National Environmental Information Exchange Network
NAEPC Information & Exchange Network Project
Participating Tribes:
These are the 7 participating tribes who are utilizing AWQMS at various levels. They are loading their collected data privately and confidentially. Their data will always be their own. We are working with 2 other tribes who will receive training. Download the NIEN Brochure PDF
In August of 2010 the NAEPC member tribes formed a “Tribal Stream Team.” This group is their peer training network to assist one another in learning and experience with bioassessment protocols while enhancing skils and building a support base to ensure the collection of valid data set in water quality management.
NAEPC tribes decided to initiate the WQX Data Flow Implementation Outreach and Training Project also known as AWQMS. This project hopes to improve the migration, exchange and access of and to superior water quality data.
Why AWQMS?
The Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System (AWQMS) is a water quality data management system that is already successfully used by over 46 tribal programs across the nation. The tribes committed to participating in this project will use AWQMS and enhance the system for themselves and others using it.
Project Goals
1) Import physical and chemical data into AWQMS and flow it to WQX
2) Share WQX data between member tribes and the Region 9 (once submitted to EPA it is public information)
3) Import habitat assessment and biological data into AWQMS and flow it to WQX
4) Implement QA/QC procedures and enhance AWQMS to improve data quality
5) Leverage EPA hosted virtual node for data publishing services
6) Enhance reporting, graphing and mapping capabilities in AWQMS
7) Provide WQX And AWQMS Support to Tribal Stream Team
8) Comply with Administrative Requirements.
Data Set
Why was this needed?
- Save funding and staff time while receiving invaluable training
- Adopting AWQMS to use
- Consolidate water data in secure and readily accessible format
- Validate QA/QC data sets
- Analyzing and comparing current and historical data
- Share with other watersheds
- Ease of submitting to EPA WQX
