Background

The focus of the WaDE program is to provide a framework for states to share important water data with each other, with federal agencies, and with the public with an emphasis on enabling regional analysis. States make their water data available to the WaDE platform, which streamlines the data into standardized and machine-readable formats. Making the water data accessible enables users to answer regional and national questions about water availability, scarcity, and resilience in a cost-effective, sustainable, and consistent way. With the continuous support of the Western States’ Governors, natural resource agency directors, state engineers, and their staff, the WaDE Program is approaching its 10th anniversary and entering an exciting third phase.

In this third phase, we will develop a user-friendly dashboard called the Western States Water Data Access and Analysis Tool (WestDAAT), an operational decision support and planning tool that will streamline the sharing of water data for western states. The WaDE Program has progressed from its initial concept and creation phase (2011-2018), which established working relationships with states agencies and created data sharing protocols while building and populating a collaborative data management system in response to interest and funding from the WSWC States, federal agencies (DOE, EPA), and philanthropic groups. In its second phase (2019-2021), WaDE created a template for transforming disparate state water-related data systems into a functional regional and cloud-based data system with standards and metadata.  These data services help streamline access to water rights and water use data.

Earlier this year we developed a WestDAAT prototype to be used as a proof-of-concept and basic features application that connects the WaDE database to an online visualization environment (Mapbox). During the spring we followed up by specifying the features and desired full functionality of the desired application by building a mockup of WestDAAT, which is not connected to any data but simulates the user experience for each of our persona use cases.  This mockup will be used to facilitate feedback from participants in our focus groups, which will later be used as a blueprint for the final WestDAAT product that our contractor DPL will build later this year or next depending on the availability of funding.  This document will help the WaDE Team refine the mockup and build WestDAAT to satisfy the defined needs and deliverables.

WestDAAT Use Cases and Personas

We prepared the following document that provides background about WaDE and describes six distinct categories of WestDAAT users as illustrative personas with different roles in managing or understanding water resources, and with different water data needs.  The WestDAAT user personas will provide the WaDE Team with meaningful use cases for the further design and development of computer software that meets the goals and expectations of end-users. The six personas include (1) Gary the Governor (2) Stan the State Engineer, (3) Maggie the River Basin/Environmental Conservation Manager, (4) Laila the Land Use Manager, (5) Frank the Farmer/Irrigation Canal Company Manager, and (6) Ratibah the Researcher. A potential seventh use case may be Fred the Federal Agency Specialist.

You can download the document here: WestDAAT Persona Use Cases_ Focus Group Doc_09_01_2021