California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium & California Water Data Challenge

Beyond Open Data: Radical Inclusivity for Water Data Equity

June 28-30, 2021

The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) and the California Water Quality Monitoring Council hosted the Sixth Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium on June 28 - 30, 2021. This free annual event aims to enhance how water quality monitoring generates and uses meaningful data to inform equitable water quality management decisions.

The June 2021 California Water Data Science Symposium Program and Agenda with speaker contact information and related resources are available for review. To request copies of presentation slides, please contact presenters directly using the contact information provided in the above agenda or in the recordings linked below.

Please go to YouTube to view recordings of the Symposium:

• June 28 Paya Panel Discussion
• June 29 Water Data Science Symposium
  • Plenary Session (Welcome and Keynote) Recording
  • Session 1: From Data to Insight Recording
  • Session 2: From Insight to Action Recording
  • Session 3: From Prediction to Protection Recording
• June 30 Water Data Science Symposium
  • Plenary & Session 1: California Chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science Recording
  • Session 2: Using Data to Address Water and Racial Inequities Recording
• Video Playlist of all recorded components of the Symposium, chaptered by Session/Topic

Who attended?

• Managers faced with policy decisions
• Staff and volunteers at community science organizations
• Scientists and community members working on water related questions or issues
• Aspiring academics and budding subject matter experts
• Water and data enthusiasts!

Brine shrimp and vernal pool fairy shrimp are this year's symbol of hope because of their amazing resilience, abundance, and support of life for California's original inhabitants, and their (sometimes under celebrated) beauty for being themselves.

Partnering with Communities for Better Water Outcomes

June 29-30, 2020

The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, the California Water Boards Data Center, and the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) hosted the Fifth Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium on June 29-30, 2020. This annual event aims to enhance how water quality monitoring generates meaningful data to inform water quality management decisions.

The 2020 California Water Data Science Symposium Agenda and Program is available for review. Follow this link for an accessible version of the Agenda and Program.

Please go to YouTube to view recordings of the Symposium:

• June 29 Welcome, Keynote, and EJ Communities 411 - 911 Panel Recording
• June 29 Water Data Science Symposium – all presentations
• June 30 Water Data Science Symposium – all presentations
• Video Playlist of all California Water Data Science Symposia

Who attended?

• Managers faced with policy decisions
• Staff and volunteers at community science organizations
• Scientists and community members working on water related questions or issues
• Aspiring academics and budding subject matter experts
• Water nerds

Open Water California: Innovating through Integrating and Expanding the Water Data Community

July 1-2, 2019

The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP), the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, the California Water Boards Data Center, and the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) hosted the Fourth Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium on July 1-2, 2019 in Sacramento, CA. This annual event aims to enhance how water quality monitoring generates meaningful data that informs water quality management decisions. This year’s Symposium focused on the theme of Open Water California- Innovating Through Integrating and Expanding the Water Data Community.

The 2019 Symposium's Agenda Package is available for review. Follow this link for an accessible version of the Agenda Package.

Please go to YouTube to view recordings of the Symposium:

• Day 1 Video
• Day 2 Video
• Community Water Science Workshop Video
• Video Playlist of the Complete Symposium, chaptered by Topic/Section
• Video Playlist of the Community Water Science Workshop chaptered by Presentation

In addition to the presentations and expert panel discussions, there were two concurrent events at this year's Symposium:

• California Water Datathon - Focused on engaging emerging data scientists to help address water management issues including Trash Data, Consumer Confidence Reports, and Drinking Water Sources.
• Community Water Science Workshop - Provided training and information on a variety of topics that are important to community water science organizations, such as developing a monitoring and quality assurance plan, working with laboratories, and multiple sessions on working with data.

Who attended?

• Managers faced with policy decisions
• Staff and volunteers at community science organizations
• Professional and community scientists working on water quality or resource management questions
• Aspiring academics and data scientists exploring careers in water quality and resources areas

Contact

For copies of specific presentations please contact mywaterquality@waterboards.ca.gov

Adapting in the Face of Disruptive Landscape Change

June 20 - 21, 2018

The Water Board's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) hosted the 3rd Annual California Water Board’s Water Data Science Symposium. This 2018 Symposium addressed the theme of Adapting in the Face of Disruptive Landscape Change. Presentations and posters describe how to collect, manage, and communicate monitoring information in anticipation of landscape change in response to long-term drivers such as climate change, population growth, and land use change, as well as rapid drivers such as fires, droughts, and floods.

The following subject areas were a focus of the 2018 symposium:

• Historical Ecology - What can history tell us about relationships between land use and water resources as urban, suburban, peri-urban and rural landscapes have changed over time in CA?
• Climate Change as a driver in water resource management.
• Fire as a driver in water resource management.
• Cannabis as a new driver in water resource management.
• Contaminants - The impacts on water resources of emerging contaminants, legacy contaminants, contaminants from fires, and contaminants from other sources; new methods for monitoring.
• Proactive Water Resource Monitoring - Are we collecting the right data and generating the right information to manage water resources in changing landscapes?

Beyond these broad themes, the following specific topics were prioritized for inclusion in the Symposium program:

• Landscape change
• Statewide monitoring programs
• Remote sensing
• Innovative monitoring tools
• eDNA
• Open data
• Data visualization
• Communication of findings to managers
• Civic engagement

Presenters, PowerPoints, & Abstracts & Bios: Day 1

Agenda with Presenters, Videos, PowerPoints, & Abstracts & Bios: Day 2

This full Science Symposium program contains the agenda with active hyperlinks to the PowerPoint presentations.

2018 Data Science Symposium Program & Agenda with Presentations

• Day 1 - Unfortunately the Skype recording of Day 1 is missing audio. If you attended Day 1 of the Symposium and recorded the presentations please contact us.
• Day 2

• Nick Martorano - Nicholas.Martorano@waterboards.ca.gov
• Greg Gearheart - Greg.Gearheart@waterboards.ca.gov

June 29 - 30, 2017

The Water Board's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) hosted the 2nd Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium, with the focus being on the use of data by other programs and Departments.

This is an annual event that aims to:

• daylight new watershed and data science topics, tool, and insights, insights;
• better connect data, information and knowledge to water quality stakeholders and decision makers; and
• create a networking community to enhance better communication throughout the year.

Links to Powerpoint Presentations and videos can be found on the main Agenda and Special Session Agenda below

• Agenda
• Agenda, Videos, Powerpoints, Abstracts, and Bio's: Day 1
  • Special Session - Emerging Tools for Water Quality Monitoring
• Agenda, Videos, Powerpoints, Abstracts, and Bio’s: Day 2

• Greg Gearheart - Greg.Gearheart@waterboards.ca.gov
• Lori Webber - Lori.Webber@waterboards.ca.gov
• Beverley Anderson-Abbs - Bev.Anderson-Abbs@waterboards.ca.gov
• Toni Marshall - Toni.Marshall@waterboards.ca.gov

June 29, 2016

The Water Board's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) hosted the 1^st Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium this summer. This symposium followed the Water Board's Data Fair in March and Data Innovation Challenge in April, with the focus being on the use of data by other programs and Departments.

This is an annual event that aims to

• daylight surface water quality data, insights, and interests on California surface water quality topics
• better connect data, information and knowledge to water quality stakeholders and decision makers; and
• create a networking community to enhance better communication throughout the year.

• Agenda
• Abstracts
• Speaker Bios

View the 1st Annual California Water Boards Water Data Science Symposium

We have limited space for some excellent posters or other visual displays this year. If you would like to submit a poster or display, please register as an Attendee and as a Poster in Eventbrite. There will be a 90 minute lunch break to allow for visiting posters and displays

• Advancing Water and Energy Analytics: Perspectives on Information Technology, Frank Loge, PhD, PE
• Integrating monitoring to better understand patterns and trends in contamination and toxicity in California watersheds, Brian Anderson
• DPR Surface water Monitoring Program, Robert Budd, PhD

• Bioaccumulation in California, Jay Davis
• Aggregating Municipal and State Open Data for Water Quality Investigations, Eric Bollens and Grant Sharp
• Bugs, Fish & Algae: An Overview of California's Bioassessment Program, Andrew Rehn

• Benthic Algae as a Tool for Bioassessment & Nutrient Monitoring in California, Betty Fetscher
• How are state and local agencies using bioassessment data?, Raphael Mazor
• Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program Data Integration and Healthy Watershed Assessments, Karen Worcester

• Applications and Limitations of Bioassay Methods for Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Environmental Monitoring, Michael Denison, PhD
• Use of Satellites to Examine Cyanobacteria in California's Large Waterbodies, Randy Turner

People who are interested in helping to:

• facilitate the application of Water Quality data to California water policy and permit writing
• provide a forum for sharing recent science and practical applications relevant to watershed health
• foster the translation of water quality data and research into policy solutions
• expand support for water quality data with applications to California's environment, public health and economy
• facilitate collaboration across scientific research fields and public policy

• Greg Gearheart - Greg.Gearheart@waterboards.ca.gov
• Lori Webber - Lori.Webber@waterboards.ca.gov
• Beverley Anderson-Abbs - Bev.Anderson-Abbs@waterboards.ca.gov