NWDTW_2026: Full Schedule

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1:00pm CDT

Water Data for the Nation Homepage: Introduction to Modernized Tools, Features, and Workflows

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

This Show and Tell session provides an introductory tour of the modernized USGS Water Data for the Nation interface and tools available at waterdata.usgs.gov.

Speakers

Chris Hoard

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

COMPUTER TOOLS

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;
Notes This is a broad intro to the Water data for the nation homepage and tools, there are more in depth presentations being done by other WMA team members this week. If possible this class should come first in the WDFN presentations

1:00pm CDT

Water You Waiting For? Dive Into the Latest Continuous Water‑Quality Updates

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

The USGS Continuous Water-Quality community maintains a large network of real-time instruments. Throughout the country, the USGS is collecting over 6,000 continuous water-quality datasets at over 2,500 sites and measuring more than 8 water-quality parameters (temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nitrate, chlorophyll, and Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter (fDOM)). Discover what CWQ resources are available for staff, who to contact with questions or suggestions, and what efforts are in progress.

Speakers

Kimberly Shaffer

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

CONTINUOUS QW

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

1:00pm CDT

Hurricane Helene - Impact and Recovery Efforts at the Asheville Field Office

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:20pm CDT

BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

Hurricane Helene severely impacted the Asheville Field Area. This presentation looks at impacts from the storm as well as recovery efforts that were undertaken by Asheville Field Office staff as well as assistance from many outside sources. This (hopefully) once in a lifetime storm event led to significant damage and loss of data. Significant effort was put into restoring the network, assigning peak gage heights, and conducting indirect measurements to compute discharge data through the event.

Speakers

John Mazurek

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
BCC - Sellers (476 Class / 800 Theater)

SURFACE WATER

Length 80 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;during other presentations I am giving as well as any salt dilution presentation.;
Notes Can do 50 mins if it fits better

1:30pm CDT

Alpha Coefficient Data Mining for Image Velocimetry from the USGS Database of ADCP Measurements

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:30pm - 1:50pm CDT

BCC - Lackey (58 Tiered Class Only)

To compute discharge using image velocimetry, the measured surface velocity must be related to the depth-averaged velocity; this is typically done using a simple coefficient known as the alpha coefficient. The alpha coefficient is the most significant input to the computation of discharge from imagery that is often not empirically determined, but the resulting discharge value is directly proportional to the value chosen. The USGS database contains more than half a million ADCP measurements - the profiles in these measurements can be used to inform selection of alpha. Results from a compilation of profiles at a variety of sites will be presented.

Speakers

Elizabeth Nystrom

USGS

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:30pm - 1:50pm CDT
BCC - Lackey (58 Tiered Class Only)

IMAGERY AND REMOTE SENSING

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

2:00pm CDT

Data Discovery Tools

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT

BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

An expanded overview of key Water Data for the Nation tools—USGS Explore, State Pages, and the National Water Dashboard.

Speakers

Chris Hoard

Kammy Durham

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

COMPUTER TOOLS

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;
Notes This should come after our longer 50 min presentation

2:00pm CDT

Water, Watts, and Wires: An Introduction to Microcontrollers for Instrument Control and Monitoring

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT

BCC - Lackey (58 Tiered Class Only)

"Did you unplug it and plug it back in?" - every IT Person, ever.
Field visits for simple instrument resets are a costly drain on resources. While most dataloggers have control ports that can power cycle devices and instruments, these ports are often exhausted as sensor density increases. By integrating a microcontroller, we have expanded our control capacity via multi-channel relay boards. Logic within the main datalogger verifies data transmission, validity, and connectivity before communicating with an external microcontroller that manages the power supply to individual devices and instruments. More importantly, we've moved beyond simple "On/Off" control by monitoring individual instrument's current draw in real-time. These data are passed to the primary datalogger, enabling automated notifications if hardware is drawing outside of specifications. Because the entire system can be monitored and controlled remotely, it provides a comprehensive "health check". This reduces unnecessary field visits and equips staff with additional diagnostic information needed to troubleshoot before leaving the office.

Speakers

Trevor Violette

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:20pm CDT
BCC - Lackey (58 Tiered Class Only)

SHOW AND TELL FIELD HACKS: EFFICIENCY TIPS AND TRICKS

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Thursday, AM;

3:00pm CDT

USGS Water Data in Relation to the Fundamental Science Practices

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm CDT

BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

The USGS has collected water data for over 135 years. The USGS Fundamental Science Practices (FSP) have been governing water data collection and publication for the past 17 years. How familiar are you with FSP as it pertains to water data? This presentation will (1) provide a broad overview of FSP, (2) show how FSP relates to water data collection and subsequent data publication, and (3) share available OSQI resources useful for when FSP questions arise.

This presentation will accomplish these objectives by examining three focus areas; (1) discussing data collection and approval obligations in SM 502.2 Fundamental Science Practices: Planning and Conducting Data Collection and Research and SM 502.8 Fundamental Science Practices: Review and Approval of Scientific Data for Release, (2) relating adherence of Water Mission Area Techniques and Methods to adherence of Fundamental Science Practices, (3) discussing mechanisms for reporting FSP questions to the Fundamental Science Practices Advisory Council (FSPAC), quality concerns to OSQI resources, and integrity concerns to the USGS Scientific Integrity Officer. Listeners will leave the presentation with a better understanding of how FSP relates to USGS Water data collection and publication and where to turn to when concerns arise.

This presentation will be given by Gary Burke, a staff scientist from the Office of Science Quality and Integrity (OSQI). Gary was a Field Office Chief for 7 years prior to joining OSQI and had collected NWIS water data for over 20 years.

Speakers

Gary Burke

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm CDT
BCC - Nichols (21 Class / 40 Theater)

DATA CHIEFS/FIELD OFFICE CHIEFS

Length 20 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

3:00pm CDT

HydroCorrect: a Tool for Automating Data Processing in AQTS

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT

BCC - Wilson (58 Tiered Class Only)

Manual data review and processing is time-consuming for USGS technicians - the USGS Water Community needs tools to help automate time-series data workflows. HydroCorrect is an AQTS toolbox that monitors data, identifies anomalies, and performs corrective actions based on rate of change, threshold, and flatline rules. In this session, we will demonstrate how HydroCorrect capabilities and workflows can make things easier for you! Join us to learn about opportunities to be part of a pilot testing group to be among the first to implement HydroCorrect and help shape the next iteration of water data tools for the USGS.

Speakers

Amber Jones

Amy Simonson

Wade Walker

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT
BCC - Wilson (58 Tiered Class Only)

AQUARIUS (AQ)

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;
Notes I'm not sure which track this session belongs in: AQUARIUS? COMPUTER TOOLS? EFFICIENCY? DATABASE?

3:00pm CDT

Collecting Data in Moving-Bed Conditions and Understanding Test Results

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT

BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

Overview of the cause and effect of a moving bed and methods to identify and correct for a moving bed when measuring discharge with an ADCP from a moving boat. This talk will also include a review of the moving-bed test results and what they mean.

Speakers

Justin Boldt

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT
BCC - Birmingham (65 Class / 100 theater)

HYDROACOUSTICS

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

3:00pm CDT

Image Velocimetry Policy and Procedure Updates and Working Session

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT

BCC - Mason (33 Class / 60 Theater)

This session provides an overview of the current policy landscape for image velocimetry (IVy) within the USGS, with emphasis on Operational Quality Assurance (OQA) expectations and the process for aligning IVy methods with approved national standards. We will discuss where IVy techniques currently stand in the method-approval pipeline, outline the steps required to transition research workflows into fully supported operational methods, and highlight ongoing efforts to ensure consistent, defensible applications across the WMA. Attendees will gain clarity on documentation requirements, approvals, and future guidance that will shape the public release and operational use of IVy tools and products, as well as have the opportunity to share their feedback and needs with leadership.

Speakers

Frank Engel

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT
BCC - Mason (33 Class / 60 Theater)

IMAGERY AND REMOTE SENSING

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;
Notes Planning a larger 1/2 Image Velocimetry Training class/track on Monday (or it has been Mondays in the past). This is just a normal discussion/seminar

3:00pm CDT

Continuous Water-Quality Community Networking & Collaboration Session

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

Learn more about the USGS Continuous Water-Quality Community at this facilitated networking session. Meet your colleagues, make contacts, and discuss parameters and processes. Ever wish you had more time to ask peers about equipment or a challenge? Great ideas often come by having conversations with people about a shared problem or interest. During this session, employees will get the opportunity to share perspectives with a subset of peers working on the same topics.

Speakers

Kimberly Shaffer

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
BCC - Thames (21 Class / 40 Theater)

CONTINUOUS QW

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;

3:00pm CDT

Small Drops, Big Impact: Building Skills Through Micro-Training

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm CDT

BCC - Smith (42 Class / 48 Theater)

Traditional trainings often ask for more time than teams can spare. Micro-trainings are a practical alternative: short, focused learning sessions that build skills quickly. In this interactive session, participants will explore strategies for moving beyond one-way lectures by incorporating clear objectives, practical examples, and active learning in brief training formats. Through modeled activities and hands-on practice, participants will leave confident in facilitating short trainings that are effective, efficient, engaging, and immediately useful in the field, office, or lab. Whether mentoring a new hire, reinforcing procedures, or sharing updates, participants will gain instructional techniques that they can use right away,

Speakers

Akio Correll

Kate Dean

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:00pm - 4:50pm CDT
BCC - Smith (42 Class / 48 Theater)

Training & Workforce Development

Length 110 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Unavailable during any Water Training Advisory Council (WTAC)-related sessions;

4:00pm CDT

Monitor every river, lake, and reservoir in the US with WaterMAP - An Online Portal for Remotely Sensed Water Data

Tuesday July 21, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm CDT

BCC - Mobile (37 Class / 60 Theater)

WaterMAP (https://apps.usgs.gov/watermap) is an interactive web application that brings together comprehensive views of surface water conditions in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, everywhere in the US. The application allows users to explore water conditions over time using both satellite observations and onsite measurements. We will demonstrate best practices to leverage and integrate each data catalog while highlighting the interactive mapping and visualization capabilities, as well as data search/filter/download functionalities. Live demos will present use cases to improve workflows for USGS hydrologic technicians and scientists. Data product owners and the development team will be available to answer questions.

Speakers

Rachel Sleeter

Chuck Hansen

Tuesday July 21, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm CDT
BCC - Mobile (37 Class / 60 Theater)

IMAGERY AND REMOTE SENSING

Length 50 minutes
Can't teach Monday, AM;Monday, PM;Thursday, AM;
Notes Additional to this presentation, we hope to have an exhibit in the common area with large monitors to run live demos of WaterMAP, work with people one-on-one, and gather feedback for future implementation. Jack Eggleston has asked Kim Schaeffer and Chris

4:00pm CDT

NIMS and HIVIS Demonstration and Usage

Tuesday July 21, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm CDT

BCC - Mason (33 Class / 60 Theater)

This session offers a practical, end‑to‑end demonstration of the National Image Management System (NIMS) and the Hydrologic Imagery Visualization and Information System (HIVIS) web application. We will begin by walking through how camera stations are added, edited, and managed within the NIMS Admin Console, highlighting tools for configuration, metadata editing, and system monitoring. The demo then transitions to the HIVIS front‑end application, where we will showcase recent interface updates, new visualization capabilities, and streamlined workflows for viewing and interrogating hydrologic image data. Participants will also be introduced to the broader NIMS API and the pyNIMS Python module, with examples of how these resources enable programmatic access for analysis, automation, and integration with other tools. The session concludes with a brief look at features planned for release this year—including advancements in the AAA process and other workflow enhancements—to give users a clear view of what’s coming next.

Speakers