National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
River Forecast Center (RFC)
Hydrology Data Archive Requirements Team Charter

Vision: A comprehensive hydrologic data set that meets the needs of the NOAA hydrology community.

Mission: To determine the minimum set of hydrologic data to be archived by RFCs in the RFC Archive Database - including both the relational and flat file components.

The team will:

  • Inventory data types and formats in current RFC and national NOAA archives of hydrologic data.
  • Determine archive hydrologic data type requirements from groups such as RFCs, WFOs, OHD, OCWWS, NCEP, NOS, regions, etc.
  • Map data type requirements to existing archives, noting gaps.
  • Produce a prioritized list of hydrologic data to be archived by RFCs in the RFC archive database (relational and flat files). This list will identify what is required (if applicable) and what is recommended.

Goal: Identify appropriate hydrologic data for the RFC Archive Database.

Scope and Authority:

  • Recommendations must be realistic
  • Analysis must be objective and unbiased
  • Basis for decisions will be decided on by the team (majority, consensus, other).
  • Staff time and any necessary travel expenses will be covered by the team members'organization.
  • Additional resources may be requested from the regions or national headquarters.

Termination Date: The team will be formed and commence activities in September, 2004 and remain in place for a period of four months.

Success Criteria: Delivery of a prioritized list of specific data types and formats to be archived by all RFCs.

Team Membership: The team will be made up of at least four regional representatives, one from the OHD, one from the OCWWS/HSD, and one from the Coasts, Estuaries, and Oceans program. The team leader will be chosen by the team. Additional personnel from the Regions or Headquarters may participate as resources without being official members of the team.