Data management system for USGS/USEPA urban hydrology studies program

A data management system was developed to store, update, and retrieve data collected in urban stormwater studies jointly conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 11 cities in the United States. The data management system is used to retrieve and combine data from USGS data files for use in rainfall, runoff, and water-quality models and for data computations such as storm loads. The system is based on the data management aspect of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and was used to create all the data files in the data base. SAS is used for storage and retrieval of basin physiography, land-use, and environmental practices inventory data. Also, storm-event water-quality characteristics are stored in the data base. The advantages of using SAS to create and manage a data base are many with a few being that it is simple, easy to use, contains a comprehensive statistical package, and can be used to modify files very easily. Data base system development has progressed rapidly during the last two decades and the data managment system concepts used in this study reflect the advancement made in computer technology during this era. Urban stormwater data is, however, just one application for which the system can be used. (USGS)