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Paul R. Houser, Science Advisor

Collaborative Science, Services and Tools to Support Integrated and Adaptive Water Resources Management

Paul R. HouserBriefing for RLTJune 21, 2011


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Integrated Water Resources Science

and Services (IWRSS)

Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality

June 15, 2011

Thomas M. Graziano, Ph.D.Chief, Hydrologic Services Division

National Weather ServiceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


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• Growing Water Challenges• Water Resources Stakeholder

Needs• Recent Extreme Events• Federal Water Resources

Consortium•Business Model•Strategy and Products•MOU and Team Charters

• National Water Center


Growing Water Issues

Growing need for water resources forecasts:• Population growth and economic

development are stressing water supplies and increasing vulnerability

• A changing climate is impacting water availability and quality

• Socio-economic risks of floods and droughts are escalating

Decision-makers in water management sectors need:• Expanded/new high resolution information

in space and time • Quantification of uncertainty to manage risk• Enhanced communication of flood risk

Blue Gold“The New Oil”


Stakeholder Needs Assessment

Broadly recognized need for an integrative “Federal Tool Box”Streamline access to Federal water resource capabilitiesShare technology, data, information, models, best practices, policy, authorities

50 States +

12 Federal Agencies

Recommended the NOAA-lead Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS) to prototype the Federal Tool Box

August 2010

Building Strong Collaborative Relationships for a Sustainable Water Resources Future


Record Spring Flooding – Red River, Ohio River Valley, Mississippi River

Wettest snow pack in 60 years across much of the North Central United States

Extensive snowmelt flooding in Red River of the North, Upper Mississippi, James, Big Sioux and Minnesota Rivers

During late April-early May, Central US received 10-20+ inches of precipitation (600% of normal)

Major to Record Flooding occurred at several locations along the Ohio and from Cairo, Il southward

USACE employed several Mississippi floodways and flood control reservoirs to protect population centers

Evacuations in many states

U.S. Coast Guard, increased restrictions on river commerce

Missouri and Milk Rivers in flood and rising; USACE operating flood control reservoirs to mitigate impacts

CPC long-range precipitation outlook for upper mid-west and western U.S. above normal for June-August

Extreme Flooding

Observed Precipitation April 21, 2011 – May 5, 2011

Observed Precipitation April 21, 2011 – May 5, 2011


Extreme Flooding Tennessee - Kentucky Floods

April 30 – May 4, 2010

Issue: NWS, USACE, and USGS were not able to share information and communicate in an effective manner during the peak of the event Action: Facilitate improved access to data and ensure common operating picture

Issue: City officials and the public were not aware of devastating impacts until they occurred - severity and extent of inundation not communicated effectivelyAction: Implement comprehensive flood forecast inundation mapping system


Roadmap Document(February 2009)

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Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS)

Aligns multiple agencies with complimentary water-related missions to:

Integrate services and service delivery

Improve river and flood forecasts

Provide new summit-to-sea water resources analyses and forecasts

Enable more effective use of resources http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/~cline/IWRSS/IWRSS_ROADMAP_v1.0.pdf

Purpose, Scope, Vision and

Goals

Cross-Cutting Themes

National and

Regional

Operations and

Business Concepts


Innovative Federal ConsortiumNew business model for interagency collaborationShare technology, information, models, best practicesStarted with three agencies, designed to expandMembers agree to work towards:

Interoperability of key systems and data synchronization Standardized data formats Enhanced geospatial information and visualization Common Operating Picture Coordinated R&D portfolio investments Leverage multi-disciplinary skills to formulate effective solutions Federal Tool Box – one stop shopping for federal water data and information

• Joint governance structure – shared leadership model• Joint stakeholder outreach, educational efforts


New Digital Information Products

Snowpack

Precipitation

Soil Moisture

Evapotranspiration

Groundwater

River Flow

Surface Storage

Water Quality

Local Information (< 1 km2)High Resolution, Quantify Uncertainty

Watershed to National Information linked to Water Census

Past Present Future

S u m m i t - t o - S e a

Snowfall

Snow Depth

Water Content

Snow Temperature

Snowmelt


• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)• Entitled “Collaborative Science, Services and Tools to Support Integrated and

Adaptive Water Resources Management”• Signing Ceremony: Wednesday May 11, 2011 at the Georgetown Waterfront

Park, near the USGS Potomac River stream gage in Washington, D.C.

Status and Current Activities

Signatories• Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA

Administrator• Dr. Marcia McNutt, Director of the

U.S. Geological Survey• Rock Salt for the Honorable Jo-Ellen

Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works


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– Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) • Covers both IWRSS and the Federal Toolbox• Signed May 11, 2011• NOAA NWS was lead author

– Charter One• Team on System Interoperability & Data

Synchronization• USGS is lead author; In draft form

– Charter Two• Team on National Flood Inundation Mapping

Services• USACE is the lead author; In draft form

– Charter Three • Team to define/validate requirements and design

common portal (“Federal Toolbox”)• USGS is lead author

– Charter Four• Governance• USACE is lead author

Status and Current Activities


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Article II. Purpose The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to document

the commitment of the Parties and formalize this interagency partnership to, better align agency programs within current authorities, enhance communications and the exchange and availability of information, and to establish opportunities for joint projects, programs, facilities, and other collaborative science, services and tools to support integrative and adaptive water resources management. This MOU is designed to facilitate the Parties' scientists, engineers, and managers to work together, achieve mutual goals and leverage resources for sharing information and planning, developing, and implementing science and services in support of integrative and adaptive water resources management. It is also intended to serve as the foundation and a mechanism for other Federal agencies and partners to join this collaborative partnership in the future to further address our Nation's water resources information and knowledge capacity needs.

Memorandum of Understanding


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Article IV. Responsibilities• Develop and implement highly collaborative and integrative capabilities to

protect lives and property, and support integrated and adaptive water resources management. The capabilities include:– Interoperable systems, seamless data exchange and synchronization, and

enhanced geospatial information and visualization to establish extensive situational awareness within a common operating picture.

– Enhanced water resource information and capabilities including:• Historical and real-time data• High resolution water resource forecasts and flood inundation maps• Data and modeling applications and other software tools• Contextual and background information about authorities, policies, and programs

grounding science and engineering efforts of respective agencies, especially regarding water and related resources

– National water support center for transitioning science and technology advancements into operations and to generate a new seamless suite of water resources information and support.

• Participate in joint stakeholder outreach, educational efforts and evaluation activities.

• Identify areas of information gaps, redundancies, conflicts, and opportunities for subsequent joint project planning, program alignment, and problem solving.

Memorandum of Understanding


Status and Plans for IWRSS National Water Center (NWC)

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NWC Design & Construction Schedule

Construction Completed (Fall)

2010

2011

2012

2013

ConstructionUA – Hydrology Program Design Scoping Meeting (June)

Design Charrette – UA (July)

Design concept vetted w/ Sen. Shelby’s Chief of Staff (July)

Programmatic Design Completed (Dec)

Design concept vetted w/ NOAA DUS and CFO (August)

Design Development Completed (May)

Groundbreaking (Winter)

Design-Build Contract Awarded (Funds Obligated for Construction) (September)

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Design-Build Kickoff Meeting (October)

Design-Build Solicitation Released (June)


• Programmatic design completed• Size ~ 58,000 s.f. with staff capacity of ~ 200

–Operations Center with Situation Rooms

–Geo-Intelligence Laboratory–Collaborative Science and Software

Engineering Studio– Information Technology Laboratory–Distance Learning

Classroom/Auditorium– IWRSS Systems Proving Ground–Administrative Offices

Functional Elements

NWC Design Activities

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National Water CenterCombine hydrologic forecasting operations and research to fill several critical gaps:

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• Provide new high-resolution forecasts of water resource variables to help decision makers better manage water

• Extend river and flood forecasting to provide maps showing forecasted spatial extent and depth of flooding• Integrate water resources information to provide one-stop shopping for stakeholders (Federal Toolbox)• Establish multi-agency proving ground to leverage capabilities and accelerate R2O• Establish Common Operating Picture

University of AlabamaIOC Spring 2014

Front Elevation (Looking Northwest From Hackberry)


10 Integrated Water Resources Science and Services (IWRSS) themes have been identified for web portal, data products and services.

Service Sectors

Hazards 1: Floods, Debris Flows, Storm Surge

Hazards 2: Drought

Agriculture

Climate

Weather

Water Supply

Transportation

Energy

Ecosystems

Water Quality/Human Health

NWC Operations Service Sectors

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New Capabilities24x7 Operations and Support Coverage

Improved River Forecasts, and High-Resolution Analyses and Forecasts

Regional Liaisons

Dynamic Flood Inundation Mapping

Snow/Soil Moisture data acquisition and satellite data processing

Common Operating Picture and Multi-Agency System Interoperability

National Portal (Toolbox) and Archive

Service Backup for River Forecast Centers

Development Proving Ground for Research to Operations

NWC Capabilities

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Pros:– National Water Science Agencies: USGS, NOAA– National Water Management Agencies: USACE, and BOR???– Enhancing interagency coordination on water science, services, and tools that

will help Reclamation more effectively leverage interagency efforts and resources. Could save taxpayer $$

– Increased direct advocacy for interagency tool and data development that address Reclamation needs

– Expedited access to Reclamation observations, tools and operations will benefit water information, forecasting, and decision making by other agencies.

Cons:– Reclamation already collaborates closely and effectively with a wide variety of

water science, management, and stakeholder partners, including NOAA, USGS, and USACE.

– IWRSS and NWC proposed centralized operations.

Should Reclamation sign IWRSS MOU?


TimelineTask POC Timeframe1. Presenting IWRSS to Reclamation.

a. John Tubbs, DOI Deputy Assist. Secretary, Water & Science, expressed strong interest during IWRSS briefing for BOR to sign MOU.

b. NOAA, USACE working to get IWRSS running smoothly. Several actions to accomplish before adding agencies to MOU (CY 2012).

c. IWRSS MOU briefing to RLT.

William H. Werkheiser, Associate Director for Water, USGS, DOI contact for IWRSS. Gary Carter Director, Office of Hydrologic DevelopmentNOAA National Weather Service

Paul Houser, USBR Science Advisor

May 2011

June 2011 June 2011

2. Steps for Reclamation to sign IWRSS-MOU,

a. The DOI General Law contact reviews the MOU for Reclamation’s signature with Reclamation staff. b. Reclamation’s Comissioner sends memo to the signatory agencies requesting that we sign. c. Reclamation staff work with Cindy Cafaro to have the MOU signed in Reclamation and a staff member assigned as action contact.

Signatory agency Chiefs of Staff review/approve BOR addition Cindy Cafaro, Office of the Solicitor, General, Kate Goggin, Paul Houser Letter draft & surnaming – Kate Goggin and Paul Houser Kate Goggin works with Cindy. Paul Houser is assigned as action contact to implement MOU.

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Documents

water availability

water issuesgrowing

water supplies

water resources forecasts

water management sectors

collaborative science

science advisor1

river commercemissouri