Submitting Beach Data to EPA

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States, Tribes and territories receiving BEACH Act program grants are required to submit beach monitoring (water quality), notification (advisory and closing), and beach location data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This page contains resources and reference materials for lead beach program managers and IT staff.

To register for the EPA’s data systems, please contact Bill Kramer ([email protected]); 202-566-0385. Once you receive your login credentials, prepare for data submission by reading the instructions under Overview and Monitoring Data. For data submitters, there is additional guidance on how to verify that submitted data displays as intended on BEACON.

To assure that the data provided to the EPA are stored and displayed correctly, data submitters should conduct a verification, update data as necessary, and inform the EPA of any eBeaches system issues.

On this page:

Overview

  1. eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (pdf) (174.01 KB) (Changes from the previous version include: replaced STORET Warehouse with Water Quality Portal (WQP), added red arrows for vT XML for monitoring).
  2. Submitting Water Quality Data to WQX - February 2019 (pdf) (222 KB)   (Changes from the previous version: updated contact information for WQX and link to ENSC Guide).  This document contains general instructions on how to select either a State Node, Node Client, ENSC, or the EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX) as the starting point for submitting Beach monitoring and notification data. If you do not have a Beach Program Organization ID from the EPA, prior to submitting data, contact Bill Kramer ([email protected]); 202-566-0385
  3. eBeaches Submissions in the Exchange Network Services Center (pdf) (3.98 MB, August 2018) Changes: Revised pages describing account set-up, expiration of Quick Links, node address changes (slides: 3, 18, 26, 30, 36, 45, 58)

Locational Data (Beach Location—PRAWN, RAD)

  1. eBEACHES Location Data SOP (Revised 7/2023) (pdf) (439.29 KB)   Changes from previous version: updated links, RTI contact information, and when a change in latitude or longitude is large enough to justify re-indexing (Appx. C).
  2. Hydrography Event Management (HEM) Tool and HEM EPA Add-On Tool

    The tools described work together to allow users to create GIS files for the EPA programs. For assistance with using these tools, refer to the eBeaches locational data SOP (refer to item 1 above). These tools use ArcGIS version 10.5 technology, providing users with a stable, responsive platform to support their reach indexing needs. (Note: These tools are targeted for users who are familiar with ArcGIS software.)

    • Hydrography Event Management (HEM) Tool tools can be used to create National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) events for both state and the EPA programs. These events link water related information, such as beach locations, to the underlying NHD surface water features.
    • HEM EPA Add-on Tool can also be used to create National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) events for both state and the EPA programs. These events are created off the NHD and defined as being custom shapes.
  3. Beach-related national geospatial downloads and fact sheet available for the BEACH Act program. The geospatial data represents Beach Act beaches based on the most recent information provided to the EPA.  This data is available in GIS-compatible shapefile and geodatabase formats and in KMZ Google Earth files.
  4. eBEACHES Locational Data Review Tool (pdf) (1.25 MB)   This data review tool allows you to view your beach data mapped to the 1:100,000 scale National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). You can use this review tool to verify the accuracy of the length and location of beaches that have been mapped to the NHD.

Monitoring Data (WQX/WQP, includes station location)

If you are using the Beach Program's "WQX Monitoring Data Access Database", begin by reading items "1", "2" and "3"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading items "4" and "5".

  1. WQX Beach Monitoring Data User Guide v3.2 (pdf) (2.94 MB) Changes from the previous version include updated all links, removed incorrect reference to EPABEACH project ID automatically being added by EPA. Added EPABEACH descriptor to Project ID data element sections.
  2. Monitoring Data Access Database Quick Reference (pdf) (17.84 KB) Provides steps to install the Monitoring Data Access Database (next item).
  3. WQX Monitoring Data Access Database v3.1 (zip) Added import XML functionality. Importing an XML file allows the user to make data changes in the verification Tool (vT) and then import those changes directly into the Access Database. This ensures the user’s database of record (DBoR) contains the changes that were made in the vT. When the DBoR changes are exported and resubmitted to WQX, then both the Access Database and the data in WQX will be consistent. Patched to correct rare error - only replace your current copy if when trying to import xml data the file browser will not open to allow users to select a file to load.
  4. WQX Homepage, refer particularly to Water Quality Data Upload with WQX.  Note that domain values can be found on STOrage and RETrieval and Water Quality eXchange Domain Services and Downloads page.  For example, refer to Monitoring Location Type. Refer to Water Quality Data Download to download Water Quality Portal (WQP) which now contains the data previously in the STORET Warehouse.
  5. Water Quality Exchange XML Training Manual for BEACH Monitoring Data (pdf) (941.52 KB, January 2013, EPA 810-B-12-001) Changes from the previous version: Text was added to indicate new starting place link for new users and the WQX/WQX Web Domain Values Service link.
    (Further information available in the WQX data exchange template [Data Dictionary] (xls) (271k))

Notification Data (PRAWN)

If you are using the Beach Program's "PRAWN Notification Data Access Database", begin by reading items "1", "2" and "3"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading item "4".

  1. PRAWN Beach Notification Data User Guide (pdf) (3.13 MB, August 2023, EPA 823-B-11-001) Changes from the previous version are listed on page 6.  Changes include added information to: Beach Monitoring Frequency field, Beach Tier field, Activity Actual Start Date, Activity Comment field, and LADP yearly submissions.
  2. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database Quick Reference (pdf) (17.47 KB) Provides steps to install the Notification Data Access Database (next item).
  3. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database v2.3 (zip) (444.63 KB) Changes from prior v23: this v23 is compatible with both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of MS Office. You do not need to change to it unless you are using the 64 bit version of MS Office.  A state can choose to use this database to store all required beach advisory and closing data fields and generate an XML file for data submission to PRAWN (Performance Criterion 8). The changes in the database (also reflected in the User Guide) include adding the ability to import an XML file created by the Verification Tool (vT), refer to Appendix L.  If you already have data in an existing copy of the previous version of this database, you can contact Notification Data Support and they can help you make the transfer of your existing data using the same import capability. Jurisdictions not using EPA-provided Notification Access Database need to review their data structure against the revised schema (number 4.).
  4. PRAWN Beach Notification Data Schema and Development Documents v2.4 Contains all required beach advisory and closing data fields to be reported to PRAWN. (Particularly for States not using the above Access DB for notification data.)  For a description of changes please refer to the Schema Change Log.
  5. PRAWN Notification Submission Corrections User Guide (October 12, 2016) (pdf) (241.81 KB) Details the process of modifying incorrect, but already submitted, information usually as a result of annual QA review.  Changes from the previous edition are found on pages 15-16.
  6. How to Import Notification Data from an Excel Spreadsheet into the Notification Database (pdf) (1.37 MB)

Verification

To assure that the data provided to the EPA are stored and displayed correctly, data submitters are asked to conduct a verification, update data as necessary, and inform the EPA of any eBeaches system issues.

  1. Verification Process (pdf) (142.01 KB) - Current versions used to verify data beginning with Season 2023.  Verification Tool Matrix 2023 (xlsx) (36.25 KB)
  2. Electronic Verification Tool (vT) - A password-protected online application that gives Beach Program data submitters the ability to modify Notification and Water Quality data submissions, and in the future Geospatial data, for quality control and quality assurance purposes. The vT reuses the design of elements of the public BEACON website and the distributed Access databases. This approach was selected so that users who are accustomed to the look and feel of the BEACON site and Access databases will more easily understand and use the Verification Tool. The development roadmap for the vT follows an iterative release approach, meaning we will provide a series of functional versions of the application that accumulate portions of the overall scope. Each subsequent iteration will add new functionality, as well as modify prior components based on user feedback.
    Access: The Verification Tool - An EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX) account with an eBeaches role is required to use this application. If you need credentials to access the vT, please contact: Bill Kramer ([email protected]).
  3.   User Guide for vT (pdf) (909.63 KB, September 2024)  - This User Guide is also on the vT site, and is provided here for those who do not have credentials.
  4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Submitting 2023 Season or later eBeaches Notification and Monitoring Data (pdf) (4.89 MB, October 2024)

Support

  • CDX User Support: Provide support on CDX access and all eBeaches passwords - CDX Support: [email protected]; 888-890-1995
  • Node User Support: Provide support on Node access alternatives - Node Support: [email protected]; 877-827-0260 or 888-890-1995 option 2
  • Locational Data Support: For assistance with: beach mapping, indexing, GIS, coordinates, NHD, RAD, latitude, longitude: 202-236-1077 Jimmy Bisese ([email protected]).
  • Monitoring Data Support: For assistance with using the EPA provided Monitoring Access database to submit beach monitoring data to WQX: (CGI Federal) 337-344-5429 Christopher Stevenson ([email protected]).
  • WQX Helpdesk email has an Automatic Reply: Confirming Receipt, Follow-up if a response exceeds 48 hours
  • Notification Data: For assistance with using the EPA provided Notification Access Database to submit notification data to PRAWN. Also provide support on error messages and XML schema validation: (CGI Federal) 337-344-5429 Christopher Stevenson ([email protected]).
  • BEACON: For assistance with using BEACON, the National List of Beaches (NLB), or the Dynamic National Report (DNR): 202-236-1077 Jimmy Bisese ([email protected]).
  • Verification Tool: For assistance using the Verification Tool (vT): 202-236-1077 Jimmy Bisese ([email protected]).
  • eBEACHES Registration and General Support: Sponsor users for User IDs to access the EPA systems, and provide support on eBeaches questions - Bill Kramer ([email protected]); 202-566-0385

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Last updated on November 14, 2024