWMD assigns a test
number in its place.
The number of places to the right of the decimal
point to which a given data type should be
reported. This attribute would more correctly be
modeled at the result or data record level. This
information is used in conjunction with the num-
ber of significant figures in the result.
The method by which a water quality sample
was analyzed to obtain the given result.
The text to appear as a column heading in stan-
dard output reports.
Units in which the value for this data type are
reported. The benefit of storing all data int he
same units is that the data can be readily com-
pared to one another without conversion.
Anything additional about this data type.
VARCHAR2 4 Primary Key Code for Statistic type.
VARCHAR2 30 Description of Statistic type.
NUMBER 5 USGS Code for Statistic type.
-------
TS_Key wo rd_Ta b
Table maintained by triggers on underlying DBHYDRO tables. This table feeds the search
engine for the database access program known as DBACCESS.
Dbkey
Data type
Frequency
Statistic type
Recorder
Agency
Station
Group name
Strata
Repnum
Gate no
Start date
End date
Rank
Slot no
Station desc
Lat
Longitude
Xcoord
Ycoord
Quad index
County
Basin
Town
Kw Range
Section
LandMSL
XY error
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
DATE
DATE
NUMBER
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
NUMBER
5 Primary Key The system assigned primary key for this table.
Dbkey is the unique identifier for each time
series (data set).
5 Foreign Key The short name for the data type. Refers to
TS_Data_Type table.
2 Foreign Key Abbreviation of the frequency (i.e. DA is for
Daily). Refers to TS_Frequency table.
4 Foreign Key Summary statistic (mean, min, max, etc.). Refers
to TS_Statistic_Type table.
4 Foreign Key Abbreviation of the recording device. Refers to
TS_Recorder table.
4 Foreign Key The agency responsible for the quality control of
the specific time series. This column references
tx_agency.
1 0 Foreign Key A common pneumonic by which to refer to the
location. Refers to SP_Station Table.
8 Foreign Key Group_name is used to refer to a group of
related stations. Refers to TS_Group table.
7.3 Distance above local ground elevation (feet).
2 Replication number: used to distinguish between
like groups.
2 Gate number.
Date at which data starts.
Date at which data ends.
1 Subjective ranking of time series reliability.
1 Slot number for slot gates.
78 Description of the location.
9.3 Latitude.
9.3 Longitude.
10.3 Florida state plane x-coordinate NAD83.
10.3 Florida state plane y-coordinate NAD83.
8 A system-assigned key based on latitude and
longitude.
3 Abbreviation for county.
8 The short name for the hydrologic basin.
2 Township.
2 Range.
2 Section. There are typically 36 sections to a
township-range intersection. Each section is typi-
cally 1 square mile.
7.2 Land surface elevation.
8.4 Error in state plane coordinates (ft).
-------
Elev error
Site
Alternate id
Usgs id
Station id
Sitejd
Struct type
Quad name
Lpno
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
8.4
10
15
15
8
8
4
40
3
Data_class
Horiz_datum
Program_type
Sample_type_new
Matrix
Collect method
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
12
5
5
5
Error in elevation (ft).
Name for general location of station (often used
to simplify plotting).
Identifier to the USGS database system.
Identifies sampling station for water quality data
points. Descriptions and geographical coordi-
nates can be found in table SP_station.
Unique Identifier assigned to the site.
The abbreviation for the structure type.
Quadrangle sheet name as given by the USGS.
Land Planning Number. A SFWMD internal
numbering scheme starting at 1.
This field has the value 'FLOW, 'STAGE',
'WEATHER', or 'WQ' and provides for the sepa-
ration of datatypes into different disciplines.
Coordinate system for location information.
Should be NAD83.
Separates normal monitoring activities from
results that are deemed "experimental" in
nature.
Keeps track of the kind of sample. This is espe-
cially useful for water quality data. This field is
called sample type new because of an effort
underway to make this attribute hold a single
piece of information. Previous use of the sample
type field allowed for several pieces of informa-
tion to be stored in one column. As part of
decomposing sample type, sample type new,
matrix, and collect_method were created.
The medium in which the water to be analyzed
is resident.
The method by which the water quality sample
was collected.
TS_Agency
Agency_Name
Contact_Person
Address
Phone
This table contains information about cooperating agencies and organizations who con-
tribute data to the database.
4 Primary Key The agency abbreviation used in the database.
3 Florida Dept. Of Environmental Regulation
Agency Code.
50 The full name of the cooperating agency or
organization.
30 Contact Person in the Agency.
60 Address of the Agency.
10 Phone.
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
-------
Group_desc
Manager
Division_name
Class
Username
Startdate
Stopdate
Activity code
Full_description
Mandate
TS_Remark
Remark_code
Remarks
rimary Key
70 Description of the Group.
30 Manager of the Group.
30 Division Name.
7 Allows for creation of views based on whether
this field is ALL', 'DTA, or 'WQ'. The projects
view excludes DTA groups.
30 The network userid of the group manager. This
is more appropriately implemented as a 1 :M
relationship and not a 1:1.
The beginning date of the group or project.
The end date of the group or project.
20 The Financial System activity code for water
quality projects.
A lengthy description for the group. For the
major water quality projects this text comes from
Richard Pfeuffer's technical publication.
8 For water quality projects the mandate indicates
whether the project is a Legislative Mandate,
Governing Board mandate, or special project.
Knowing the mandate allows for better prioriti-
zation of monitoring activities.
Comprised of one or more data qualifiers as applied by the lab or project manager.
ARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
DATE
DATE
VARCHAR2
Long
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
50
Primary Key Comprised of one or more data qualifiers as
applied by the lab or project manager. These
data qualifiers are approved by DER
General Comments for Sample.
-------
TS_Sample
This table contains test results for all samples which have been analyzed by the sfwmd lab
and from contract labs
Samp_id
Project_code
Stationjd
Depth
Date_collected
Discharge
Up_dwn_stream
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
DATE
NUMBER
NUMBER
1 3 Primary Key
Foreign Key
10 Foreign Key
7.2
Sample_type_new
VARCHAR2
Matrix
Weather code
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
5
2
Identifies a discrete sample within a project.
Usually sequential numbers 00001-99999.
Identifies project specific sample. Derived from
the project description. Eg. "Enrp" is the project
code for samples collected in the "everglades
nutrient removal project". Refers to SP-Projects.
Identifies sampling station for water quality data
points. Descriptions and geographical coordi-
nates can be found in table SP_Station.
Sample depth in meters. Surface samples have
"zero" depth as do samples for which depth is
unknown.
Date and time the sample was collected by the
field person.
A code indicating whether or not water was
flowing at the time of the sampling event and in
which direction it was flowing if it was flowing.
Indicates where a sample was collected with
respect to a control structure. If downstream
and flowing then higher turbidity may be
expected. Code are 0 = Undefined.
1 =Upstream, 2 = Downstream.
Keeps track of the kind of sample. This is espe-
cially useful for water quality data. This field is
called sample type new because of an effort
underway to make this attribute hold a single
piece of information. Previous use of the sample
type field allowed for several pieces of informa-
tion to be stored in one column. As part of
decomposing sample type, sample type new,
matrix, and collect_method were created.
The medium in which the water to be analyzed
is resident.
Weather conditions when sample was taken g.
0 = Undefined, 01 =clear skies, 02=slight over-
cast, 03 = medium overcast, 04=very overcast,
05 = drizzles, 06 = rain.
-------
TS Result
Contains the Test results of the Sample that was collected for given samplejd.
Samp_id
Remark code
Test number
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
1 3 Foreign Key
Foreign Key
Unique
Test_Name
Value
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
25
11.3
Units
VARCHAR2
Identifies a discrete sample within a project.
Usually sequential numbers 00001-99999.
Refers to TS_Sample.
Comprised of one or more data qualifiers as
applied by the lab or project manager. These
data qualifiers are approved by DEP. Refers to
TS-Remark table.
Numeric code used to identify individual tests
within the laboratory. Description with test
names and numbers can be found in table
wqdora.tests_done. Eg. 25=TP04 "total phos-
phorus".
Numeric field which contains the result analyzed
for a specific test. Descriptions with test names
and numbers can be found in table
wqdora.tests_done. Eg 25=TP04 "total phos-
phorus".
Contains the units in which a test value is
reported by the laboratory (SFWMD or contrac-
tor) eg. MICROG/L. Ideally, all units for a given
test should be reported the same. When a lab
gives us different units for a test it should trigger
a review of the value so we make sure the data
set is consistent with respect to units.
TS Results Comment
Contains comments for the test results and general comments for the Sample for given
samplejd.
Samp_id
Test number
Lab_number
Comments
Date_analyzed
Dtim entered
VARCHAR2
NUMBER
1 3 Foreign Key
Foreign Key
VARCHAR2
VARCHAR2
DATE
DATE
10
2000
Identifies a discrete sample within a project.
Usually sequential numbers 00001-99999.
Refers to TS_Results.
Numeric code used to identify individual tests
within the laboratory. Descriptions with test
names and numbers can be found in table
wqdora.tests_done. Eg. 25 = TP04 "total phos-
phorus". Refers to TS_Results.
LIMS number.
Comments for Sample data.
Date and time the sample was analyzed by the
field person.
Date and time the row was loaded into the
sample table.
""Comments provided by Mr. Matthew Hinton
-------
Cs
This appendix includes the instructions for creating the data mart for The Living Everglades
web site; however, if you plan to deviate from this data mart structure, this appendix will not
be enough by itself to allow you to create your data mart. In that case, your software consult-
ants will need to gain an understanding of the overall architecture of the data mart, which is
beyond the scope of this document.
Although these instructions are specific to the SFWMD's data mart, they contain informa-
tion that might prove useful to the IT specialists you have on staff and/or any software con-
sultants you hire to help you duplicate The Living Everglades web site.
The following are excerpts from "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March
2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
• Establish an easy-to-use data mart with essential elements derived from the existing DBHYDRO
database in a format that will support a web-based data mining application that integrates the
spatial and temporal aspects of the data.
• Use emerging database technology, compatible with the agency's relational database manage-
ment system, to implement a web-enabled data mart. The district's GIS will be a component of the
data mart.
• The combination of GIS and DBHYDRO will provide the basis for a graphical user interface (GUI)
that captures user input necessary to build a data mart query through spatial visualization (maps),
time window selection, and data specifics.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
• Create the data mart
• Migrate the data from DBHYDRO to data mart
• Migrate the interMedia from various sources to data mart
• Real-time data transfer from DBHYDRO to data mart after migration
• Real-time intermedia data transfer from various sources to data mart after migration
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
-------
• Hardware. Sun Microsystems Enterprise 220R server running Solaris 2.7 (2 UltraSparc-ll 450MHz
processors, 2Gb memory, 32x CD-ROM, 182Gb Sun StorEdge A5100 disk storage array)
• Software. Oracle® 8i Enterprise Edition, Oracle Jserver, Oracle Adv Security Option v8, Oracle
Partitioning Option v8, Oracle® Spatial Cartridge, Oracle® Time Series Cartridge, Oracle®
Intermedia, Oracle SQL*Plus 8.1.7. FME beta version Build 480.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
Novara has designed the transformation engine to create and implement the data mart.
This transformation engine consists of various components, and this chapter describes all in detail. It
contains configuration, creation, implementation, and migration scripts for spatial and time series,
and the intermedia front-end tool. This is physically divided into a directory structure, which takes care
of all the operations.
for
The directory structure contains the Time Series, Spatial, and InterMedia directories. Each of the directo-
ries again contains the sub-directories for SQL files, LOG files, and for spatial, it also contains FME files.
For naming convention and for simplicity, the following variable is used and is defined:
EMPACT_HOME
For simplicity, we will mention $EMPACT_HOME for reference but it should be treated according to the
operating system.
Under $EMPACT_HOME there are four sub-directories:
• Configuration
• Spatial
• TimeSeries
• InterMedia
Each sub-directory contains some files and directories, which are described in the following sections in
detail.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
-------
This section contains the information regarding the configuration of the data mart and describes the
scripts used to create the data mart and its objects and for the manipulation of the objects. The scripts
are located in the following directory:
$EMPACT_HOME/configu ration
This directory contains two subdirectories:
• CREATE_SQL which contains the scripts to create various objects in Data Mart
• MAINTENANCE_SQL which contains the scripts to drop the index, table or to truncate the data
from the objects.
Each file contains self-descriptive commands as well as comments and description to make it easy to
understand. For any of these files, the following is the syntax to execute them.
$Oracle_HOME/bin/sqlplus (USER_SPECIFICATION) @file_name
USER_SPECIFICATION consists of the username/password@Oracle_service_name format.
Example:
sqlplus empact/password@emond @empact_table.sql
Here I have omitted $Oracle_HOME/bin as that is in my system PATH.
CREATE_SQL directory
This directory consists of the SQL scripts used to create the data mart. The following files are in this
directory:
• empact_ts_devl.sql. This script contains the commands to create all of the tablespaces in the
EMOND (i.e., the development instance of the EMPACT data mart). You should execute this script
from SQL*Plus and not from Server Manager (svrmgrl) as it contains the PROMPT command. If you
want to use it from server manager, comment out the PROMPT commands.
• empact_ts_prod.sql. This script is the same as the above script except, this is for the production
instance (i.e., EMONP). All three instances contain the separate distribution of data files. For distri-
bution, they have $ORAD1 and $ORAD2 variables declared. Please make sure that you have
declared these parameters pointing to the proper file system before running the script.
• empact_ts_trng.sql. This script is the same as the above two scripts except it is for training and
testing the data mart (i.e., EMONT). All other descriptions are the same as the other two scripts.
• empactjjser.sql. This script contains the CREATE USER command for creation of the EMPACT user.
It also contains the commands to grant the privileges to this user.
• empact_resource.sql. This script contains the command to assign the resources (i.e., quota on the
tablespaces to the EMPACT user).
• empacMable.sql. This file contains the CREATE TABLE commands for all the tables of the data
mart. All the tables have their own tablespace and storage clause. If any of them is partitioned, it
has a partition clause or if IOT (Index Organized Table) then it has an IOT clause. Storage clause is
estimated from the current size of database.
• empact_index.sql. This script contains the commands to create the indexes for all the tables
defined above. Some special parameters and tablespace and storage clause consideration is also
inc u e ' continued on next page
-------
continued from previous page
• empact_constraint.sql. This script contains the constraint clauses for all the tables of the data
mart. This file contains constraints other than PRIMARY KEY and NOT NULL, which are already
covered by the empact_table.sql script.
• empact_view.sql. This script contains the commands for creation of the data mart views.
• empact_sequence.sql. This script contains the commands to create the sequences used for the
data mart.
• empact_im_index.sql. This script contains the "PREFERENCES" and index creation commands for
InterMedia indices.
Source; User Guide, Data Mart," 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
For detailed description of each of these steps and scripts, refer to the configuration section where the
scripts are defined and described.
1. Create the data mart by using db_? Scripts that are standard to the SFWMD. Make sure to check
the log after creation. If the log is clean and there are no errors, then go to the next step.
2. Add user EMPACT with the privileges by executing the following script:
sqlplus system/password @empact_user.sql
3. Create the tablespaces according to the instance you want to create. Choose the proper script for
that instance. Make sure to check the log after creation. If the log is clean and there are no errors,
then go to the next step.
4. Assign the quota on these tablespaces (unlimited) to the EMPACT user by executing the following script:
sqlplus system/password @empact_resource.sql
5. Create the tables using the empact_table.sql script. Make sure to check the log after creation. If the
log is clean and there are no errors, then go to the next step.
6. Create the sequences using empact_sequence.sql script. Make sure to check the log after creation.
If the log is clean and there are no errors, then go to the next step.
7. At this stage, do not create the indices and also do not run the script for constraints. This can cause
performance problems for the data transfer.
8. Run the scripts for Spatial. Go to the $EMPACT_HOME/spatial and run the script "trans_fme.bat".
If there are problems running the full script, edit the script and place the rem before the wetland
and landuse commands (starting with the "for" command). Run one by one the components by
altering the rem against the "for" commands.
trans_fme.bat empact novara emond
Give the proper username, password and Oracle service name if it is changed. Make sure to check
the log after creation. If the log is clean and there are no errors, then go to the next step.
9. Run the script for station and site by running "trans_sql.bat" from the same directory.
trans sql.bat empact novara emond . .
continued on next page
-------
continued from previous page
Give the proper username, password, and Oracle service name if it is changed. Make sure to check
the log after creation. If the log is clean and there are no errors, then go to the next step.
10. Run the Scripts for Time Series data transformation.
11. Run the script for constraints, (i.e,. empact_constraint.sql) by giving the following command
Sqlplus empact/password@emond @empact_constraint.sql
12. Run the script for indices to create the index (i.e., empactjndex.sql) by giving the following commands
Sqlplus empact/password@emond @empact_index.sql
Sqlplus empact/password@emond @empact_im_index.sql
13. Run the script to create the views of the data mart by giving the following command.
Sqlplus empact/password@emond @empact_view.sql
14. Check the log files at all the stages and make sure the creation process is clean. Take the back-
up at this stage. You are ready with the EMPACT database instance.
MAINTENANCE_SQL directory
This directory contains the scripts for maintenance of the data such as dropping objects or deleting
data, etc.
The following are the files in this directory:
empact_drop_table.sql. This script contains the commands to drop the tables from the data mart.
The sequence of dropping objects is important here. If you modify this script, make sure the integrity is
maintained, as it is necessary to drop the tables otherwise it will give you an error.
empact_drop_index.sql. This script contains the commands to drop the indices from the data mart.
This script is useful when you want to rebuild the index of the data mart.
empact_flush_table.sql. This script contains the commands to delete the data from all the tables. As
with the empact_drop_table.sql script, the sequence of command is important here too. If you modify
this script make sure to maintain this sequence otherwise it will give an error.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart/' March 2001, Novara Cornp Services, Inc.
-------
For the backup of the Empact database instances the following script is provided.
empact_hot_backup.ksh
This is UNIX script and is created to take the hot backup of EMPACT database instances. The instance
name is passed as a parameter at the runtime of this script. The script takes the Tablespaces in backup
mode all at one time because there will be no transaction—this is a data mart and transactions will be
done through the scripts only and those are scheduled. Some variables defined in this script must be
declared first in order to execute this script properly. You can schedule the execution of this script at night-
time when the hit for the queries are less. Before executing this script, make sure that the database
instance is in ARCHIVELOG mode otherwise the script will generate an error. The script copies the files to
file system and then once the files are copied and tablespaces are taken online, it compressed those files.
Example:
i
empact_hot_backup.ksh emonp > empact_hot_backup.log
This command will take the backup of emonp instance and will store the output to empact_hot_back-
up.log file which should be in /Oracle/local/log/ directory and after finishing the script, it will be e-
mailed to all the DBAs of district.
Source: User Guide, Data Mart," 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
1 .
This contains two types of transformations, one is based on FME and one uses SQL*Plus. FME trans-
formation is provided by means of mapping files, which are described in detail later in this section.
SQL transformation is in the form of SQL scripts. The data and information coming from ESRI Arclnfo
or ESRI export format is migrated using the FME mapping files while the information and data coming
from WREP and DCVP databases (e.g., for station and site) are migrated through the SQL script which
is also described in detail later.
Note: You must run the FME mapping files and related scripts only on the computer where FME
(Feature Manipulation Engine, provided by Safe Software URL: http://www.safe.com) is installed. Also
check the connectivity with Oracle using SQL*Plus or any other tool that you use to connect to Oracle.
FIE Files
FME mapping files are located in the following directory:
$ EMPACT_H OME\spatia l\f me
The following is the list of features whose mapping files are in this directory along with the file name:
1. County $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\county.fme
2. Basin $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\basin.fme
3. Lake $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\lake.fme
4. Park $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\park.fme
5. Water Conservation Area $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\wca.fme
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6. Canal $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\canal.fme
7. Preserve $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\preserve.fme
8. Highway $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\highway.fme
These files contain the mapping information required to transfer the DATA from Arclnfo to Oracle
Spatial.
The following features have their own directory:
1. Land Use $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\landuse
2. Wetland $EMPACT_HOME\spatial\nwi
Each directory contains separate mapping files for the listed feature for each of the counties within the
South Florida Water Management District (e.g. landuse has 15 different files for 15 counties for the
land use feature)
Again the land use feature's mapping files are used to migrate the data from ESRI Arclnfo coverage to
Oracle® Spatial while the Wetland feature's mapping files are used to migrate the data from ESRI
Export (eOO) format files to Oracle® Spatial. This is because, due to the large amount of data we are
transferring, a lack of performance and when we tried using export format, it was increased signifi-
cantly hence we have used this format for Wetland coverage.
IMPORTANT
The following procedure is to be done because the data for land use of Palm Beach County was giv-
ing the Oracle internal error when the FME was used. We have contacted FME regarding this but are
still awaiting for the reply. Once you receive the new build of FME solving this problem, you can use
following file to translate the data using FME.
D:\SFWMD\migrate_scripts\FINAL\spatial\fme\landuse
This directory contains the following files:
shp2sdo.exe
This is an executable file which is used to generate the three files, .sql, .dot and ctl files for creation of
object, data file and SQL*Loader control file.
command syntax:
shp2sdo -g
-i -n -d
-x (,) -y (,)
= name of the shapefile to convert (do not include the .SHP suffix)
= name of the output layer and prefix for the generated output files
= name of the geometry column in the output table
= name of the id column
Xmin, Xmax, Ymin, Ymax: layer dimensions. If not specified, then the actual bounds of the shape file
are used
Example:
shp2sdo G:\landuse\lul995\pblu95 Iu95_pb -i objjd
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and it will generate the three files
Iu95_pb.sql which contains the DDL command to create the table
Iu95_pb.ctl which is the control file
Iu95_pb.dat which contains the data
All these files are included in this directory.
Then run the following command:
sqlplus empact/password@emonp @lu95_pb.sql
It will create the table. Here you can give the different username password specifications. After that
run the following command:
sqlldr empact/password@emonp control = lu95_pb.ctl data = lu95_pb.dat
and it will insert the data in the above created table. After running this, run the script
landuse_of_pb_trns.sql to pull this data into the SP_LANDUSE table by giving following command:
sqlplus empact/password@emonp @landuse_of_pb_trns.sql
Then you can delete the table LU95_PB created by the above procedure.
Full
For all the above features, the mapping files are provided and also the master script using DOS com-
mands is provided by NOVARA. You must use the DOS batch file for most of the cases where you
want to transfer all the data.
The name of the script (DOS batch file) is as follows:
$ EMPACT_H OME\spatia l\tra ns_f me. bat
This dos batch file requires the following syntax:
trans_fme.bat (username) (password) (Oracle_service_name)
trans_fme.log
Note: for most of the cases, when you want to translate the data, use the above command only. A
separate command for each feature listed later in this section is not advisable, as it will not maintain
the data integrity of spatial data.
lion
The above file contains the commands to execute the fme.exe file using the mapping files described
above. That is used for full translation while if you want to migrate a selective feature, there are two
methods described below:
Command mode can be used in the command window and it requires some parameters as given
here:
fme.exe (mapping_file_name) —_Oracle_UserName (username) —_Oracle_Password (password) —
DestDataset (Oracle_service_name)
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GUI lode:
The mapping files also give you the capability to run it in GUI mode and give the parameters interac-
tively. For this, open Windows Explorer, go to the directory where the mapping file is, right click on the
file and click on "FME: Translate" option. It will open the FME window and will ask for the parameters.
The parameters description is as follows:
• Coverage Directory. This parameter requires the directory and file name in which the Arclnfo data is.
• Minimum X. Enter the minimum X coordinates of the boundary of the feature.
• Minimum Y. Enter the minimum Y coordinate of the boundary of the feature.
• Maximum X. Enter the maximum X coordinates of the boundary of the feature.
• Maximum Y. Enter the maximum Y coordinate of the boundary of the feature.
• Username. Enter the Oracle User Name.
• Password. Enter the Oracle Password. It won't display on the screen for security purposes.
• Service Name. Enter the service name of the Oracle instance in which you want to migrate the
data. Again, before giving all these three parameters, first check and make sure that the connectiv-
ity is there.
Once you give all the parameters and click on the OK button, the translation will start. At this stage, if
you want to cancel the translation, you can by clicking the CANCEL button on the window. For source
directory, make sure the specified drive and directory exists and you have a read permission on them.
If you want to browse and select the directory, you can do it by clicking on the ARROW button on the
right side of the text box of the directory.
Default for all the parameters are given but you can modify them. Also, the parameters Minimum X
Minimum Y, Maximum X and Maximum Y do not have any impact as it is not overwritten on the one
which we have given in the creation script. So if you want to actually modify, go to the table creation
script and modify the parameters and run that.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart/* March 2001, Novara Cornp Services, Inc.
-------
In this section, the command and parameters are provided which are used in the FME mapping files.
Note: It is not advisable to edit the commands with the comments "Do Not Delete the Following"
unless and until you refer to the AAANUALS of FME.
• GUI. With this command you can display and prompt for the variables and titles. Following are the
options available and the syntax of that.
• TITLE. Used to display the title of the window of GUI. Example: GUI TITLE County DATA Translation
- SFWMD.
• INTEGER. Used to prompt for the integer type of variable. Note: In the example, "Dimension:" is
the prompt to display. Same is for all the following commands Example: GUI INTEGER
_Oracle_Dimension Dimension.
• FLOAT. Used to prompt for the float type of variable. Example: GUI FLOAT _Oracle_Minx Minimum X.
• CHOICE. Used to display the list box from which the user has choice to select. Example: GUI
CHOICE _Oracle_lndicies Yes%No%lncremental Create Indicies.
• TEXT. Used to prompt for the text type of variable. Example: GUI TEXT _Oracle_UserName User
Name.
• PASSWORD. Used to prompt for the password type of variable (* will be displayed at the time of
keystrokes). Example: GUI PASSWORD _Oracle_Password Password.
• DEFAULT_MACRO. Usually this is used in combination with GUI, to specify the default value of that
particular variable. Example: DEFAULT_MACRO _Oracle_UserName empact.
• LOG_FILENAME. With this command, you can specify the log file where the log will be generated
for particular mapping file. Default is same as the mapping filename with extension .log. Example:
LOG_FILENAME ./log/county.log.
• LOG_APPEND. Here you can give YES or NO. if you give YES, the next time you run the transla-
tion, log will be appended to the log file otherwise original log file will be deleted and new log will
be generated. Default is "NO". Example: LOG_APPEND NO.
• READER_TYPE. This is the command where you can specify the reader type i.e. format of the source
file (e.g., EDO for ESRI export format, ARCINFO for ESRI Arclnfo coverage etc.) Example:
READER_TYPE ARCINFO.
• WRITER_TYPE. This command is to specify the writer type (e.g., Oracle for Oracle relational model,
Oracle® 8i for Oracle objects relational Model etc.) Example: WRITERJTPE Oracle® 8i.
• Oracle8l_SERVER_TYPE. This command is used to indicate which format the data should be trans-
lated into (either relational or object) Default is Oracle® 8i.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
-------
FME mapping files are separated in two sections. One section consists of the definition and assign-
ment of values to the variable and set the environment for the translation in which the above men-
tioned commands are used. The other section consists of the mapping of source attributes to the
destination attributes as well as the parameter and variables we have defined in the previous section.
The Mapping Definition section consists of the definition of source and destination objects and the
relation between the attributes of source and destination.
Full description of the mapping section is out of the scope here, but for that you can refer the FME
documentation. However some understanding and the entries we have made is described here.
Following is the listing from mapping file:
ARCINFO_DEF DBASINS_poly
DBASINS_ binint
BASIN char(25)
In this section, the source object description is given. First line indicates the reader type (i.e., ARCIN-
FO) and the name of the source object (i.e., DBASINS_poly), followed by the definition of attributes for
that object.
Oracle8l_DEF SP_BASIN
Oracle_model object
Oracle_create_indices $(_Oracle_lndicies)
Oracle_index_commit_interval $(_Oracle_lndexCommitlnterval)
Oraclejevels $(_Oracle_Levels)
Oracle_numtiles $(_Oracle_NumTiles)
Oracle_min_x $(_Oracle_Minx)
Oracle_min_y $(_Oracle_Miny)
Oracle_max_x $(_Oracle_Maxx)
Oracle_max_y $(_Oracle_Maxy)
Oracle_dim $(_Oracle_Dimension)
OBJECT_GID varchar2(32)
GEOM geometry
BASIN_NAME varchar2(40)
In this section of mapping, the writer type is defined (i.e., Oracle® 8i) in this example followed by the
object name in which the data will be transferred (i.e., SP_BASIN) here.
The first 10 parameters pertain to the metadata of the spatial and index creation and the rest of the
three are the definition of attributes of the object.
ARCINFO DBASINS_poly
eOO_type eOO_poly
DBASINS_%DBASINS_
BASIN %BASIN
In this section, the value of source attributes is assigned to the variable qualified by %.
Oracle® 8i SP_BASIN
Oracle_type Oracle_area
OBJECT_GID ©Concatenate ("13", %DBASINSJ
BASIN_NAME %BASIN
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continued from previous page
In this section the value assigned to the variable is now reassigned to the destination attributes. Here
we can use the functions to manipulate the source value. In above example, the value of DBASIN_
variable is concatenate with "1 3" (i.e., constant) used for the basin coverage.
Note: All the coverages have one unique constant assigned in the EMPACT data mart.
If you have more questions regarding this, please refer to the FME documentation manual.
Source; "EMPACT User Guide, Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
for Data
Time series data comes from DBHYDRO. We are migrating the data as per the selected tables.
First we will migrate the master table data then child tables.
The following are the master tables:
DM_AGENCY,
DM_FREQUENCY,
DM_REC ORDER,
DM_STATISTIC_TYPE,
DM_GROUP,
DM_CODE,
DM_DATE_QUALITY,
DM_DATA_TYPE,
(Note: We are filtering the 32 data types while migrating it to EMPACT. TS_VALID_DATATYPE is
designed to store the valid data type for the ease of maintenance).
And the following are the transactions:
KEYWORDJAB:
DM_MISSING_AND_GAP
DM_DAILY_DATA
DM_RANDOM_DATA
Water quality data tables:
SAMPLE:
COMMENTS
This migration procedure is divided into a few steps:
1. One time Full Migration for all the master, transaction and water quality data
2. Weekly (or regular time interval) update of transaction tables that takes care of new insertion,
updates and deletions
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
-------
for
• Step 1. First of all run the script for the master table that will migrate all the master table data
using Sql*plus. This will migrate all master data from DBHYDRO into the EMPACT data mart. Here
all the data is migrated based on direct insert statement. Each and every master table script run by
this script will create log file in the log directory. This will help to find successful operation or failed
one. The following are the tables that will be migrated using this script. DM_AGENCY, DM_FRE-
QUENCY, DM_RECORDER, DM_STATISTIC_TYPE, DM_GROUP, DM_DATA_TYPE , DM_CODE,
DM_DATE_QUALITY. Run the ts_migrate.sql script
• Step 2. Then transfer the data for keyword tab table using ts_keyword_tab.sql. This script will filter
the 32 data types decided in design phase and migrate in to ts_keyword_tab table. The lookup
table for this 32 data type is TS_VALID_DATATYPE. Run the ts_keyword_tab.sql script (USAGE
@ts_keyword_tab ) This is a dedicated transaction to rollback segment RBS_LARGE.
• Step 3. The next step is to transfer the data for ts_missing_and_gap table using
Ts_missing_and_gap.sql script. Run the ts_missing_and_gap.sql script (USAGE
@ts_missing_and_gap.sql). This is a dedicated transaction to rollback segment RBS_HUGE.
• Step 4. Transfer the data for ts_random_data using ts_random_data.sql script. Run the ts_ran-
dom_data.sql script (USAGE @ts_random_data).
• Step 5. Transfer the data for ts_daily_data table using ts_daily_data.sql script. Run the
ts_daily_data.sql script (USAGE @ts_daily_data). This is a dedicated transaction to rollback seg-
ment RBS_LARGE. This is a big transaction. So, we have created rollback segment RBS_LARGE for
this transaction. Its size is 600 MB.
• Step 6. Water quality data. Run the ts_Remark.sql script (USAGE @ts_remark.sql). Run the ts_sam-
ple.sql script (USAGE @ts_sample.sql). This is a dedicated transaction to rollback segment
RBSJHUGE.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
on
Follow the steps to update the EMPACT data mart at regular intervals
Use the following script to keep track of deleted data into DBHYDRO and deleting the same from
EMPACT at regular intervals. Run the script ts_deleted_data.sql for keep track of deleted data in
DBHYDRO (Usage @ts_deleted_data). This is a dedicated transaction to rollback segment RBSJHUGE.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
Please refer to the Oracle® Intermedia user's guide and reference manual.
Source: "EMPACT User Guide, EMPACT Data Mart," March 2001, Novara Comp Services, Inc.
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Ill'
SFWMD B50 Building
NT PC Training Room
January 30, 2002
Objective of the Workshop: To obtain specific stakeholder review, feedback, and
contributions for improving the site, as well as the training workshop format.
Noon Arrival and lunch
1:00 Brief updates on project (Big picture - Brian Turcotte, SFWMD)
1:30 Overview of site design changes (Trudy Morris, SFWMD)
2:00 Discussion and suggestions from stakeholders
2:30 Pilot Training Workshop (Loisa Kerwin & Alana Edwards - CES)
• Spring training workshops schedule and partners
• Overview of watershed
• Demonstration of tools to enhance research & education projects
• Tutorial on data retrieval and application
• Learn how to build your own profile
3:00 Participants navigate the site
Complete worksheet questions
Complete workshop evaluation
3:20 Wrap-up comments
3:30 Thanks and departure
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EMPACT: Environmental Monitoring Public Access & Community Tracking
Jhe
nnd of
Ecosystem"
Web Site Development
Worksheet
Date:
The objective of this workshop is to obtain feedback and constructive suggestions for improving
EMPACT's The Living Everglades web site. Please remember that the web site is still a prototype under-
going design changes. Your feedback is critical to the success of this project. Please take a few min-
utes to give us some insight and your perspective by providing some information that can be used to
improve the site.
Remember that the site should be easy to use, yet informative and interesting for a wide range of
audiences including the general public, teachers, environmental professionals, and the media. The
site is now undergoing design changes that will improve these characteristics:
• Artistic and creative aspects
• Lay out and user-friendliness
• Ease of navigation through site, and
• Outlining the types of data accessible.
1. Please help us to improve The Living Everglades web site by offering constructive suggestions. First,
clearly indicate the section of the site, and then list the change or additions that would improve the
section indicated.
2. Please list any web resources that you want to be certain are linked to The Living Everglades web site.
3. In the Everglades Information section there are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Please develop
at least two FAQs questions that a new user to the site would ask in order to gain more back-
ground knowledge about the The Living Everglades. For example, "What agencies are responsible
for the restoration of the Everglades?"
-------
4. In the Obtaining Data sections, there are "predefined queries" that are statements used to focus a
data search. Please develop three predefined queries, one for each of the data parameters: water
quality, hydrology and weather. To help ensure that there are predefined queries addressing all 1 6
counties, please develop queries that are specific for your geographic region.
The query must specify a time range, location and data parameter in order to retrieve and graph the
requested data. An example of a new query could be: "Average monthly water levels for Lake
Okeechobee in the years 2000-2002".
5. Which topic in the Fun section of The Living Everglades web site did you find most interesting -
Coloring Books, Games, web Post Cards or Fun web Links? How could this section be improved?
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*•'•& '.I ;?;r?G5j
This evaluation form is a review of the training workshop format and facilitators, not the web site, as
the site is still under development. In your opinion, please respond with a score within the range of
1-5, with 5 indicating the highest score and 1 indicating the lowest score. Please fill in the blanks for
the open-ended items.
Strongly agree (5), Agree (4), Neither agree nor disagree (3), Disagree (2), Strongly disagree (1)
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
1. The facilitator had a strong understanding of the topic.
2. The facilitator(s) were organized and well prepared.
3. The specific objectives for this workshop were clearly stated and
accomplished in a clear, sequential manner.
4. The tutorial was clear and understandable.
5. The workshop clearly demonstrated the applications available on the
web site.
6. The workshop allowed sufficient time for independent navigation of the
web site.
7. The workshop allowed sufficient time for completion of the worksheet.
8. The training workshop was valuable to me in order to learn the
potential applications of the web site.
9. I will be willing to host an EMPACT training workshop for my
organization.
1 .The best features of this training were:
2.Areas for improvement in the training workshop:
12. Please list any other comments, suggestions, requests, or concerns:
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Es
i
Water management is the primary challenge facing the Everglades. Thousands of acres of the
original Everglades have been drained, developed, or farmed, and a complex system of water
controls divert water from the Everglades. Additional stresses include pollution, introduction
of non-native species, species loss, and habitat loss.
A decades-long, $8 billion effort is currently underway to restore the Everglades, which is
being funded by both government monies and taxpayer dollars.
In 1992, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was authorized to develop a comprehensive plan
to restore and preserve South Florida's natural ecosystem, while enhancing water supply and
maintaining flood protection. The resulting Central and South Florida Project
Comprehensive Review Study—commonly called the Restudy— culminated in the develop-
ment of a Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The CERP was submitted to
Congress in April 1999 and approved in December 2000. The CERP is the "road map" for
restoring and protecting the Everglades.
The CERP is part of a larger effort to restore the Everglades ecosystem and provide for a sus-
tainable South Florida. This larger effort is being developed under the direction of the South
Florida Ecosystem Task Force by federal, state, local, and tribal leaders. The task force is
focusing on bringing together over 200 restoration projects under one framework.
in
The SFWMD's mission is to manage and protect South Florida's water resources by balanc-
ing and improving four major elements: water quality, flood control, natural systems, and
water supply. The SFWMD's main responsibility is operating and maintaining the Central
and Southern Florida Flood Control Project, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
harness the water resources of South Florida. The project consists of 1,800 miles of canals
and levees, 200 water control structures, and 16 major pump stations.
To implement the CERP, the SFWMD is collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to provide the right
amount of water and the right flow conditions to the Everglades while providing water for
urban and agricultural needs for a 50-year population projection. To complete this task, the
SFWMD and its partners are developing new management tools, conducting scientific and
economic studies, carrying out public outreach activities, and implementing engineering
projects.
4 of tie
The SFWMD collects data on water quality, hydrology, and flora/fauna species distributions
from individual research projects and approximately 6,000 monitoring stations throughout
South Florida. Some examples of the many types of data collected include water pollution
-------
and salinity data, water flow, inundation patterns, species population and nesting data for
wading birds, and plant spatial coverage data.
The SFWMD also manages environmental reference documents on the goals and status of
Everglades restoration projects, geographic information system (GIS) data that map and
describe the features of South Florida, and audio and video files that provide a closer look at
the wildlife and water resources of the Everglades.
5
By accessing the SFWMD's comprehensive environmental measurement data, the general
public will be able to determine the current health of the Everglades ecosystem. Water quality
and hydrology measures describe the quality of wildlife habitat and the suitability of water
and wildlife resources for human consumption. By comparing the Everglades restoration
goals outlined in the SFWMD environmental reference documents to available data describ-
ing the current status of the Everglades ecosystem, the general public can assess the progress
of restoration projects.
Users can access The Living Everglades web site through the SFWMD's home page at
.
Through the map-based query option, users can access data on water quality and hydrology
in the Everglades ecosystem, environmental reference documents, and audio and video files.
Biological data will be made available once CERP partners mutually agree on performance
measures for the data and when all of the appropriate data are gathered together.
9 to up
The SFWMD first developed a data mart to contain the information that it wanted to make
accessible to the public via The Living Everglades web site. To create this web-accessible data
mart, the SFWMD used Oracle® 8i database server software, which is able to store environ-
mental measurement data as well as GIS data and audio, video, and document files.
To create a user-friendly web-based interface to the data mart, the SFWMD developed a web
site design, and underlying this design, a software application consisting of the Oracle® 9iAS
application/web server, MapXtreme® for Java™ mapping software, KavaChart charting soft-
ware, and other components.
to
To develop The Living Everglades web site, the SFWMD hired software consultants, pur-
chased software, and provided management time for planning, direction, and review. The
costs to complete the data mart and web site design were approximately $200,000; however,
the costs for other agencies and organizations could be less, because SFWMD could provide
programming code for the data mart schema and web site design to others at no cost.
-------
Contact Brian Turcotte, 561 682-6579, or Marie Pietrucha, 561 682-6309, for more infor-
mation.
10 or a
Yes. This EPA EMPACT technology transfer manual can get you started; however, you will
ultimately need the technical assistance of software consultants to create this type of web site.
Contact Brian Turcotte, 561 682-6579, or Marie Pietrucha, 561 682-6309, of the SFWMD
for more information.
11 In a
Is
For The Living Everglades web site, the stakeholders consisted of Florida citizens, including
students and teachers, the general public, and environmental scientists. The SFWMD's goal
for The Living Everglades web site was to ensure that all Florida citizens could assess the
progress of Everglades restoration projects. To achieve this goal, the SFWMD needed to
work with each group of stakeholders to create a web site that served their needs and provid-
ed a user-friendly interface.
12 did lie fite
The SFWMD learned a number of lessons when developing The Living Everglades web site.
The SFWMD recommends the following when constructing your web site:
• If possible, use only one IT company for both the data mart and the user interface.
The SFWMD hired one IT company to develop the data mart and a second IT company
to create the web site interface. Using different IT companies for each of these tasks
slowed down the development process. If two IT companies are necessary, be sure to facil-
itate the communication between all parties through explicit Statements of Work.
• Set aside funds for teaching staff new technology. The SFWMD did not realize that it
was required by its change control procedures (i.e., procedures to protect the information
security of in-house computer systems) to use in-house IT staff to implement the middle
tier technology in SFWMD's production environment. The SFWMD did not initially
budget for this and therefore needed to spend extra time teaching IT staff the new tech-
nology, performing coordination, and providing the desired oversight. The SFWMD
found it challenging to develop mentoring methodologies for agency staff for this new
technology.
• Take steps to avoid IT bottlenecks. The SFWMD encountered several IT bottlenecks
because it had difficulty obtaining a timely commitment of hours from SFWMD data-
base administrators and UNIX system administrators to perform certain necessary tasks.
To avoid this problem, the SFWMD recommends ensuring IT management and rank-
and-file employees commitment from the beginning, and not just the approval of execu-
tive management. The SFWMD spent a lot of time educating IT management (four
training sessions in 2 years). Realize that your IT department will usually be very busy
and understaffed and might experience staff turnover. Stakeholder interest (see Chapter 6)
and feedback might refuel interest among upper management, who then can provide
relief to overburdened IT staff.
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Web site content management requires management attention to ensure resources are
used effectively and without redundancy. The SFWMD found that maintaining meta-
data for documents in the Oracle® interMedia portion of the data mart and linking doc-
uments to spatial features was a part-time job on a continuing basis for a content
manager, web site content management is a new discipline and requires management
attention to ensure resources are utilized effectively and without redundancy. The
SFWMD sees the data mart as a content management system. It notes that its data mart is
complementary to commercial content management systems since it extends functionality
that is not part of any commercial package. On the other hand, the data mart does not
replace commercial content management offerings because such offerings have robust
workflow built into them to handle version control and approval.
Address data security. The SFWMD data mart is created from documents and data
stored in different places and is backed up incrementally on a daily basis with a full back-
up performed each week. If the database were lost or corrupted it could be re-created. For
additional security, the database tables are "owned" by a single Oracle schema for which
password access is limited to a few key individuals, all of the data tables have public syn-
onyms, and the pseudo-user "public" has "read access" to all tables.
Consider the pros and cons of using software consultants. Software consultants can
provide for faster development of sophisticated web sites and can bring new expertise in-
house; however, they are generally more expensive per hour than in-house staff, and find-
ing consultants with an environmental background might be difficult. Although in-house
staff are usually less expensive per hour than consultants, there is always the risk of "staff
flight" after providing training on new technology. On the other hand, in-house staff
might become more dedicated to the project because they have had the chance to develop
the web site.
Budget extra time for deliverable review.
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Active Server Pages: A specification for a dynamically created web page that utilizes ActiveX
scripting—usually VB Script or Jscript code. When a browser requests an ASP page, the web
server generates a page with HTML code and sends it back to the browser; therefore, ASP
pages are similar to CGI scripts, but they enable Visual Basic programmers to work with
familiar tools. (Definition from .)
Alkalinity: The capacity of bases to neutralize acids. Lime, for example, is an alkaline sub-
stance that can be added to lakes to decrease their acidity.
API (application program interface): A set of routines, protocols, and tools for building
software applications. A good API makes developing a program easier by providing all the
building blocks for a programmer to put together. (Definition from .)
Application: Software that performs a function for users.
Application server: A program that handles all application operations between users and an
organization's back-end applications or databases. In the case of The Living Everglades web
site, the applications include mapping and charting software, and the database includes the
data mart.
Archival database. The database that includes all of an organization's environmental meas-
urement data but is only accessible to the organization and not to the public.
ASP.NET: A server-side web technology created by Microsoft®. ASPNET takes an object-
oriented programming approach to web page execution. Every element in an ASP.NET page
is treated as an object and run on the server. Because the code is run straight from the
processor, pages load much faster than classic Active Server Pages, where embedded VBScript
or JScript had to be continuously interpreted and cached. (Definition from .)
Client: Clients are computers on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers for
resources, such as files, devices, and sometimes processing power. (Definition from
.)
Client/server architecture: Design of a computer system or web site that involves at least
two networked computers—the client and the server.
ColdFusion: A product that includes a server and a development toolset designed to inte-
grate databases and web pages. Cold Fusion web pages include tags written in Cold Fusion
Markup Language (CFML) that simplify integration with databases and avoid the use of
more complex languages like C++ to create translating programs. (Definition from
.)
Crash: A serious computer failure. A computer crash means that the computer itself stops
working or that a program aborts unexpectedly. (Definition from .)
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Data access/delivery system: A system for providing users with access to environmental data
that includes a database query and a method for displaying query results.
Database: A collection of data organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece
of information; a record is a complete set of fields; and a file is a collection of records.
(Definition from .)
Database management system (DBMS): A collection of computer programs that enables
users to store, modify, and extract information from a database. (Definition from
.)
Database server: Computer system that processes database queries.
Data mart. A subset of an archival database. In the case of The Living Everglades web site, the
data mart includes the SFWMD data that are accessible to the public.
Data transfer: Transmittal of data between one computer and another (e.g., between the web
server and the user's computer).
DBHYDRO: The SFWMD's archival database.
Dissolved oxygen: The oxygen freely available in water, which is vital to fish and other
aquatic life and for the prevention of odors. Dissolved oxygen levels are considered one of the
most important indicators of a water body's ability to support desirable aquatic life.
Secondary and advanced waste treatments are generally designed to ensure adequate dissolved
oxygen in waste-receiving waters.
Download: The process of copying a file (e.g., database query results) available through a
web site to a user's computer.
Drop-down list: A drop-down list is a box with an arrow that a user can click to view a
number of choices that can be selected.
Ecological monitoring: Monitoring of ecosystem characteristics that can impact wildlife
habitat and water quality.
Ecological restoration: Actions to restore ecological processes to their natural state, thereby
restoring wildlife habitat and water quality.
Ecosystem: All of the interacting organisms in a defined space in association with their inter-
related physical and chemical environment.
Entity relationship diagram: A diagram that shows a database structure.
Environmental reference documents: Documents that describe the ecological restoration
projects and goals of a particular agency or organization.
Fecal coliform bacteria: A bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of mammals. Their presence
in water or sludge is an indicator of pollution and possible contamination by pathogens.
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Firewall: An electronic system designed to prevent unauthorized Internet access to a private
computer network. (Definition from .)
Gateway: A node on a computer network that serves as an entrance to another network.
(Definition from .)
Geocoding: Computer-automated process that assigns coordinate values (e.g., latitude and
longitude) to maps.
Geographic Information System (GIS): Tools used to store, transform, manipulate, ana-
lyze, and produce geographical data. These data may exist as maps, three-dimensional virtual
models, tables, and/or lists. (Definition from .)
Graphical User Interface (GUI): The HTML links, icons, buttons, checkboxes, and drop-
down lists that allow a user to tell the web site to perform certain commands with a click or
two of a mouse button.
H
Hardware: Computer equipment, such as disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards,
printers, boards, and chips. (Definition from .)
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): Computer programming language used for creat-
ing web pages.
Hotlink (Hyperlink): An element in an electronic document that links to another place in
the same document or to an entirely different document. Typically, users click on the hyper-
link to follow the link. Hyperlinks are the most essential ingredient of all hypertext systems,
including the World Wide Web. (Definition from .)
I
Icon: Icons are an integral part of any GUI. Icons are pictures that represent computer com-
mands. Users simply click on the picture to initiate the command rather than typing pro-
gramming code.
J2EE. Short for Java™ 2 Platform Enterprise Edition. J2EE is a platform-independent,
Java™-centric environment for developing, building, and deploying web-based enterprise
applications online. The J2EE platform consists of a set of services, APIs, and protocols that
provide the functionality for developing multi-tiered, web-based applications. (Definition
from .)
Java™: An object-oriented programming language that is often used to create web sites.
Java™ Server Pages (JSP). JSPs use scripts and work in tandem with HTML code, separat-
ing the page logic from the static elements, such as the actual design and display of the page.
Embedded in the HTML page, the Java™ source code and its extensions help make the
HTML more functional, for example, in dynamic database queries. JSPs are not restricted to
any specific operating environment or server.
Java™ Virtual Machine: Software that interprets Java™ code.
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1C
KavaChart: KavaChart is the charting software used by the SFWMD to help create The
Living Everglades web site. Visual Engineering, Inc. created KavaChart.
Library. In computer programming, a library is a collection of precompiled routines that a
program can use. The routines, sometimes called modules, are stored in object format.
Libraries are particularly useful for storing frequently used routines because programmers do
not need to explicitly link them to every program that uses them. A computer program can
automatically look in libraries for routines that it does not find elsewhere.
Map coverage: In GIS, a map that only displays one type of feature; for example, all canals
or all watersheds in South Florida. By overlaying different map coverages in GIS, users can
query the GIS system to complete analyses of the relationships between the features in the
different map coverages.
MapXtreme® for Java™: Mapping software used by the SFWMD to create The Living
Everglades web site. Maplnfo® created MapXtreme® for Java™.
Mercury (Hg): A heavy metal that can accumulate in the environment and is highly toxic if
breathed or swallowed. Heavy metals are metallic elements with high atomic weights (other
examples are mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and lead) that can damage living things
at low concentrations and tend to accumulate in the food chain.
Microsoft® Access: A database management system produced by the computer company
Microsoft®.
Middle tier: The part of a three-tier client/server architecture that holds applications and the
web server.
Monitoring station: Measuring devices at a particular geographical location used to collect
environmental data.
MVC (Model-View-Controller) Architecture: MVC separates three distinct forms of func-
tionality within an application. The Model represents the structure of the data in the applica-
tion as well as application-specific operations on those data. A View (of which there may be
many) presents data in some form to a user, in the context of an application function. A
Controller translates user actions (mouse motions, keystrokes, etc.) and user input into appli-
cation function calls on the Model, and selects the appropriate View based on user prefer-
ences and Model state. (Definition from CostXpress at
)
Network: At least two computer systems linked together to perform a function.
Nitrate: A compound containing nitrogen that can exist in the atmosphere or as a dissolved
gas in water and can have harmful effects on humans and animals. Nitrates in water can
cause severe illness in infants and domestic animals. A plant nutrient and inorganic fertilizer,
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nitrate is found in septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial
waste waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps.
Object-oriented programming: A type of programming in which programmers define not
only the data type for a database structure, but also the types of operations (functions) that
can be applied to the data structure. In this way, the database structure becomes an object
that includes both data and functions. In addition, programmers can create relationships
between one object and another. For example, objects can inherit characteristics from other
objects. One of the principal advantages of object-oriented programming techniques over
procedural programming techniques is that they enable programmers to create modules that
do not need to be changed when a new type of object is added. A programmer can simply
create a new object that inherits many of its features from existing objects. This makes
object-oriented programs easier to modify. To perform this type of programming, one needs
an object-oriented programming language such as Java™. (Definition from .)
Object relational database: A relational database that can handle all types of data, including
audio, video, and user-defined data types, and not only numerical data.
Operating environment (also called the platform): The state of a computer, usually deter-
mined by which programs are running and basic hardware and software characteristics. For
example, when one speaks of running a program in a UNIX environment, it means running
a program on a computer that has the UNIX operating system. (Definition from
.)
Oracle: Computer company that primarily creates database products.
Oracle® interMedia: Data module in the Oracle® 8i database server that can hold audio
and video files.
Oracle® Spatial: Data module in the Oracle® 8i database that can hold GIS data.
Oracle® Time Series: Data module in the Oracle® 8i database that can hold most types of
environmental measurement data.
Pesticides: Substances or mixtures intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate any pest,
or used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.
pH: The pH level of a body of water is an expression of the intensity of its basic or acid con-
dition. A body of water's pH level may range from 0 to 14, where 0 is the most acid, 7 is
neutral, and 14 is most basic. Natural waters usually have a pH between 6.5 and 8.5-
Phosphorus: An essential chemical food element that can contribute to the eutrophication
of lakes and other water bodies. Increased phosphorus levels result from discharge of phos-
phorus-containing materials into surface waters.
PHP: PHP Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side, HTML embedded scripting language
used to create dynamic web pages. Because PHP is embedded within tags, the author can
jump between HTML and PHP (similar to Active Server Pages and ColdFusion) instead of
having to rely on heavy amounts of code to output HTML. And, because PHP is executed
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on the server, the client cannot view the PHP code. Its strength lies in its compatibility with
many types of databases. Also, PHP can talk across networks. (Definition from .)
Plug-in: A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service to a larger sys-
tem. For example, a number of plug-ins exist for Internet browsers to enable the display of
different types of audio or video files. (Definition from .)
Portal product: Ready-made software that provides a central, browser-accessible resource of
an organization's data via an Intranet or through the Internet.
Presentation layer: The presentation layer is everything that appears on the web site and can
be thought of as the user interface as well.
Query: A user's request for information from the environmental database.
Real-time data: Data that represent current conditions.
Relational database: A database management system that stores data in the form of related
tables. Relational databases are powerful because they require few assumptions about how
data are related or how it will be extracted from the database. As a result, the same database
can be viewed in many different ways. (Definition from .)
Restoration: Refers to ecological restoration. Actions to restore ecological processes to their
natural state, thereby restoring wildlife habitat and water quality.
Salinity: The percentage of salt in water.
Scalability: Ability of software and hardware to adapt to increased demands, such as the
number of simultaneous users and the amount of data uploaded or downloaded per day.
Schema: The database structure. Usually represented by an entity relationship diagram.
Scripts: Commands that can be executed without user interaction. For The Living Everglades
web site, the SFWMD uses scripts to update the data mart with data from DBHYDRO.
Server: A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. For example, a
database server is a computer system that processes database queries. (Definition from
.)
Servlet container: Software that handles servlets. Servlets are programs designed to be exe-
cuted from within another application and are housed on the server.
Site map: On a web site, an index that lists all of the categories of information available on
the site, how they are organized, and how they are related to each other.
Software: Computer instructions or data that perform certain functions for users.
Spatially relevant data: Data referenced to a specific geographic location.
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Structured Query Language (SQL): A standardized query language for requesting informa-
tion from a database. (Definition from .)
Temporally relevant data: Data from recent enough observations to allow for analysis of the
current state of an ecosystem.
Three-tiered client/server architecture: A special type of client/server architecture consist-
ing of three well-defined and separate processes, each running on a different platform: the
user interface, which runs on the user's computer (the client); and the functional modules
that actually process data. This middle tier runs on a server and is often called the applica-
tion server. It is a database management system that stores the data required by the middle
tier. This tier runs on a second server called the database server. (Definition from
.)
Time-series chart: Chart indicating the time or date for each data observation.
Two-tiered client/server architecture: Refers to client/server architectures in which the user
interface runs on the client and the database is stored on the server. The actual application
can run on either the client or the server. (Definition from .)
II
UNIX: A type of operating environment.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The global address of documents and other resources on
the World Wide Web. (Definition from .)
User: Anyone using a computer.
User-friendly: Refers to anything that makes using a computer easier for novices.
(Definition from .)
User interface: Method by which a user interacts with a computer program.
Web browser: A software application used to locate and display web pages. The two most
popular browsers are Netscape ® Navigator™ and Microsoft ® Internet Explorer™.
(Definition from .)
Web server: A computer that delivers (serves up) web pages. Every web server has an IP
address and possibly a domain name. Any computer can be turned into a web server by
installing server software and connecting the machine to the Internet. (Definition from
.)
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For more information about the software products used by the SFWMD to construct The
Living Everglades web site, contact the following vendors and technical specialists:
• MapXtreme® for Java™. Created and distributed by Maplnfo®. Contact Paul Culligan,
public sector accounts, at 518 285-7220. Web site: www.mapinfo.com.
• Oracle® Corporation. Call 1-800-ORACLE-l or contact headquarters at: Corporate
Headquarters, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065, phone: 605 506-7000.
Web site: www.oracle.com.
• KavaChart. Created and distributed by Visual Engineering, Inc. Phone: 650 949-5410 or
e-mail: info@ve.com. Address: 164 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Los Altos, CA 94022. Web
site: www.ve.com/index.html.
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v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Please make all necessary changes on the below label,
detach or copy, and return to the address in the upper
left-hand corner.
If you do not wish to receive these reports CHECK HERE D:
detach, or copy this cover, and return to the address in the
upper left-hand corner.
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERM IT No. G-35
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA-625-R-02-020
January 2003
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