PDNWC Coordinated Database Project

1. PDNWC Coordinated Database Project Briefing of Congressional Staff NM Water Resources Research Institute, 4 August 2004 El Paso Water Utilities, 10 September 2004 NM-TX Water Commission MAC Meeting EPWU, 19 August 2004

2. Agenda for briefing • Introduction to the Project • Project background • Justification of project activities • Partners in collaboration • Project objectives and activities • Demonstration of ArcIMS Website • Discussion of future funding possibilities

3. Background of Database Project • Long term interest among regional stakeholders in access to water resource data • Role of the New Mexico-Texas Water Commission • Role of the Paso del Norte Watershed Council • Phase I activities funded by the El Paso Water Utilities • Development of initial testbed project • Development of current project team • Current work ongoing in Phase II

4. New Mexico-Texas Water Commission • Developed out of long term Texas/New Mexico water conflict • Parties in Commission are regional water resource agencies (EBID, NMSU/WRRI, CLC, DAC, EPCWID #1, UTEP, TAMU/TAES, EPWU) • New Mexico Texas Water Commission was tool for regional water planning  EP/LC Regional Sustainable Water Project • Environmental concerns of project drove establishment of the Paso del Norte Watershed Council

5. Paso del Norte Watershed Council • PdNWC Mission - As an advisory body to the New Mexico-Texas Water Commission, • the Council investigates, develops, and recommendsoptions for watershed planning and management • exploring how water-related resources can best be balanced • to benefit the Rio Grande ecosystem and the interests of all watershed stakeholders.

6. Paso del Norte Watershed Council PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS • City of El Paso • El Paso Water Utilities • El Paso League of Women Voters • Environmental Defense • El Instituto Municipal de Investigación y Planeación (IMIP) • El Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) • International Boundary & Water Commission (U. S. & Mexico) • New Mexico Department of Agriculture • New Mexico State University • New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute • Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin Coalition • Southwest Environmental Center • Texas A&M University Agricultural Research & Extension Center • Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center • La Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez • University of Texas at El Paso • U. S. Army - Fort Bliss Directorate of Environment • U. S. Bureau of Reclamation • U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service • World Wildlife Fund • Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

7. Idea for Coordinated Database Project • Long term discussions within NM-TXWC and regional stakeholders on utility of a database • Idea initially advanced by Conrad Keyes as a contract to El Paso Water Utilities and NM-TXWC • PDNWC formally proposed this concept to the El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) in 2002 • EPWU funded Phase I, which developed project prototype completed in fall 2003

8. Objectives of PDNWC DB Project • Historically, large numbers of agencies collected wide range of water resource data • Access to data lacked much coordination • Goal of the PdNWC project is to provide coordinated access to wide range of data via web-based access and GIS interface • Project facilitates greater sharing of data among both providers and end users • Overall goal is to enhance water resource management via regional approach in the PdN region

9. Components of PDNWC Phase I project • Use of Internet Map Server front end and image map tiles provide spatial query (following graphic) • ArcIMS provides overall view of the study area • Pre-clipped tiles of larger map are served as image maps • Pop-up menus of available data are served off of image maps • Basic metadata (source, spatial extent, date, variables involved, format, and details on access) are served via web-interface and published in Final Project Report

10. Components of PDNWC project

11. Initial water resource datasets • Hewlett Binational Mapping data and other WRRI data provided map background. • Project staff in NM and Texas worked with their local data providers (EBID, EPCWID #1, EPWU, and CLC) to obtain data. • Conversion of historical data to digital format for automated retrieval and digital processing • Larger datasets already served on-line by other agencies are incorporated (USGS, USBR, and IBWC). • EPWU, UTEP, and UACJ data were identified for later inclusion into the project.

12. Benefits of Phase I Work • Developed cooperation across wide range of regional stakeholders • Identified stakeholder needs for coordinated access to water resource data • Demonstrated utility of the web-based interface and Internet Map Service • Established website for public access to data, available at http://www.pdnwatershed.org/ • Developed specific recommendations of Phase II of the project

13. Ongoing enhancements • Enhance GIS user interface • Integrate data from new monitoring stations and equipment • Incorporate UACJ, UTEP, and EPWU data more fully into next phases of project • Develop improved data access and sharing capabilities • Develop partnerships for new data sources

14. Ideas for future work • Inclusion of new data sources into future project phases, • Groundwater source water protection data • Stormwater runoff and best management practice data, • Land use data for future land use modeling efforts • Link the EPWU Database Project to other regional water resource projects • USACE/URGWOM modeling activities • Lower Rio Grande Basin database and modeling efforts • Additional funding is needed to continue the development and maintenance of the water resource database

15. Overall project benefits • The Project is a tri-state, binational coordinated database compilation and sharing effort. • The Project supports a regional approach to water resource management in the Paso del Norte region. • The Project has brought a wide range of capable stakeholders and researchers into a cohesive and effective team.