USGS Water Quality Data Delivery

NWIS-Water-Quality Survey
Start of Block: Block 1

Thank you for participating in this survey! We estimate that the survey will only take 6 minutes
to complete. To move through the survey, click on the "next" and "back" buttons at the bottom
of the survey. Do not use browser buttons to move through the survey. If you have any
questions about this survey, please contact Nicole Herman-Mercer at 303-236-5031 or
nhmercer@usgs.gov
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to enable stakeholders the opportunity to give input
about the future of water-quality data deliver. This survey also serves as the NWIS-web user
satisfaction survey for Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) reporting. Your
response is voluntary, and we will not share the results publicly. We may not conduct, or
sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB Control Number. OMB has reviewed and approved this survey and
assigned OMB Control Number 1090-0011, which expires 10-31-2021 Estimated Burden
Statement: We estimate the survey will take you 15 minutes to complete, including time to read
instructions, gather information, and complete and submit the survey. You may submit
comments on any aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance
Officer, US Geological Survey, gsinfo_collections@usgs.gov.
Privacy Act Statement: You are not required to provide your contact information in order to
submit your survey response. However, if you do not provide contact information, we may not
be able to contact you for additional information to verify your responses. If you do provide
contact information, this information will not be shared with any other organization and will only
be used to initiate follow-up communication with you if needed. The records for this collection
will be maintained in the appropriate Privacy Act System of Records identified as [DOI Social
Networks (Interior/USGS-8) published at 76 FR 44033, 7/22/2011].
End of Block: Block 1
Start of Block: Block 2

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Q1: This survey is intended for current users of the National Water Information System often
referred to as NWIS-Web. Are you a current user of NWIS-Web?

o Yes
o No
Skip To: Q2 If This survey is intended for current users of the National Water Information System often
referred... = Yes
Skip To: End of Survey If This survey is intended for current users of the National Water Information
System often referred... = No

Q2: How often do you use NWIS-Web?

o Every day
o A few times a week
o About once a week
o A few times a month
o Less than once a month
o Other (please specify) ________________________________________________
Q3: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that apply)

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Personal
Professional

Display This Question:
If Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that
apply) = Personal

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Q4 (Personal): You indicated that you use NWIS-Web in a personal capacity. Which of the
following options best describe the personal interest or issue you are seeking information about
when using NWIS-Web? (Please select all that apply)

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Personal or family safety
Recreational use (boating, fishing, swimming, etc.)
Local water issues (drinking water, flooding, pollution, etc.)

Local environmental resource use (lake associations, hunt clubs, home-owners'
associations, etc.)

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Personal curiosity
Other (please specify)______________________________________________

Display This Question:
If Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that
apply) = Personal
And Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all
that apply) != Professional

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Q4 (Professional): You indicated that you use NWIS-Web in a professional capacity, which
option best describes your primary professional duties? (Please select one)

o
Research (any organizational category e.g. academic, governmental, private consulting,
or non-profit, etc.)
o Teaching - Higher Education
o Teaching - K-12
o Policymaking
o Emergency Management
o Managing environmental resources
o Environmental advocacy
o Collecting field data
o Other (please specify) ________________________________________________

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Q5 (Personal): Which of the following options best describe the ways that you currently
use NWIS-Web? (Please select all that apply)

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Access and/or download data within the application
Access and/or download geospatial data within the application
Access data through web services
Data processing or analysis
Data visualizations (graphs, maps, etc.)
View or get notifications of current conditions
Background research
Find/learn about new data sources
Other (please specify) _____________________________________________

Display This Question:
If Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that
apply) = Professional
And Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all
that apply) = Personal

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Q5 (Both): Which of the following options best describe the ways that you currently use NWISWeb? (Please select all that apply)

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Access and/or download data within the application
Access and/or download geospatial data within the application
Access data through web services
Data processing or analysis
Data visualizations (graphs, maps, etc.)
View or get notifications of current conditions
Decision support
Background research
Find/learn about new data sources
Disseminating data that I, or my team, collected
Other (please specify) ______________________________________________

Display This Question:
If Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that
apply) = Professional
And Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all
that apply) != Personal

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Q5 (Professional): Which of the following options best describe the ways that you currently
use NWIS-Web? (Please select all that apply)

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Access and/or download data within the application
Access and/or download geospatial data within the application
Access data through web services
Data processing or analysis
Data visualizations (graphs, maps, etc.)
View or get notifications of current conditions
Decision support
Background research
Find/learn about new data sources
Disseminating data that I, or my team, collected
Other (please specify) _____________________________________________

Display This Question:
If Loop current: Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that
apply) != Personal

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Q6: How satisfied are you with NWIS-Web?

o Extremely satisfied
o Somewhat satisfied
o Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
o Somewhat dissatisfied
o Extremely dissatisfied
End of Block: Block 2
Start of Block: Block 5

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Q7: The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is currently working to improve how we deliver
water-quality data. Of the following potential improvements, which are most important to
you? Please rank the following options.
Least important

Neutral

Most Important

I don't know

Provide data
from sources
other than the
USGS (i.e. other
federal agencies,
state agencies,
academia, etc.)

o

o

o

o

Improved
geospatial
capabilities (i.e.
better maps and
ease of looking
at sites near
each other)

o

o

o

o

"Home pages"
for rivers,
watersheds, and
aquifers with
summarized
data and links to
monitoring
locations.

o

o

o

o

Better graphing
capabilities
within the
website.

o

o

o

o

Display of waterquality standards
and benchmarks
on graphs

o

o

o

o

Fully developed
mobile
application

o

o

o

o

Improved data
download
capabilities
(more formats,
faster speeds)

o

o

o

o

Improved web
services/API
tooling

o

o

o

o
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End of Block: Block 5
Start of Block: WQ Questions
The following set of questions focus on the scale, age, and type of data you are currently
working with or most interested in.

Q8: Which of the following best describes the scale of the data that you work with most often?
(Please select all that apply)

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Site level
Local level (several sites near each other)
County level
State level
Watershed level
National level

Q9: Which of the following best describes the age of the data that you use most often?
(Please select all that apply)

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Real-time to past 24 hours (most recent)
1 day to 1 month ago (recent)
1 month to 1 year ago (less recent)
More than one year ago (historical)

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Q10: Are you interested in any of the following types of water-quality data?
(Please select all that apply)

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Sediment data
Biological data

Real-time data from instrumented sites (i.e. physical parameters such as
temperature, pH, conductivity)

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Discrete data results from laboratory analysis (nutrient, organic, pesticide, etc.)
Other (please specify) ______________________________________________
Not Applicable

Display This Question:
If Do you use NWIS-Web in a personal or professional capacity? (Please select all that apply) =
Professional

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Q11: You indicated that you use USGS web-based tools and applications in a professional
capacity, which of the following best describes the sector that you work in?

o Federal government
o State government
o Local/regional government
o Tribal government
o Non-profit organization
o Private business or industry
o Academia
o Public schools
o Private schools
o Other (please specify) ________________________________________________
End of Block: WQ Questions
Start of Block: Block 5
Q12: Is there anything else that you would like us to know about your use of USGS web-based
tools and applications?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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Q13: The USGS is very interested in learning more about how we can improve our tools and
information for our users. Would you be willing to talk more with us or participate in usability
studies?

o No
o Maybe
o Yes
Skip To: End of Survey If The USGS is very interested in learning more about how we can improve our
tools and information f... = No
Display This Question:
If The USGS is very interested in learning more about how we can improve our tools and information
f... = Maybe
Or The USGS is very interested in learning more about how we can improve our tools and
information f... = Yes

Q14: Please provide your contact information so that we may reach you to let you know about
upcoming opportunities to provide in-depth feedback about our web-based applications and
tools or participate in usability testing.

o Name ________________________________________________
o Email address ________________________________________________
End of Block: Block 5

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