Connecting Water Information Back to Real-World Locations

Uniting thousands of independent organizations and agencies with a common standard for tying water data back to its source makes it possible for decision-makers, researchers, and water resource managers to better address water-related challenges. By developing Geoconnex, CGS is establishing the technical infrastructure needed to enable integrated and shared water data from public agencies (state, local, and tribal governments) and NGOs.

connecting-water

The State of Water

463591

bodies

of water in the U.S.

10000 +

organizations

collecting water data

1

central system

to contextualize data

Improving Water Data Management and Decision-Making

The Internet of Water is reimagining water data infrastructure across the United States to create a community of people and organizations using water data to make better decisions. CGS is putting its expertise and resources to work to help make that vision a reality. 
Technology

Innovating A New Way To Connect and Discover Water Data

CGS is revolutionizing how data publishers connect water data to the real world with Geoconnex, an easy-to-use, open-source system. Geoconnex helps publishers link data to unique, persistent identifiers (PIDs) that represent every hydrological feature across the United States. Once complete, this system will make it possible to find water data by theme and location through a simple search index that operates like Google.

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Community

Shaping the Future of Water Data With Collaboration

CGS is a co-leader and main facilitator of the Internet of Water Coalition, a vibrant community committed to utilizing water data to inform decision-making processes. This network of organizations empowers others to make more effective water management decisions and offers tools to enhance the discoverability, accessibility, and usability of water data. The Coalition also has educational programs for data producers, users, and decision-makers.

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Support

Transforming Water Data Systems for Better Decisions

CGS is committed to helping states, tribes, and other agencies modernize their water data infrastructure. Through tailored guidance and cutting-edge tools, CGS helps organizations streamline their water data management processes, ensuring seamless integration and accessibility of critical information. This modernization enables agencies to make informed decisions, enhancing efficiency and supporting sustainable water resource management for better community and ecosystem outcomes.

Reinventing Water Data Access with USGS Support

In March 2024, CGS and the US Geological Survey began a five-year, $2.5M cooperative agreement to accelerate the development of Geoconnex. This groundbreaking partnership is set to bring the Internet of Water to life, offering unparalleled access to water data across the United States. With support from USGS and seamless integration with federal hydrography data, Geoconnex is poised to become the gold standard for water metadata discovery, driving widespread water data modernization among states, tribes, and other jurisdictions.

usgs

Bringing the Internet of Water to Life

The Internet of Water is reimagining water data infrastructure across the United States to create a community of people and organizations using water data to make better decisions. CGS is putting its expertise and resources to work to help make that vision a reality. 
National Water Prediction Service

National Water Prediction Service

The National Water Prediction Service (NOAA) is contributing their crosswalk of all federal and state gauging locations and forecast points used in the National Water Prediction Service to the Geoconnex reference gauges feature collection.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is creating a statewide Water Data Portal that includes contributions from both state and local agencies in Oregon regarding water quantity, quality, use, and infrastructure.

Bureau of Reclamation

Bureau of Reclamation

The Bureau of Reclamation uses Geoconnex to integrate data from many federal and state agency sources into one decision support tool to help Reclamation engineers make decisions impacting water users.

University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh received an NSF grant to develop a new remote sensing-based water quality decision support tool for water utility, water regulator, and NGO users in the Upper Ohio River Basin. CGS is building both the front end of the application—which aims to enable decision-makers to make real-time informed decisions that respond to surface water quality concerns—and the back end, ensuring all data products created for the tool are published on the web according to Internet of Water principles and thus are discoverable and accessible for possible secondary uses.

Boise State University

Boise State University

Boise State University received an NSF grant to develop a water information tool. IoW is supporting stakeholder engagement activity to ensure that relevant user needs are accounted for in the design of the tool.

University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati 

The University of Cincinnati worked on a three-year NSF project to create tools supporting real-time operational water energy decision-making in the Ohio River Basin. This project integrates water data from Geoconnex, including quantity, quality, and hydropower operations information from relevant rivers in the basin.

Let’s Make a Difference Together

Ready to make a change in how our water is shared and managed? Learn how CGS is empowering decision-makers to drive positive change in water resource management.

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