Online groundwater study database
The Thirst for Online Database
Imagine this: Your office is proposing a groundwater study at Panoche Valley, Fresno County, CA area. Before taking off to a meeting, the boss asks if you can get any related information from the internet. He, as others in his standing, likes the Can Do employee. So, you say, “Yes, I can.” Then, you are off to your computer.
As an online research pro, you start from the USGS online library, then the DWR (Department of Water Resources) and SWRCB (State Water Resources Control Board) websites. The search will give you a long list of links that include the word “Panoche”. After tens of clicking, you could not find any needed information. Your chair starts giving noises.
What’s next?
Well, as any pro would do, you Google “Panoche Valley”. Voila. In just 0.19 seconds, it miraculously gives about 10,000 links. Later on, after hours of browsing, you find your skin is glowing green from screen radiation.
In short, we need a groundwater study database. What kind? An online spatial database where people can locate an area, and find every groundwater study that has been done there and who did it. Well, this is a good idea, you said, but how? And who’s going to be in charge of it?
I will give my two cents here.
In general, there are two bodies that hold the information: public office and private companies. Reports in public office include any study prepared and funded by a government body. As this kind of report is usually open to public, it is easier to be gathered. But this will put more workload to public office staff. And you know what it means.
In case of private companies, they usually change information quite often. They know who’s doing what. But, there is this confidential problem. Also, some are reluctant to disclose information/report that, maybe, will not benefit them.
So, what’s the solution?
First, let’s talk about numbers. On March 7, 2000, by approving Proposition 13, California voters authorized a total spending of $1.97 billion for groundwater storage and recharge projects . Also, in 2006, there is Proposition 84 that authorized the state spending of $5.388 billion for projects involving water quality and supply, flood control, and water pollution and contamination control. Thus, it is important for the state to have database. This will prevent overlap areas for similar program, thus optimize the budget spending. Also it will show the government accountability that, as we know, can be improved.
Gathering report from private companies seems like more hassle. In reality, any private companies that do water resource project that include permit must submit report to the city, county, DWR or the Water Boards. Since the report must be reviewed, thus the quality of the report can be assumed fine. In order to put these reports in one office, we can copy the system whereas drilling companies must submit Well Completion Report to the DWR office. This Well Completion Report is usually 2 to 3 pages, and can be submitted as .pdf file through email.
What kind of report will the user get? This online groundwater study database can also use similar format. For each report, the information stored are location of program/projects, a brief program description, the area coverage, and the involved party(ies). To help funding this online database, the office can charge users per report retrieved. For users, the benefit will easily top off the price. For instance, my company don’t mind to pay, between $45 to 70 per station, to get long term weather data from NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) website.
Worth to mention that, California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources has pioneered this type of online spatial database. Start 2009, anyone can access any electric log and the completion report of any oil and gas well from their website (after certain time, well’s information can be viewed by public). The database is so good, that you can do data query down to section (of township and range) scale. Here is the best part: there is no charge. So, we can kind of optimistic for this online database idea.
Hopefully, that light at the end of the tunnel is not a train coming towards you.
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