Data Collection Techniques and Analytics for Water Resource Systems and Natural Water Systems

August 22-23, 2023 | Online :: Central Time

0823-water-data-collection

Streams, springs, pipelines, aquifers, wells, wetlands, and reservoirs all compose pieces of a vast water resource puzzle. Understanding the condition of these resources on the ground through data becomes critical due to their vital importance to all life on Earth. Data collection and data analysis are essential skills needed to understand and manage any body of water. But not just any data, you need accurate and efficient data that contributes to your organization’s goals.

The fundamentals taught in this course will pave the way for developing and completing your data acquisition projects, from idea to presentation, by using leading and emerging technologies to search, acquire, analyze, and use proprietary and 3^rd party data.

This course will focus on water resources, but the technical information can apply to any resource with the goal of having every attendee confident in their ability to go into the field to collect and interpret ground information accurately for their water organization.

Learning Objectives

• Create purposeful data collection projects for your water organization
• Present and utilize the best data collection methods and technologies for the project at hand
• Define and implement the full process of collecting data planning, preparing, collecting, post-processing, reviewing, publishing and including use of equipment for collecting high accuracy data
• Prepare for and overcome challenges of collecting various water resource data, including troubleshooting common issues that arise when collecting data
• Safely and efficiently prepare and conduct field work in various environments

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 : Central Time

Short breaks will be taken throughout the sessions

Thoughtful Data Collection Planning: Setting Up for Success

• Thinking about the why: what is the purpose?
  • What questions need answered
  • What data contributes to these answers
    • What additional data needs to be collected?
  • Building an effective data dictionary
    • Make it easy for use in the field: Drop downs (domains) where possible

High Accuracy Data Collection

• Collecting the appropriate accuracy for the right situation
  • Don’t always need submeter/centimeter
  • Cell phone/tablet can work and collect workable data
• GPS metadata and what they mean
  • HDOP/PDOP
  • Horizontal and vertical accuracy
• Using base stations
• Collecting submeter accuracy
  • Technology (standalone units, external antennas)
  • Dealing with various canopy and topography
• Comparing accuracies of different devices and methods
• Points, lines, polygons for water data- keeping each geometry accurate

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection

• Qualitative vs. quantitative
  • Why you need both
• Being prepared for data in the grey area
• The benefits of categorizing
• Right sizing quantitative accuracy and rounding

Time Before the Field: Planning

• Practice data collection
  • Lessons learned
• Making a field collection plan
  • Planning for transects
  • How will work be split
  • Printing maps
• Preparing for technological failures/field troubleshooting
• Proper metadata and trip documentation

Time in the Field: Preparing and Organizing for Business Analytics

• Getting to the site
  • Avenza Maps for navigation using geocoded PDFs offline
  • Have the full picture
    • weather, drive time, road conditions
• Making full use of field and drive time
  • Camping/per diem hotels
  • Combining projects when possible
    • Prepare for the possibility
  • Working longer days
• Staying safe

Time after the Field: Reviewing Your Business Analytics

• FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable)
• How to know what authoritative data is
  • Federal Agencies that collect water resources data
• Making your data interoperable with state and national standards
• QAQC techniques
• Creating a big picture with data
  • Using related data to analyze quality of your field work
  • Telling a story with data

Day One Wrap Up and Q&A

 

Wednesday, August 23, 2023 : Central Time

Short breaks will be taken throughout the sessions

Data Collection Technology

• Use of emerging GIS/GPS technologies
• Improvement of data collection workflows
  • Pros and cons of different data collection applications and software
  • GPS devices and hardware
• Software
  • ESRI ArcGIS Online
  • ESRI Collector
  • ESRI Survey 123
  • Avenza
• Hardware
  • Cell Phone and Tablet GPS: with and without external receivers
  • External receiver options (Bad Elf, EOS Arrow, Geneq iSXBlue II, Trimble)
  • Dedicated GPS units
• Drones 
  • The opportunities for using drones to collect water data with precise, high-quality aerial imagery
  • Rules and regulations
    • FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107)
  • Areas of potential monitoring
    • Hydrologic features: streams, springs, lakes
    • Water quality: algal blooms, debris flows after fires, large events (Gold King mine spill on the Animas River)
    • Riparian areas: Non-native treatment effectiveness over time
  • Technology for use with drones – flight planners, image stitchers
  • Drone recommendations

Hands On-Exercises: Turning Drone Data into 3D Maps

• Using drone imagery in ArcGIS Pro

Course Wrap Up and Q&A

Taylor Christian, Water Data Scientist and Coordinator, Texas Water Development Board 

Taylor Christian has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Science in Geography from Texas State University with a focus on natural resources, geomorphology, and data collection. During graduate school, she spent extensive time in the field in Glacier National Park studying beaver ponds and collecting data. Since school, she has worked for a decade at a state agency focused on water resource data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Current career focus is making all water data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) for better and more informed decision-making about water resources at a local, state, and national scale.

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: After November 30 you will not be able to join a Teams meeting using Internet Explorer 11. Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the Teams app if possible. You may also use the Edge browser or Chrome.
• You will receive a separate email with a unique link to a personalized landing page which will include links to join all sessions of this event.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Data Collection Techniques and Analytics for Water Resource Systems and Natural Water Systems

August 22-23, 2023 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before July 21, 2023 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.9 CEUs for this event

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course

Instructional Methods

Power Point presentations and open discussion

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 10.5
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

 

Who Should Attend

• Water Resource Administrator
• Environmental Scientist
• Water Resource Engineer
• Project Manager – Water Resources
• Water Supply Planning
• Drainage Engineer