Standards Development

There is a large diversity in the amount and type of water data collected across the state and needed to inform water-related decisions. Data could be about

• surface water conditions (e.g., evaporation, soil moisture, precipitation, ecosystem health, and location of reservoirs/rivers/conveyances);

• ground water conditions (e.g., groundwater levels, locations and depths of wells, aquifer parameters, and geological formations); and

• related management processes (e.g., permits for use (type and quantity), measured diversions/extractions, amount in storage, water returns/injections, and water quality).

For all these datasets, we need to capture relevant information (i.e., specific measurements) as well as associated metadata (i.e., describes and gives information about the specific measurements).

Key term definition:

• Data standards include both an identification of relevant entries as well as definition of entries and where reasonable, inclusion of units associated with entries.

• Metadata standards are similar in that they identify relevant entries, describe entries, and include units but are focused on properties that are data-agnostic (e.g., well info where both quantity and quality measurements can be captured)

• Crosswalk

• Dictionary

Generally, every agency has their own internal practices and standards but we require a common understanding to ensure data is being accurately represented within the central platform. The subpages below capture current discussions regarding these common standards for the NM Water Data Act.

Key Resources:

• Guiding Questions

• Reference Architecture

Existing Standards:

• Water Quantity

  • Sensor-based: WaterML2

  • National Groundwater Monitoring Network

• Water Quality

  • EPA’s WQX (Json format details: https://github.com/gordonfn/wqx#references)

  • www.nemi.gov (water quality methods and analytes)

  • National Groundwater Monitoring Network

• Water Use

  • USGS recommends use of WaDE’s schema

• Metadata

  • Geospatial metadata: FGDC (Standards Working Group)

  • USGS National Geospatial Program

  • National Groundwater Monitoring Network

  • BoR’s RWIS

  • Geological Map Schema

  • CUAHSI’s Data Management Plans

• General

  • ODM2 is a highly general data model that includes many helpful controlled vocabularies

  • General observed physical properties and units, QUDT is comprehensive.

  • FGDC’s Open Water Data Initiative

  • Integrated Taxonomic Information System

  • US National Vegetation Classification System

  • Spatial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment → contains both metadata and facilities information (DoD)

  • American National Standards Institute

  • National Institutes for Standards and Technology