Instructions for Entering Priorities in ATTAINS
Version: 9/02/2022
The Bridge Metric Priorities are due in ATTAINS by Sept. 30, 2022. The Priorities should cover any Assessment Unit /
Parameter combinations that you plan to address with an Action/Plan (i.e., TMDL, 4B, Alternative, or Protection
Approach) from Oct 1, 2022 - Sept. 30, 2024. This period covers Federal Fiscal Years 2023-2024.
The Priorities Module is being updated in ATTAINS and should be available by early September. In the meantime, users
may start compiling their Priorities in the provided Priorities Batch Upload Template.
EPA expects that states will upload their own priorities. State users with Actions Data Entry or Actions Administrator
permissions may upload Priorities. However, if you need assistance, an EPA Actions Administrator or EPA Actions
Reviewer for your Organization may assist you with uploading your Priorities into ATTAINS. You may also contact the
ATTAINS Helpdeskfor assistance (attainsgepa.gov).
Instructions
1. Fill out the Priorities Batch Upload Template, paying attention to the validation rules. All three columns are
required.
2. Save the Priorities data entry tab as a .csv (comma separated value) file on your computer and remember where
you saved it. The template has an Export tab that will create the file for you in the folder where you have stored
the template. It will overwrite the existing priorities.csv file in that folder, so change the file name of the .csv if
you want to keep multiple versions of the priorities.csv files (ex: priorities_l.csv, priorities_2.csv, etc.).
3. Once you are notified that the new Priorities module is available in ATTAINS, upload the priorities.csv file. Go to
the Priorities module in ATTAINS Menu button select the Upload Priorities option and upload the
priorities.csv file (or whatever you have named the .CSV file).
4. Notes:
a. The Priorities module may be slow to load the page initially. Please be patient. It needs to pull and join
data from multiple locations to calculate the catchment sizes and find corresponding Actions.
b. For this first release, the Export Priorities option will only export the first three columns of the Priorities
List table (the same columns that are used for the Batch Upload). A future release will update the
Export so that it includes the additional columns of the Priorities List table.
c. There are tooltips available to explain most of the data fields. The fields at the top of the page have
clickable information ("i") icons. To see the tooltips for the columns of the Priorities List table, mouse
over the column names.
d. Please focus on loading your Priorities (Assessment Unit ID, Parameter, Expected Progress). Do not
worry about the weighted size or commitment sizes yet because they may change. The Bridge Metric
sizes will use High Resolution catchments. However, the catchments associated in ATTAINS at the time
of this release are Medium Resolution catchments, which are needed to finish calculating the Vision 1.0
metric through Sept. 30. EPA plans to begin loading in the High Resolution catchment sizes in early
October. So, the catchment sizes associated with each Priority and the total size may change. Please
contact the ATTAINS Helpdesk if you have questions regarding changing catchment sizes.
5. You may make changes to the Priorities as often as you like through Sept. 30, 2022. After that, the Priority
entry period will be closed. The list of Priorities in ATTAINS as of Oct. 1, 2022, will be used for the Bridge Metric.
Batch Upload
For the FY23-24 Bridge Metric, Priorities will be entered from scratch. Existing Priorities will not be carried forward in
ATTAINS. Therefore, if you want to include existing Priorities as part of the FY23-24 Bridge Metric, please include them
in the Priorities Batch Upload Template.
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The Priorities Batch Upload will work as a Replace function, similar to other modules in ATTAINS. It is good practice to
upload all Priorities for all Assessment Unit IDs at one time when making edits, so that all your data is in one file.
• Replace looks at the Assessment Unit IDs in the uploaded file, deletes any existing Priorities for the same
Assessment Unit ID and then replaces it with only the data in the uploaded file. Therefore, if you need to edit
Priorities for an Assessment Unit, you must upload all Priority records pertaining to that Assessment Unit ID
simultaneously.
• Replace should not touch any Priority Assessment Unit IDs that are excluded from the uploaded file.
• Once a Priority is uploaded into ATTAINS, the User Interface allows deletion of an individual Priority row if
necessary, up until the Priority data entry period closes.
Required Information
The following three pieces of information are required for each Priority:
• Assessment Unit ID
• Parameter Name: This refers to the Parameter from the Assessments module that will be addressed by an
Action/Plan.
o This is also the characteristic that will be entered in the Addressed Parameter section of the Action. For
TMDL Actions, if the TMDL was written for something other than the Cause Parameter from the
Assessments module, then make sure that the Action includes the Cause Parameter from the
Assessments side as an Addressed Parameter in the Action,
o Example: Let's say the Priority was "NUTRIENTS" for Assessment Unit "AU_1". If the water had a Cause
Parameter of "NUTRIENTS" at the time of the Assessment, but the TMDL was written for the Pollutant of
"PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL", then the Pollutant in the Action would be "PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL". To get
credit for the metric, "NUTRIENTS" needs to be listed as one of the Addressed Parameters in the Action.
¦ Priority: "AU_1" for "NUTRIENTS", with an Action to be "Complete" by the end of the two-year
period
¦ Assessment module: Parameter = "NUTRIENTS", for AU_1
¦ Actions module:
• Pollutant = "PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL" for AU_1
• Addressed Parameters:
o "PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL" for AU_1 and
o "NUTRIENTS" for AU_1
• Expected Progress: This is asking whether you anticipate having an Action/Plan (i.e., TMDL, 4B, Alternative, or
Protection Approach) "In Progress" or "Complete" by Sept. 30, 2024.
o Note: For purposes of the measure:
¦ The Action/Plan must be entered in ATTAINS to get credit.
¦ Creating a Draft plan in ATTAINS or Submitting it to EPA in ATTAINS counts as "In Progress" and
earns half credit.
¦ Once EPA Approves/Accepts the Action/Plan in ATTAINS, then it counts as "Complete" and earns
full credit.
o Please refer to the Computational Guidance for more information regarding how the measure is
calculated.
Validation Rul^
The Priorities should be based on your state's most recent Assessment Cycle in ATTAINS that has reached at least
"Organization Final Action - Submittal" status. If that cycle has reached "EPA Interim Final" or "EPA Final Action" status,
please use that version instead of the "Organization Final Action - Submittal" status for that Assessment Cycle. If your
most recent cycle has not reached Organization Final Action - Submittal status, then use the previous Assessment Cycle.
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1. The Assessment Unit ID must exist and have an Assessment Unit Status of "Active" in that Assessment Cycle
snapshot. If the Assessment Unit ID does not exist in that cycle, or is not Active in that cycle, ATTAINS will give
an Error message.
a. Example Error message: "Assessment Unit ID (AU_1) either does not exist in the most recent
Assessment Cycle or was not Active for that cycle. Priority Assessment Unit IDs must exist with an Active
status in the most recent Assessment Cycle."
b. Note: Errors must be resolved before you can continue with the upload.
2. The Priority Parameter should be associated with the Assessment Unit ID in the Assessments module for that
Assessment Cycle snapshot. If the Priorities Batch Upload contains a Parameter that is not present on the AU ID
in the most recent Assessment Cycle, then it will give a Warning. A Warning message (instead of an Error) calls
attention to potential issues with missing Parameters or incorrect Parameter selections. It is an indication that
you should double-check the Parameter you have selected to ensure you picked the Parameter you intended.
The Warning also allows use of Protection Approach Actions, since states are recommended but not required to
provide Parameters that were Assessed as Meeting Criteria as part of their Assessment Cycle submissions.
a. Example Warning message: "Parameter (ALUMINUM) does not exist on Assessment Unit ID (AU_1).
The Parameter should exist on the Assessment Unit ID in the most recent cycle for most Plan Types,
though that is optional for a Protection Plan."
b. Note: Warnings call attention to issues like potentially incorrect Parameter names on an Assessment
but will not stop you from continuing with the upload.
3. Priority Assessment Unit IDs must have geospatial data in ATTAINS to count towards the measure. Priority
Assessment Unit IDs that are missing either geospatial data or catchment associations will receive zero size, so
they cannot count towards the measure. To ensure that your Priority waters will count, please double-check
that they are not on the list of Assessment Units Missing GIS Data.
a. Example Warning message: "Assessment Unit ID AU_01 is missing GIS or catchments and will not
receive a size for the metric. Review the Assessment Units Missing GIS Data report for more
information."
b. To check the report for more details (i.e., determine whether GIS, catchments, or both are missing), go
to the Reports module.
i. Select Report Type: Assessment Units.
ii. Select Report: Assessment Units Missing GIS Data.
c. Any Assessment Unit IDs on that list are missing geospatial features (GIS) and/or catchment associations
(CIP). Assessment Units need both GIS and CIP to receive a size for the measure.
i. If you see waters that have GIS but are missing CIP, contact the ATTAINS Helpdesk
(attains@epa.gov) to ask when the catchment indexing (CIP) will be completed for your state.
ii. If you see waters that are missing GIS: Geospatial data are processed when states submit GIS
data for an Assessment Cycle. To minimize costs, EPA limits geospatial processing to once per
state per Assessment cycle. If your state has not submitted GIS for the most recent Assessment
cycle and you would like to provide GIS for processing that may affect your Priority waters,
please contact the ATTAINS Helpdesk (attainsgepa.gov) to discuss options. Note: Given
contract limitations and timing, it may not be possible to process additional geospatial data
prior to the Sept. 30 Priority deadline.
4. Make sure your file includes only one record for each Assessment Unit ID / Addressed Parameter combination.
(Do not submit two rows for the same AU ID / Addressed Parameter combination in the same file, where one
row lists the Expected Progress as "In Progress" and another row lists the Expected Progress as "Complete".)
ATTAINS will not prevent you from uploading the data, so please double-check your Priorities before the Priority
data entry period closes Sept. 30 and delete any extraneous rows.
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