TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATIONPARTNERS

DOWNLOAD DATA

Download water quality data in MS Excel, CSV, TSV, and KML formats.

Learn how to use the portal and data output formats.

Get to know the organizations contributing water-quality data and sponsoring the development of the portal.

QW Data Portal is an online application introduced by USGS and EPA.

ABOUT THE DATA PORTAL

USER GUIDE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FAQs

TECHNICAL / WEBSITE ASSISTANCEFor technical problems or comments about this website: (help email address here).

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA)

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) – About the Data Portal

Project DescriptionThe QW Data Portal provides an easy way to access data stored in various large water-quality databases through form-based queries as well as through standalone web services. (A web service is a computer-to-computer protocol that allows for the direct sharing of information. Applications such as internet portals can use the web services to access data from the various databases without needing an authorized database connection).

The QW Data Portal provides various input parameters on the form interface including location, site, result, and date parameters to filter and customize the output result set. Equivalent data retrievals can be performed using web services, which has the same input parameters and pre-defined output formats offered through the form. For more information and examples on accessing the web services, see <Technical Documentation and Examples>.

What’s New10-01-2011: The Data Portal is released.

User GuideLink here for instructions and to view videos.

Frequently Asked QuestionsLink to the FAQs.

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) – User Guide

Explanation of portal search parametersLocation ParametersSite ParametersResult ParametersFile FormatCompress

Help VideosVideo 1: Find sites with certain types of monitoring data available.Video 2: Download water quality results.Video 3: How to make a map of water quality sites.

Explanation of Data RetrievalsWater monitoring data made available by the QW Data Portal is delivered in a common format and nomenclature according to the <WQX-Outbound 2.0 schema>.

Site data elements<list>

Result data elements<list>

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) – FAQs

How much data is available?Combined, nearly 200M results from over 5M monitoring locations are currently accessible through the portal.

How often are the data refreshed?It varies, the USGS services are refreshed every 24 hours. The STORET services are refreshed once a week and data providers may upload data to EPA periodically.

What organizations currently are providing data?All USGS Water Science Centers; these tribes [link] and these states [link] from STORET are available.

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) – Download Data

USGS water quality data originates from the NWISWeb database. For more information on what data are available and how NWIS data were mapped to the WQX format visit: http://qwwebservices.usgs.gov

EPA water quality data originates from the STORET Data Warehouse which is EPA's repository of water quality monitoring data collected by water resource management groups across the country. These organizations, including states, tribes, watershed groups, other federal agencies, volunteer groups and universities, submit data to the STORET Warehouse in order to make their data publically accessible. Dor more information about STORET, see the STORET home page at http://www.epa.gov/storet

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) - Partners

The ACWI represents the interests of water-information users and professionals in advising the Federal Government on Federal water-information programs and their effectiveness in meeting the Nation's water-information needs. See ACWI Fact Sheet for more information: http://acwi.gov/acwi_factsheet_2010.pdf

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (Council) provides a national forum for coordination of comparable and scientifically defensible methods and strategies to improve water quality monitoring, assessment and reporting, and promotes partnerships to foster collaboration, advance the science, and improve management within all elements of the water quality monitoring community.

Water Quality Data Portal (BETA) –Technical Documentation

How to use the web servicesThe portal capabilities can be accessed programmatically through web services.

The WQX XML schema

Example web service calls