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Data User Corner

Other Beaches Links

This webpage contains updated instruction for data submission after 02/06/2009.

Under the BEACH Act Grant Program states (including tribes and territories) are required to submit their beach monitoring (water quality), notification (advisory and closing), and beach location data to us. This site was established to provide an easily accessible location for state beach program managers and IT staff to obtain beach data updates and other reference materials. You can download these files directly from this site by clicking on the relevant item below.

If you are responsible for submitting beach data, and you have not been registered to use the EPA systems identified below, please contact Bill Kramer (kramer.bill@epa.gov); 202-566-0385. You will be asked to provide contact information, to which we will add your personal Beach TSMSS ID, and send on to CDX and WQX/STORET to complete your credentials. Once you receive your passwords, begin preparing for data submission, by reading the instructions under Overview ("Submission Methods"), and under Monitoring Data, ("Submitting Data to EPA Using WQX").

To see how submitted data is presented to the public by EPA, see our seasonal reports.

  1. Overview
  2. Locational Data
  3. Monitoring Data
  4. Notification Data
  5. Support
  6. Historical files

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Overview

  1. Central Data Exchange (CDX) (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF) (3 pp, 41K))

    eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF) (3 pp, 41K) Contains overview diagrams of the pathways along which the three required types of submitted data flow (locational, monitoring, and notification), and includes definitions of all of the components that compromise the eBEACHES system referred to in the materials on this webpage. (Changes from the previous version include: removed "2008" for use in 2009 and beyond.)
  2. Submission Method Selection Instructions 2009 (PDF) (4 pp, 38K) Changes from the previous version include: how to add WQX webservices to Node Client Lite (see file in "c." below), and how to find updated domain values. Contains general instructions on how to select either a State Node, Node Client, or EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX) as the starting point for submitting monitoring and notification data. If you do not have a Beach Program Organization ID from EPA, prior to submitting data, contact Bill Kramer (kramer.bill@epa.gov); 202-566-0385.
  3. WQX Services File (189K) These services provide a way to check what data a user has submitted or a way to access domain values, this is helpful when responding to error messages. For Beach Program users, although the file below is v2.0, the v1.0 domain value and transaction ID services are still supported, and this file works with both.

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Locational Data (Beach Location—PRAWN, RAD)

  1. NHD-RIT to RAD (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF))

    eBEACHES 2009 Location Data SOP (Changes from the previous version include: how to submit a changed beach name to PRAWN and WQX.) Describes the steps to assign, change, or retire Beach IDs, what beach locational data to submit, and in what form. A Beach ID (with location) is necessary before you can submit monitoring or notification data. You can use the following materials to convert latitude and longitude point data to index beach shape files to maps to support environmental and public health analyses.
  2. Reach Indexing Tool (RIT) Part of the NHD Toolkit, the National Hydrography Dataset Reach Indexing Tool (NHD-RIT) is an interactive GIS application that allows users to georeference surface water data using the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). The process of identifying and assigning attributes to portions of the NHD is referred to as Reach Indexing.

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Monitoring Data (WQX/STORET, includes station location)

If you are using the Beach Program's "WQX Monitoring Data Access Database", begin by reading items "a", "b" and "c"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading items "d" and "e".

  1. WQX to STORET (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF))

    WQX Beach Monitoring Data User Guide v2.2.0 (PDF) (71 pp, 1.3MB) Changes from the previous version: Data entry forms have been added, a pre-validation feature has been added, and the XML generation process has been re-coded to run faster. The User Guide contains descriptions of all required beach water quality data fields to be reported in XML file format and how to input XML files from WQX.
  2. Monitoring Data Access Database Quick Reference (PDF) (1 pg, 18K) Provides steps to install the Monitoring Data Access Database (next item).
  3. WQX Monitoring Data Access Database v2.2.0 (.mdb) (6.8MB, Requires MS-Access) A state can choose to use this database to store all required beach water quality data fields, input XML files from WQX, and generate an XML file for data submission to WQX. Zipped file of this database (.zip) (1.7MB, Requires archiving software)
  4. Water Quality Exchange XML Training Manual for BEACH Monitoring Data (PDF) (28 pp, 508K) Changes from the previous version: The WQX XML Training Manual for Beaches now includes more correct guidance on the structure of a Delete XML file, as well as to highlight recent changes for the reader's convenience. (and Beaches/WQX Crosswalk [MS-Excel] [43K]) For states not using the Monitoring Data Access Database (c, above), item "e", second link, explains how to configure a local state database to produce WQX compliant XML submission files.
  5. WQX Homepage, see particularly, Submitting Data to EPA Using WQX: Steps for an organization to take in order to begin submitting data. (The WQX data exchange template [Data Dictionary] [MS-Excel] Exit EPA Disclaimer)
  6. Downloading & Using Data from the STORET Warehouse (PDF) (12 pp, 98K) An Exercise for the BEACH Program to QA IDs

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Notification Data (PRAWN)

If you are using the Beach Program's "PRAWN Notification Data Access Database", begin by reading items "a", "b" and "c"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading item "d".

  1. PRAWN (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF))

    PRAWN Beach Notification Data User Guide v2.2 1/2010 (PDF) (100 pp, 580K) Changes from the previous version include: 1.Appendix G has been reworked to clear up issues regarding Pollution Sources not submitted by Access DB, 2.Chapter numbers were removed from the front of the Appendices, 3.Chapter 4 "How to Decode the Error Messages" has been updated from its August 2006 version. This list can be used for interpreting errors messages from both PRAWN and the validate XML feature in the Notification Access database.
  2. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database Quick Reference (PDF) (1 pg, 18K) Provides steps to install the Notification Data Access Database (next item).
  3. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database v2.2 (.mdb) (2.5MB, Requires MS-Access) 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. Zipped file of this database and User Guide (.zip) (1.1MB, Requires archiving software)
  4. PRAWN Beach Notification Data Schema and Development Documents v2.1 Exit EPA Disclaimer 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.)
  5. PRAWN Notification Submission Corrections User Guide (October 01, 2008) (PDF) (18 pp, 68K) Details the process of modifying incorrect, but already submitted, information usually as a result of annual QA review.

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Support

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Historical Files

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Current Year

Previous versions of the files for the current year (2009).

Past Years

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