Monitoring and Evaluation Platform for Watershed Areas (WATERS)
Introducing the WATERS System: A Comprehensive Tool for Water Quality Management
The Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results System (WATERS) is a valuable resource developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support watershed management and environmental protection. WATERS consolidates water quality information from various EPA programs, providing a centralised platform for tracking, assessing, and reporting on watershed conditions and environmental results.
Key Features of WATERS
At its core, WATERS offers several key features designed to facilitate effective water quality management:
- Integration of Multiple Datasets: WATERS brings together various water-related datasets, offering a comprehensive view of watershed health, including water quality, pollution sources, and regulatory status.
- Tracking and Reporting Tools: WATERS provides mechanisms for monitoring pollutant loads, the status of impaired waters, and the effectiveness of watershed management efforts.
- Mapping and Spatial Analysis Capabilities: WATERS often integrates with geographic information systems (GIS) to visualise watershed boundaries, water bodies, and relevant environmental data.
- Regulatory Compliance and Environmental Assessment Support: WATERS data supports regulatory compliance and environmental assessments under the Clean Water Act and other statutes.
Accessing WATERS Data
Environmental professionals and citizens can access WATERS data primarily through EPA platforms like Envirofacts, which consolidates EPA environmental databases. Users can search by watershed or geographic area to retrieve relevant environmental statuses and data, often available in downloadable formats.
Development and Architecture of WATERS Web Services
WATERS web services are designed as modular units, each becoming available as it is completed and tested. These services make extensive use of the NHDPlus dataset, a combination of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), National Elevation Dataset (NED), and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). The integration of water program data using NHDPlus improves communication and efficiency for the EPA.
Moreover, WATERS web services are being developed within a common architecture, ensuring seamless integration and data exchange between services. A notable feature of WATERS is the Reach Address Database (RAD), which helps in identifying specific locations within a watershed.
Information Available on WATERS
WATERS provides a wealth of information on the quality of the nation's surface water, including designated use(s) of a waterbody, water quality monitoring results, assessments of water quality, causes and sources of impaired waters, public beach closures, and the location of dischargers.
In Conclusion
By consolidating water quality information from various EPA programs, WATERS offers a valuable tool for environmental professionals and interested citizens to access detailed information about the nation's surface water quality. Through platforms like Envirofacts, users can search, view, and download relevant data, supporting informed decision-making and effective water management efforts.
- The WATERS system, designed for water quality management, includes data about various aspects of water, such as surface water quality, pollution sources, and related environmental results.
- To further analyze and visualize the data, WATERS sometimes integrates with technology like geographic information systems (GIS), displaying watershed boundaries, water bodies, and relevant environmental data on a surface.
- In addition to tracking and reporting on existing water conditions, the science behind WATERS also supports regulatory compliance and environmental assessments, especially those related to the Clean Water Act and other environmental legislation.
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