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Colorado Water Information Dashboards Project Summary Report April 13,2017 <br /> Page 7 of 8 <br /> right now for water quality data management and visualization, but not in a public venue. <br /> For example, the Cherry Creek Water Quality Authority manages all of their water quality <br /> monitoring data in a system build just like the Dashboards (http://www.ccbwga.org). The <br /> challenges for water quality are that the data itself is more complex (multiple parameters, a <br /> need to track methods and lab qa data, etc) and visualizing the data can be very specialized <br /> (running averages, seasonal metrics, etc. are often more important than simply time series <br /> data). <br /> With the rising concern for the quality of Colorado's streams and rivers, we believe there is a <br /> need in various places throughout the state for Water Quality Dashboards, to support <br /> watershed initiatives, track habitat impacts below reservoirs, or monitor the collective <br /> impacts of treatment plant outfalls, just to name a few examples. <br /> As was the case for this project, the users most in need of these tools aren't able to get <br /> started on their own. The Dashboards project has generated a body of code and processes <br /> that could greatly accelerate the development of water-quality focused tools, and if public <br /> funding could be directed to support this effort the return on investment for all would be <br /> significant. <br /> Next Steps <br /> As mentioned above, all of the Project Partners and several new entities have begun <br /> leveraging the Dashboards deliverables to create cost effective custom tools of their own. An <br /> important next step is to continue to increase awareness of the Dashboards project and its <br /> outcomes so that other looking for the same opportunities can do the same. This could take <br /> the form of talks at Water Congress, Basin Forums, and other similar events and venues. <br /> Because the ArkDSS project is serving as a kind of "Dashboards" project for Division 2, there <br /> will be plenty of opportunity to consider how the Dashboards technology can help the division <br /> staff in that basin, and hopefully work out how some aspects might apply similarly statewide. <br /> But much of the power of the dashboards is found in how it can be easily adapted to the <br /> custom needs of individual water users, not just in meeting their accounting and reporting <br /> requirements to the state, but in managing their own systems efficiently and effectively. As <br /> the DWR develops more tools for water users, if these tools don't quite "meet the users <br /> where they are," dashboard tools could be recommended to those users to help them advance <br /> their own processes to the point where they can leverage the State's tools effectively. <br /> Lastly, this project will continue to provide value far into the future if advancements made <br /> based on the publicly posted codes and processes are contributed back to the repository. In <br /> this way each new effort can stand on the shoulders of the previous work and as a community <br /> we will progress quickly. The CODeS Coop website is a free and convenient place for this <br /> community sharing to occur, and it will include messaging that encourages users of the <br /> resources to strongly consider giving back. <br /> LeonardRice <br /> ENGLNEERS,INC <br />