🚀 go-pugleaf

SF BAY/DELTA METADATA INDEX WORKSHOP
A Proposal to Use the Internet to Find Critically Important 
Datasets 
May 15, 9 am - 4 pm
Clarion Hotel, 700 16th  St, Sacramento, CA 
Call:  Kevin Wolf or Mike Williams, 916-758-4211


Metadata is data about data.  Some of the most basic of metadata 
is information such as: where the data set can be found, who 
collected the data, and who is the right person to talk to with 
their phone number.  Right now, California lacks an index to 
water datasets, and much time is spent by agency staff, 
consulting firms, students, professors, associations and non-
profit organizations in attempting to find the specific dataset 
they are looking for. 

A broad coalition organized by the Water On-line project has now 
come together to present a proposal for creating a key-word 
searchable library index to all San Francisco Bay Delta data 
sets.  In actuality this new World Wide Web on-line "card 
catalog" will index existing indexes.  

The Interagency Ecological Program, which includes the USBR, 
SWRCB, USEPA, DWR, CUWA, USGS and other agencies will link-up 
its 6000 piece set of critically important data including flow, 
exports, biological, water quality, and more.

The San Francisco Estuary Institute, which has been organizing 
data from SF Bay monitoring efforts, will take a lead role 
indexing its data in collaboration with the overall index.  

EPA's STORET data center which has enormous data resources in 
its main frame computers is actively exploring how it can assist 
in the effort. 

Key technical leadership has been provided by the Resources 
Agency's  CERES program (California Environmental Resource 
Evaluation System), the ICE program at UC Davis, and the Center 
for Environmental Research at UC Berkeley.  

The goal of this workshop is to understand and incorporate the 
suggestions and concerns of all interested parties before 
finalizing the design and policies regarding a SF  Bay Delta 
Metadata Index.  The proposal is to use the WorldWideWeb as a 
means to integrate existing and upcoming indexes and datasets 
into a searchable, on-line "card catalog."  The organizers hope 
that eventually all cities, water districts, consulting firms 
and others with data sets involved with the Delta and Bay will 
voluntarily incorporate their metadata about their datasets into 
this index.  

The success of this project will mean that more time and energy 
may be devoted to the work of analyzing the data as less time 
will be needed to find that information.   In this way, WOL and 
all the contributing partners will truly have advanced the use 
of the Intenet to help resolve California's water problems.   

Advance registration ($20.00) can be made payable to KWA/WOL and 
sent to WOL, 724 N St. Davis, CA 95616.  Lunch (chicken or 
vegetarian) is included in the price.  Day of  registration is 
$30.   Call or email for more information.  (916/758-4211, 
kjwolf@dcn.davis.ca.us)

Water On-line is a non-profit project with representatives from 
every major water interest group taking part in its open 
Steering Committee process.  In its December 1994 planning 
meeting, the committee directed staff to help bring together the 
different water stakeholders in three major projects:  helping 
create a SF Bay Delta Metadata Index, advancing the use of the 
Internet by Public Affairs offices, and expanding Water On-
line's Internet training programs.  

Water On-line will have its next Steering Committee from 7:30 - 
9 pm preceding the Metadata Index workshop at the Clarion Hotel.  
All are welcome.   Coffee, rolls, fruit and juice will be 
served.   To receive a copy of the agenda and to the specifics 
of the Metadata Index proposal pre-workshop. please subscribe to 
the Water On-line electronic mailing list.  For details and for 
further information, write Kevin Wolf at kjwolf@dcn.davis.ca.us.