Lower Klamath Basin Science Conference

Need Description

ID - 822 Topical Area:
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A. Need Statement

A data nexus or single point of contact is needed for the basin. Support staff, permanently funded is a must for long term management.

 

B. Why is this need/solution important?

Presently, Tribes, governmental agencies, and contractors provide final reports and publications to individual agencies or groups which do not routinely communicate or provide copies of those reports and surveys to other investigators. Having a single point of contact and promoting that site or group as the point to which all data would be sent to, reformatted if necessary for a web based querable system, and published for the general good would make more information available to both scientists and managers.Having knowledge of green sturgeon needs on the Salmon river, for example, would enable better management decisions to be made concerning need for all associated life stage needs. The same goes for the Klamath mainstem and all possible use of cold water refugia by both adults and juveniles of all species.

 

C. State of Knowledge

In California, several efforts at data consolidation have begun and ended without achieving their goals. Many efforts like California Fish and Games rarefind, and UC Davis ICE program achieve limited and specific needs for scientists, watershed managers, and interested publics. During the period when the north coast watershed assessment program was in effect, five resource agencies worked together to combine biological, physical, land management, water and fire needs in a data center. That program has been disbanded. Portions of remaining programs are supported by contract personnel without defined long term missions nor funding sources. California Fish and Game has begun a pilot program called "Calfish" which could house physical and biological information for the Klamath. As a demonstration program using contract personnel in the next two years it could set the frame for a longer term budget change proposal with both permanent personnel and operations funds to achieve needed goals.

 

D. Level of Difficulty

A team of at least 5 permanent persons would be needed. A programmer, one web publication expert, a database manager, a data entry person and a data manager/ biological expert/ communication specialist would be needed. In order to house this amount of information one of two options might be considered. House all information in a single large data center similiar to Teale data center with existing network and other personnel or; create a smaller data center with these five people above and link to existing speciality centers like state, federal, university, and other data centers for geographic base layers and special data sets. The goal would be to synthesize all data in such a way as to allow queries to be made on many different spatial scales combining a variety of overlayering data sets. All desired outputs, standardized form of inputs and longevity of funding as part of continuing monitoring must be decided by committee in order to get support at all levels for this effort.