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Stakeholder engagement to guide decision-relevant water data delivery

August 24, 2022

Water resources management and policy making require access to reliable scientific data. However, water managers may need to overcome various obstacles to accessing data. For example, insufficient technological infrastructures, low data literacy, and data format complexities often inhibit data user access. Thus, it is imperative to include stakeholders in the design of data delivery systems. The United States Geological Survey's Water Resources Mission Area is currently developing Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) — multi-extent, stakeholder driven, near real-time water availability census and prediction for human and ecological uses. To provide appropriate user accessibility to data delivery systems developed for IWAAs, a user-centered design process including stakeholder focus groups was used to determine potential water data user needs and preferences. Focus groups identified five types of potential users: Public sector water resources managers, Public sector water resources manager data analysts, Industry and private companies, Tribal Nations, and Nonprofit organizations. Different water data user types depended on diverse spatial and temporal scale data. Public sector water resources managers benefitted most from data synthesized into user-friendly platforms and Public sector water resources data analysts preferred easy access to raw data. These findings can support the development of a water data delivery platform that meets a variety of user needs.

Publication Year 2022
Title Stakeholder engagement to guide decision-relevant water data delivery
DOI 10.1111/1752-1688.13055
Authors Diana Restrepo-Osorio, Amanda D. Stoltz, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA)
Index ID 70245487
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization WMA - Integrated Information Dissemination Division
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