New Water Data Hub makes critical water data accessible Posted on February 07, 2023
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Taylor Christian – Water Data Scientist and Coordinator, Texas Water Development Board
In today's age, when you have a question about something and you're trying to figure it out, you go to the Internet and look it up. And water data doesn't always work that way. Water data in Texas can be fragmented and locked away in different organizations and entities all across the state. To actually understand and be able to utilize all of the data that we produce, you have to have this knowledge base of how entities and organizations also operate. And so, there was this disconnect in people being able to find and access the data they need unless they have that deep knowledge base. That was really the driver of building the Texas Water Data Hub.
The data in the Hub can really be anything that describes water. So that could be a physical measurement, something that might be like the quantity of water moving down a stream. Or it could be maybe the quality of the water in that stream. We have soil moisture data that's used a lot of times for different modeling work. We also have political boundaries like groundwater conservation districts. So we made sure that we wanted to be very holistic in the kind of categories and types of data that were included.
When you come into the Hub, you're able to search for data through different categories, as well as keywords or terms, or specific locations. And what's great about the Hub is you're able to download the metadata, the data dictionary, and the resource seamlessly together.
Laura Sepulveda – TNRIS Design, Innovation, Marketing Manager, Texas Water Development Board
We wanted to build something that was intuitive for our users. So, we focused on human-centered design methodologies. And what that means is just working with real people before you even start building something. We talked to a lot of water data users and producers around the state to learn from them about what their workflows are so that we could design something that would meet their specific needs.
Taylor Christian – Water Data Scientist and Coordinator, Texas Water Development Board
So, we've launched the beta version of the Hub. And what that really means is we're not done yet. We've spent a lot of time researching and making sure that we are providing a product that is really usable for people. But part of that is making sure that we put it out there and that it works for people and get that feedback now.
Laura Sepulveda – TNRIS Design, Innovation, Marketing Manager, Texas Water Development Board
The great thing about beta is that people can use it, they can comment on it, and we have a built-in survey for them to send us feedback on what enhancements they might want to see in the future and if anything is not working for them. And so we can actively be adjusting while we're still in development with beta.
So, we have a suggested dataset page, which is for anybody who has data they want to contribute or they know of data that they think should be in the Hub. It could even be used for somebody who has an idea of a data type or set that they would like to be in the Hub. They don't necessarily have to know where it is.
Taylor Christian – Water Data Scientist and Coordinator, Texas Water Development Board
We're really looking for data across all different kinds of geographic entities. So we want municipal data on water use. We're looking for regional data. And also, statewide data sets are really powerful, but it's a combination of all of those that are going to make the Hub great.
Laura Sepulveda – TNRIS Design, Innovation, Marketing Manager, Texas Water Development Board
To actually see people downloading data and accessing and contributing data is going to be really wonderful, and I'm just excited to see all the different datasets that people have to contribute.
Taylor Christian – Water Data Scientist and Coordinator, Texas Water Development Board
I really believe that making data accessible and what we're doing is truly the foundation to good decision-making, and it feels really powerful to be a part of that.
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