DTIC ADA442287: Strategic Directions for the Water Resources Division, 1998-2008

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Strategic Directions for the
Water Resources Division,
1998-2008
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-249
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
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Strategic Directions for the Water Resources Division, 1998-2008
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Strategic Directions for the
Water Resources Division,
1998-2008
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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-249
Reston, Virginia
1999
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Foreword................................................................................................................................................ ii
Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................. iv
Executive summary............................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 2
Water Resources Division in 1998........................................................................................................ 3
Mission.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Activities....................................................................................................................................... 3
Success factors.............................................................................................................................. 4
About a changing world........................................................................................................................ 4
Strategic directions in Water Resources Division scientific activities.................................................. 6
Priority water-resource issues....................................................................................................... 6
Evolution of ongoing scientific programs..................................................................................... 10
Long-term data collection..................................................................................................... 10
Surface water................................................................................................................ 11
Ground water................................................................................................................ 11
Water quality................................................................................................................. 12
Water use...................................................................................................................... 12
Interpretation and assessment............................................................................................... 12
Research and development................................................................................................... 13
Balance among major program components........................................................................ 14
Balance among discipline areas............................................................................................ 14
Investments in new capabilities.................................................................................................... 15
Field and laboratory methods............................................................................................... 15
Instruments and technology.................................................................................................. 16
Hydrologic models................................................................................................................ 16
Data-base software................................................................................................................ 17
Information dissemination.................................................................................................... 17
Next steps.............................................................................................................................................. 18
Contents I
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This document articulates what the authors hope how we do it in recent years. We will continue to
will become a shared vision of the future directions for make major changes in the years to come. Examples
the water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological of recent innovations include—
Survey (USGS) for the years 1998-2008. The word
(cid:127) Delivery of real-time streamflow data.
"shared" is critical here for three reasons. First, the
vision must be shared among the leadership and all (cid:127) Research on bioremediation.
employees of the Water Resources Division (WRD).
(cid:127) Integration of geographic information system
WRD has a highly distributed workforce and a man-
technology into virtually every study we do.
agement structure that delegates major responsibility
for program development and for scientific, fiscal, and (cid:127) Capability to sample and analyze for many chemi-
workforce management to field-based units. If we are cals at environmentally relevant concentrations.
to move in new directions, headquarters leaders, field-
(cid:127) Ability to age-date young ground water to help pre-
based leaders, and the entire workforce must be
dict the movement of contaminants and to quan-
involved in the process of setting the directions and
tify recharge.
must fully understand and support them.
(cid:127) Incorporation of biology into many investigations.
Second, we want to make sure that the vision is
shared across the whole of the USGS. We believe that (cid:127) Use of the Internet to disseminate many of our prod-
the future success of the USGS in fulfilling its mission ucts (real-time and historical data, models, and
depends on drawing on the strengths of all divisions to reports).
fulfill the Nation’s needs for information on issues of
(cid:127) Use of new acoustic methods for measuring stream-
hazards, environment, and resources. Biologic, geo-
flow and river-bed scour that allow us to provide
logic, and mapping expertise must be brought to bear
data that were virtually impossible to collect in the
on water-resource issues, and conversely, we should
past.
bring our hydrologic expertise to bear on the mission
needs of those programs. (cid:127) Streamlining of many administrative and publica-
Finally, our hope is to present a vision that can tion policies and procedures so that we do our
be shared by the wide range of our stakeholders—the work and deliver our products in a more timely
potential and current customers, partners, and users of manner.
the water information we produce. Stakeholder views
We come to this process of charting our strategic
were represented in setting our strategic vision
through participation of WRD managers who interact direction with a view that we are a strong and resilient
with these stakeholders on a regular basis. We got organization, doing highly relevant work. It is impor-
more direct input during the review process when this tant, however, not to be complacent. The planning
draft document was presented to a wide range of out- process was designed to get us to take stock, to look
side entities for review and comment. Through this around at the world in which we operate today and the
process we got their reactions and heard their concerns changes we might expect in the next few years. We see
and (or) agreement and made modifications to incor- real challenges. The role of government at all levels is
porate their views about the USGS and about the questioned by some, and funding has not matched
future. It is our hope that this document is as much inflation in recent years. As a result, we have had to
their vision as it is ours. reduce the level of our programs. We also need to clar-
ify the role of WRD in a time when the private sector
What are some of the major thoughts that define
has greater skills in hydrology than ever before.
our strategic directions?
We believe that WRD is a strong and healthy
We believe we have strengths that will allow us
organization. We have a talented and motivated work-
to meet the challenges.
force that is able to address a wide range of important
issues. Water is vital to the Nation; thus, there will 1. The first strength is our people with their motiva-
continue to be significant demands for the kind of tion, skill, and the broad and deep scientific and
information we produce. technical knowledge that they embody from
We have made major changes in what we do and many years of experience and education.
Foreword II
2. Our infrastructure of monitoring capabilities and This strategic planning document sets forth
instruments, data bases, models, standards, and where we want to be in 10 years. Our intent in prepar-
special purpose facilities for chemical analysis ing it was to make sure that we capitalize on our exist-
and field instrumentation serves as a solid base ing strengths to be even more successful 10 years from
for future work. now than we are today. We believe that this document
contains ambitious goals that will cause all of us to
3. We are part of the USGS, a strong scientific organi-
reach beyond and exceed our expectations. The docu-
zation with the capability to address a broad range
ment is not a detailed implementation plan. Attaining
of natural science issues that involve hazards,
the goals set forward will come about through internal
resources, and environment. Our ability to col-
planning efforts, working with others to find resources
laborate with our colleagues in the Geologic Divi-
to achieve some of the goals, and making the right
sion, the Biological Resources Division, and the
choices about what new activities to begin when old
National Mapping Division gives us strength
activities end. Even before this document was com-
through the breadth of capabilities present in the
pleted the strategic planning process had many
USGS.
impacts on decisions that division leadership made
4. We have strong and growing opportunities for col- regarding staffing issues, program priorities, and sci-
laboration with other Federal Agencies, most entific and technological investments. For each of the
notably the U.S. Environmental Protection directions and activities described here, we will con-
Agency, the National Weather Service, U.S. tinue to draw heavily on the good ideas of teams of
Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Emer- our employees to help us prepare implementation
gency Management Agency; with the resource- plans that will describe the exact path to our future.
management agencies in the U.S. Department of
the Interior; and with the academic community,
Robert M. Hirsch (signed)
especially through the Water Resources Research
Institutes.
5. The many customers and partners—whose numbers
and fiscal contributions to WRD continue to grow
even during this time of general downsizing of
government—are an important source of strength.
III Foreword
(cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:4)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:14) The WRD Strategic Directions Team included:
Elizabeth Fellows, U.S. Environmental Protec- Robert M. Hirsch David J. Lystrom
tion Agency; Debra Knopman, Progressive Founda- William M. Alley Gail E. Mallard
tion; and Stephen Parker, National Research Council,
Mary Jo Baedecker Wanda C. Meeks
helped the planning team to think about factors that
William J. Carswell, Jr. Timothy L. Miller
could affect water resources in the United States and
the world in the future. An early draft of the document T. John Conomos Brian R. Mrazik
was read and critiqued by WRD employees:
John E. Costa James G. Peters
Jeffrey Armbruster, Jerad Bales, Robert Boulger,
John N. Fischer David A. Rickert
Michael Dettinger, Warren Gebert, Dennis Lynch,
Donna Myers, Donald Thorstenson, and Deborah Timothy W. Hale Verne R. Schneider
Weldon. This team’s thoughtful review resulted in
Catherine L. Hill Lewis V. Wade
modification of both content and style to make the mes-
William F. Horak, Jr. Janice R. Ward
sages of the document clearer to readers. Jo Ann Macy
improved the clarity and readability of the document Samuel N. Luoma Thomas H. Yorke, Jr.
through careful editing.
During the review process, we received specific
comments on the document from over 200 individuals
from within the USGS and from external stakeholders.
We thank each of them for taking the time to read the
document and to share their perspectives. This final
version of the document has been much improved by
their thoughtful comments.
Acknowledgments IV
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(cid:127) Drinking water availability and quality.
(cid:127) Suitability of aquatic habitat for biota.
The Water Resources Division of the U.S.
(cid:127) Waste isolation and remediation of
Geological Survey is a strong and healthy
contaminated environments.
organization. We do important and highly relevant
work and have many strengths that will help us to (cid:127) Hydrologic hazards.
meet the challenges and take advantage of the
(cid:127) Effects of climate on water-resources
opportunities before us. We are part of the U.S.
management.
Geological Survey, a national science organization
(cid:127) Surface-water and ground-water interactions as
with the ability to address the most complex
related to water-resources management.
scientific and technical issues facing the Nation.
We have ongoing collaborations with the larger (cid:127) Hydrologic system management, including
scientific community to address the most optimization of ground-water and surface-
important problems in the science of hydrology. water use.
We have a strong base of cooperators, including
We will make changes in our existing major
Federal, State, and local agencies who help us
program components—long-term data collection,
address issues of mutual interest. Without the
interpretation and assessment, and research and
support of all of these partners, we could not
development—to make them more effective. We
achieve our mission.
recognize the strength that comes from having
This document presents three major
these program components in the same
premises that will guide the division over the next
organization and will take action to improve
10 years (1998–2008): (1) we will maintain and
linkages among them. We will make important
strengthen our scientific excellence and our
short-term investments in new tools and
partnerships; (2) we will make adjustments in skill
capabilities to improve our field and laboratory
mix, program emphasis, and approaches to
methods, instruments, hydrologic models, data-
staffing; and (3) we will maintain the flexibility to
base software, and information dissemination. We
respond appropriately to unforeseen events.
will significantly improve transfer of technology
As we look into the future, we believe that to our operational program.
nine water-resource issues will receive increased
We also will take action to restore balance
attention from the hydrologic community and
among programs and among discipline areas.
need increased emphasis from us—
During the last 15 years, there has been significant
(cid:127) Effects of urbanization and suburbanization on
growth in the interpretation and assessment
water resources.
component of our program. This is a very
(cid:127) Effects of land use and population increases on important part of our work and should be a
water resources in the coastal zone. significant percentage of the overall program
Executive Summary 1