WQX User Call March 25, 2021


WQX User Call
March 25, 2021

There were approximately 32 participants.

Agenda:

1)	WQX Project Status Report

a)	National Sample Collection Methods

b)	WQX Business Rules (Sample Collection Method)

c)	WQX Domain Values download

2)	Water Quality Portal Project Report

a)	Download profiles workgroup

b)	Copy to Clipboard functionality

3)	Open Discussion

a)	Helpdesk Reply Receipt

b)	WQP Search for Waterbody ID / Name

c)	How's My Waterway Updates

4)	Announcements

a)	12th National Monitoring Conference online during the week of April 19, 2021

b)	ITRC Environmental Data Management Best Practices Team

Notes:

1) WQX Project Status Report

a)	National Sample Collection Methods

The WQX cites NEMI.gov collecting methods. NEMI is a searchable database
that allows scientists and managers to find and compare analytical and field
methods for all phases of environmental monitoring. NEW Domain value
service URLs are below in this document. They have been released to
production and accessible via the website.

•	SampleCollectionMethod (ZIP) | (XML)

•	SampleCollectionMethodContext (ZIP) | (XML)

b)	WQX Business Rule 3.0 for sample collection method was mandatory in WQX 2.0 but is
now optional in WQX 3.0. The information for this can be found in the Help menu and
Glossary of WQX Web. The Rules are also in the WQX 3.0 flow configuration document.

c)	WQX Domain Value Services download - There is a NEW complete library for all
individual domain value lists. Currently here are 74 individual files for domain value
services. Now the entire list of all domain values can be downloaded with one click, so if
you are syncing with the WQX domain values, it can easily be done with one download.

2) Water Quality Portal Project Status Report

The WQX Team is actively partnering with the USGS to exchange WQX data and address
updates to the WQP.

-------
a) A Water Quality Portal Download Data profiles workgroup has been formed to redesign
the download profiles. Existing profiles will NOT be deprecated.

b) Copy to Clipboard functionality is available to share and save query parameters via the
Water Quality Portal. The data download page has a Copy to Clipboard feature that
captures query parameters thus helping the help desk troubleshoot issues. It also allows
users to easily save their parameters for future reuse.

3) Open Discussion

a) Helpdesk Reply Receipt - Emails sent to the helpdesk will receive an automatic
response confirming receipt for assistance. Requests for assistance are normally
responded to quickly; however, occasionally an email will be stopped by the agency's
Spam filter. The Helpdesk asks that if a response is not received within 48 hours, to
contact the helpdesk directly at 800-424-9067. Please leave a message with your return
number and email address.

b) WQP Search for Waterbody ID / Name - This question came into the helpdesk. A user
was searching for a waterbody Lake Tarpon in WQP. To search for a waterbody all sites
for a waterbody must be selected. Each Site ID must be selected individually however,
the query can be saved. This saved query can be edited using a plain text editor for
multiple parameter modifications.

c) How's My Waterway has updated the following:

a. Addition of the Environmental Justice layers

b. The ability to add any layer such as a shapefile, layers available via ArcGIS
Online, or a csv file with points

c. A suite of protection layers such as protected areas and wild and scenic layers
are now available

The next area for improvement will be the addition of a monitoring location page. For
every single site a page that summaries the monitoring locations will be available. The
HMW team is also looking to add USGS stream gauges and adding functionality to
download entire data for a HUC12.

4) Announcements

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council will host its 12th National Monitoring
Conference online during the week of April 19, 2021. All federal, state, tribal and local
water professionals, nonprofits, academia, and volunteer citizen scientists are welcome at this
important national forum.

-------
Whether you seek to develop new skills, learn about the latest technologies, or simply
exchange information on a wide variety of topics relevant to water resources, the National
Monitoring Conference is for you. Lakes and wetlands, rivers and streams, coastal waters and
estuaries, groundwater, and processed water—all water resources—will be represented.

Conference Website

Registration Fees

Program

Friday, April 23
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Panel Discussion: data Retrieval: Success Stories and Future Enhancements

Extended Session

The dataRetrieval package, a R-package developed by the USGS, allows users to discover, access, retrieve,
and parse water data from Water Quality Portal (WQP) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) National
Water Information System (NWIS). This session brings together scientists from federal, state, and regional
agencies to discuss success stories of using dataRetrieval; each panelist will briefly present results of their
use cases.

Full agenda details are being added as they become available.

CLICK AND Review Program
Monday. 4/19
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Panel Discussion: Performing Clean Water Act Assessments More Efficiently Using Sharable Code

Extended Session

The US Environmental Protection Agency/EPA in partnership with the US Geological Survey (USGS) provides
mechanisms for state, tribal, and federal agencies to submit {i.e., Water Quality Exchange/WQX), and retrieve
(i.e., Water Quality Portal/WQP)...

Tuesday. 4/20

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Making all data matter: incorporating citizen science into decision making for improved water quality

Real-Time Session C3

Pam DiBona (Session Moderator) Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership

Wednesday. 4/21

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

-------
Using Big Data to Answer National- and Regional-Scale Water Quality Questions

Real-Time Session D2

• Victor Roland (Session Moderator) USGS
Continuous Conundrum - Using Continuous Data in Water Quality Assessments

Real-Time Session D3

• James Hagy (Session Moderator, Speaker)

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Progress on Water Data Sharing: The Internet of Water and Related Approaches

Real-Time Session E2

• Peter Colohan (Session Moderator) Internet of Water
Progress on Water Data Sharing: The Internet of Water and Related Approaches

[Asynchronous Session

Asynchronous Session presentations may be either a pre-recorded presentation or a static PDF presentation.
Conference attendees will be able to submit questions directly to individual presenters through the Whova
platform's chat functio... See More
2 subsessions
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

The Monitoring and Assessment Data Life Cycle

Real-Time Session F2

• Wendy Reid (Session Moderator) US EPA

Friday. 4/23

1:00 am -12:30 pm

Workshop: Water Quality exchange & Water Quality Portal Training

Extended Session

EPA and USGS will be hosting a half day remote Water Quality exchange (WQX) and Water Quality Portal (WQP)
training. Participants will get hands-on experience using the WQX format, learn how to publish data using WQX web,
and how to retrieve data ..

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Panel Discussion: dataRetrieval: Success Stories and Future Enhancements

Extended Session

The dataRetrieval package, a R-package developed by the USGS, allows users to discover, access, retrieve, and parse
water data from Water Quality Portal (WQP) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information
System (NWIS). The...

-------
Chris Neumiller from Washington Department of Ecology put in a plug for the ITRC Environmental Data
Management Best Practices Team. ITRC is a state-lead organization that collaborates with private industry to
tackle issues and develop guidance in areas of concern. We are just getting started forming subgroups. Anyone is
welcome to join. You can just observe or participate actively. https://www.itrcweb.org/Team/Public7team I D=90

There are several subgroups that might be of interest:

•	Public Communication/Data Accessibility

•	Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

•	Valid Values Management

•	Geographic Data

•	Historical Data Migration

•	Laboratory/Analytical EDD

•	Data Quality

•	Field Data Collection

Citizen-science Data Considerations

-------