A National Tool for Graphing and Synthesizing Continuous and Discrete Water-Quality Data
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
The USGS provides water-quality data to assist in management, stewardship, and scientific understanding of the nation’s water resources. Reliable water-quality data are available for ~2,500 sites, however, visualization functionality is limited. Currently, USGS scientists create ad hoc custom plots and visualizations for water quality, which is time consuming, lacks consistency, and may duplicate efforts. We propose a prototype tool for graphing and synthesizing continuous and discrete water-quality data. The tool would consist of an interactive user interface for generating advanced visualizations of water-quality parameters to compare with past data, other parameters and locations, and thresholds. The proof-of-concept would result in a prioritization of graphics, increased collaboration and knowledge, and a reusable tool and codebase. The tool will increase accessibility and utility of USGS data to stakeholders, offer data at relevant scales and timeframes, and provide a prototype with recommendations for further development.
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
The USGS provides water-quality data to assist in management, stewardship, and scientific understanding of the nation’s water resources. Reliable water-quality data are available for ~2,500 sites, however, visualization functionality is limited. Currently, USGS scientists create ad hoc custom plots and visualizations for water quality, which is time consuming, lacks consistency, and may duplicate efforts. We propose a prototype tool for graphing and synthesizing continuous and discrete water-quality data. The tool would consist of an interactive user interface for generating advanced visualizations of water-quality parameters to compare with past data, other parameters and locations, and thresholds. The proof-of-concept would result in a prioritization of graphics, increased collaboration and knowledge, and a reusable tool and codebase. The tool will increase accessibility and utility of USGS data to stakeholders, offer data at relevant scales and timeframes, and provide a prototype with recommendations for further development.