CA Water Boards Hosting Data Innovation Challenge

The Water Boards’ Office of Information Management and Analysis (OIMA) is hosting a Data Innovation Challenge this spring

The focus will be on creating apps, visualizations, and other tools that can help better harness data that is currently available. Generally, state government projects and products fail to share; disseminate; or make use, to its potential, the large amount of data that the government itself maintains. One of the aims of this event is to create products that demonstrate the use of data beyond what is currently being done. Data from the Water Boards’ CEDEN, SMARTS and CIWQS databases (see below) will be highlighted, but finding synergies with other datasets is encouraged and will be considered during the evaluation of the event entries.

This event also kicks-off the first phase of the Water Boards’ Open Data Initiative, which includes making data from three systems available through an open data platform. Future phases will include adding additional datasets and the development of additional tools for enhanced data access, integration, and visualization.

What is a Data Innovation Challenge?

A Data Innovation Challenge (also known as an apps challenge or codefest) is a competition of brainstorming and computer programming that draws together the talent and creativity of software developers and designers.

How do I participate?

The event will be kicked off by the Water Boards’ Data Fair on March 18, though attendance (in-person or virtually) at the Data Fair is not necessary to participate in the Data Innovation Challenge. The goal of the Data Fair is to provide information on the Water Boards’ data systems and data initiatives, give access to some of the data stewards of the available data sets, and generally bring awareness to the importance of data as the Water Board fulfills its mission of preserving and enhancing Waters of the State. Then, during the intervening month, brainstorm ideas on how to address one of the questions within or related to the themes, below; code; and enter the competition!

Competition participants must submit their product by 5:00 pm on April 19. Specific instructions on submitting products will be provided in the coming weeks on the Data Innovation Challenge website. Participants must be available inperson or via web conference on April 22 to give a brief presentation on and demonstration of their product.

What datasets will be available?

The California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN)

The CEDEN database contains field, chemistry, sediment and water column toxicity, tissue, taxonomy and benthic data. The data are collected by a large variety of environmental monitoring programs throughout California that monitor streams, lakes, rivers, and the coastal ocean. It includes quality assurance-related data.

Stormwater Multiple Application and Report Tracking System (SMARTS)

The SMARTS database primarily houses regulatory data (such as what sites are covered by a permit, when permit coverage began at the site, the dates of Water Board inspections, and the number and types of violations found at regulated sites) for the statewide general construction, industrial and small municipal stormwater permits, It also contains stormwater quality data for those sites that file their annual reports electronically.

California Integrated Water Quality System Project (CIWQS)

CIWQS is used by the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards to track regulatory information about other programs, such as the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and waste dischargers to land. It also contains self-monitoring report data generally submitted by NPDES dischargers and sanitary sewer system spill data submitted by sanitary sewer system operators.

Source: California Water Boards

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Taxonomy

• Data Management
• Data Processing
• Data Acquisition