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Data Search Assistance
Through Its central indexes and directories, NAWDEX can assist users
1n quickly Identifying types of data that may be available 1n specific
geographic areas of interest. The central index of data sites can be
searched geographically by State, county, polygons of latitude and
longitude, and river basins. These search criteria are significant to
estuarine and coastal programs in that they can be coastal counties, a
polygon of latitude and longitude that describe the extents of coastal
areas, coastal river basin, or any combination of these criteria. In
addition, the type of site can also be specified, I.e., stream, estu
ary, ocean, lake, etc. The central directories may be further used to
Identify source organizations and to identify water-related data such
as. oceanographic, meteorological, climatic, soils, water-use and other
types that may be available from registered organizations. The pro
gram, thus, serves as a central source of Information about a wide
variety of data available from a large number of organizations.
Data Dissemination
The NAWDEX program is authorized to access and disseminate water data
stored 1n the U.S. Geological Survey's WATSTORE system and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's STORET system. This includes large
volumes of streamflow, peak flow, sediment, ground-water levels, sur
face and ground-water quality, and a variety of other types of water
data.
Also. NAWDEX Assistance Centers provide dissemination service; from
several State-level data systems Including the Texas Natural Resources
Information System (TNR1S), the Nebraska Natural Resources Information
System (NNRIS), the Hydroiogic Information Storage and Retrieval
System (HISARS) for the States of Virginia, Utah, and several others.
Information stored in the Selected Water Resources Abstracts data
base of WRSIC 1s also disseminated by NAMDEX through several of Its
Assistance Centers. In addition, this data base may be searched by
using Dialog Information Services, Inc. (a commercial on-line
utility).
Data Referrals
If specific data cannot be retrieved and disseminated by a NAWDEX
Assistance Center, the central directories assist the centers in
referring the request to the proper data source for response.
Direct Data Access
The NAWDEX Program Office Is authorized to provide Its members direct
access via computer terminals to Its index data base and directories
and to the WATSTORE data system of the U.S. Geological Survey and the
STORET data system of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Information Products
The NAWDEX program provides a variety of Information products from its
computerized data bases. These include the following:
Ad hoc reports In Informal formats in response to
Individual requests for information about water-data
types, site locations, or organizations.