Getting NWIS Data Into

STORET

STORET Users Conference Call

January 16, 2003
 Why Does NJ Put
NWIS Data in STORET?
• EPA Region 2 PPA ($106) requirement
• STORET and NWIS results in one location
and one format for NJDEP staff to use for
305(b), 303(d) and TMDL activities
• Data available to the public via the Internet
for NJ’s Open Public Records Act

12/1/2019 2
 What NWIS Data Goes Into
STORET?
• Cooperative Monitoring Networks
– Ambient Stream Monitoring Network
• 115 stations, 4x/year, 3 labs, both agencies sample
– Summer Bacteria Monitoring
• 5 samples/30 days for E.coli, f. coli, enterococcus
– Summer Chlorophyll a

12/1/2019 3
 How Does NWIS Data
Get Into STORET?
• NJDEP enters STORET metadata and new
stations via STORET Data Entry Module
• NJDEP creates SIM Import Configurations,
imports data and enter corrections via
STORET data entry module
• USGS extracts data from NWIS, reformats
it for SIM and proofreads data once its
entered into STORET
12/1/2019 4
 When Does NWIS Data
Get Into STORET?
• PPA requires all data from previous fiscal
year to be entered by June of current fiscal
year
• USGS takes approximately a year to
complete its QC and “Water Year Book”
publication reviews. NJDEP gets the data
once those reviews are complete

12/1/2019 5
 NJDEP: STORET Metadata
• Characteristic Row IDs = NWIS parameters
• Used NWIS codes for sample collection,
gear configurations and gear IDs
• Added USGS lab methods, sample preps
field methods & citations not in STORET
• Created programs, projects & personnel
• Added USGS Station IDs to NJDEP stations
as External Reference Labels
12/1/2019 6
 USGS: Reformat NWIS Data
• USGS retrieves data and headers from
NWIS, imports into MS Access
• Lookup tables for:
– Project, Trip, Trip Start Date, Visit, Result
Status, Daylight Saving Time (Basic 1)
– Sample Collection Procedure and Gear Type
(Basic 2)
– Gear ID, Gear Config ID (Basic 3)
– DEP/USGS Station Numbers (Basic4)
12/1/2019 7
 Reformat NWIS - 2
– Characteristics (Row IDs, Characteristic
Groups, Activity Type, Activity Category,
Medium, Lab, Units)
• Added suffix to sample # for each medium
(air, water, sediment)
• Convert NWIS remark codes < to *Non-
Detect, E to Estimated Value in Result
Comments
12/1/2019 8
 Parameter
code lookup

NWIS
Output

12/1/2019 9
12/1/2019 10
12/1/2019 11
12/1/2019 12
12/1/2019 13
 NJDEP: SIM
• Configuration set up to match order of
columns in Excel spreadsheet from USGS
• Excel spreadsheet from USGS-NJ saved as
a tab delimited file and imported into SIM
• No translations, all done in Access by
USGS

12/1/2019 14
12/1/2019 15
 Proofread & Correct
• Data returned to USGS for proofreading
• Any corrections made by NJDEP using the
STORET Data Entry Module
• NJDEP then sends STORET export file to
EPA for updating the STORET National
Warehouse and for access via STORET
Web interface

12/1/2019 16
 Status
• Water Years 1999 and 2000 in STORET
• Working on Water Year 2001
• Hoping to add sample container,
preservation and transport info - will require
going to separate Activity IDs for each
sample
• Hoping to add station maps, photos with
version 2.0
12/1/2019 17
 Issues
• Location - USGS uses lat/long for staff
gage/recorder. We use coordinates from
actual sample location
• Station Numbers - Hope to be able to
retrieve on External Station Reference
Labels w/version 2.0

12/1/2019 18
 For further information
• USGS - NJ District
Dave Stedfast
stedfast@usgs.gov
(609) 771-3900
• NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Paul Morton
paul.morton@dep.state.nj.us
(609) 292-0427
12/1/2019 19