Advisory Committee on Water
Information | |
TERMS OF REFERENCE |
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| I. Official designation. | |
| The Streamgaging Task Force of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). | |
| II. Purpose, scope, applicability, and functions. | |
| A. Purpose. The purpose of the Task Force is to develop a national strategy to achieve a robust, sustainable system to ensure the availability of streamflow information for all users. | |
| B. Scope. The Task Force will consider the nationwide system to produce, archive and share surface-water quantity information about rivers, streams, canals, lakes and reservoirs, wetlands and inflows to estuaries and near coastal areas. The Task Force will consider all uses and users of surface water quantity information including both real-time and historic information. The Task Force will consider policies, programs, and funding for the collection, analysis, assessment, archiving, distribution, reporting and use of the information at all levels of government and in the private sector. | |
| C. Functions. | |
| 1. By December 31, 2000, develop a strategy to improve the availability and use of streamflow information in the United States (the strategy). At a minimum the strategy should address the following issues: | |
| a. Define the goals and objectives of the National Streamgaging Network. | |
| b. Capability of the current streamflow measurement network to meet existing need. | |
| c. Requirements for streamflow information over the next 25 years. | |
| d. Benefits and cost effectiveness of the existing system. | |
| e. Roles of all levels of government and the private sector in funding and operating the streamflow information system. | |
| f. Partnerships and coordination at the national, major river basin, State, Tribal, and watershed levels. | |
| g. Guidelines for planning, designing, and operating streamflow information programs or activities. | |
| h. Quality assurance, quality control. | |
| i. Instrumentation and technology development. | |
| j. Safety and liability. | |
| k. Access to streamflow data and information holdings. | |
| l. Recommended methods, guidelines and consensus standards. The recommendations should include a consensus data-element glossary and meta data to provide common terminology and documentation for streamflow data. | |
| m. Reporting to decisionmakers and the public. | |
| n. Training requirements. | |
| o. Implications of recommendations for: funding partners,
users of streamflow information, and overall effectiveness of water management and environmental protection activities nationwide. |
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| p. Other relevant issues identified by the Task Force. | |
| 2. Regularly report to and consult with the National Water-Quality Monitoring Council on aspects of the strategy related to water-quality considerations and programs. | |
| 3. Conduct outreach activities to inform others about the activities of the Task Force and to provide an opportunity for interested groups to participate in and provide input to the Task Force. | |
| 4. Develop a workplan for completing the strategy and provide it to the ACWI executive secretary by January 4, 1999, for distribution to the ACWI. | |
| 5. Report progress at each meeting of the ACWI until the work of the Task Force is complete. | |
| III. Membership. | |
| A. The Task Force will have a balanced membership of Federal, interstate, State, Tribal, local government agencies and the private sector. The membership will include organizations that collect, analyze, disseminate, or use streamflow information, as well as those that develop monitoring technology, guidelines, and (or) standards. | |
| B. The Task Force includes voting member organizations (voting members) and participants. Any organization that actively supports the functions of the Task Force may become participants by informing the cochairs in writing of their desire to participate and the name of their representative. Active support includes attending meetings, drafting documents, reviewing and commenting on documents, making presentations, and other contributions of staff time, funding, or other resources. | |
| C. The ACWI chair will designate 10 voting organizations from among the participating organizations. The ACWI chair will select voting organizations that have differing viewpoints and streamflow information functions. Voting organizations will be selected from among the following interest groups and stakeholders: State government agencies, local government agencies, Native Americans, utilities, environmental interest groups, industry and manufacturing, river-basin commissions, professional associations, private consultants, or universities. | |
| D. In addition to the 10 designated voting organizations defined in section C above, the following Federal organizations also will serve as voting members: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Weather Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Geological Survey. | |
| E. Each voting organization will designate an alternate representative to the Task Force to serve in the absence of the representative. | |
| F. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Interstate Council on Water Policy will cochair the Task Force. | |
| G. Representatives or alternates of voting members are expected to attend all meetings of the Task Force. If a voting member organization is not represented at two consecutive meetings, then the cochairs may appoint a different organization to replace the member that has failed to participate. The cochairs will consult with an organization before removing it as a voting member from the Task Force. The cochairs will report decisions to remove an organization from voting membership and the name of the replacement organization to the ACWI through its executive secretary. | |
| IV. Meetings and procedures. | |
| A. The Task Force will meet at least two times a year and at other times as designated by the cochairs. The cochairs will determine the dates, times, and locations of the meetings in consultation with the voting members. Information about upcoming meetings must be distributed to all voting members and participants in the Task Force at least two weeks in advance of the meetings. | |
| B. Participants of the Task Force will receive no pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Task Force. | |
| C. Ten of the representatives (or alternates) of the 16
voting members will constitute the quorum necessary to conduct
business. Meetings of the Task Force will be open to the public.
In general, the Task Force will resolve all issues through a
consensus process that recognizes the legitimate interests and
diverse views of the Task Force members and participants. If
agreement cannot be reached on a specific issue, then the
following procedures will apply:
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| D. Decisions by the Task Force may be reached in meetings or teleconferences or by email on an individual basis after cochairs advise every representative of the voting organizations and the participants of the issue to be decided at least 10 working days in advance of the decision. | |
| F. The cochairs will distribute summaries with action items of Task Force meetings to voting members and participants. Also, the cochairs will forward the information to the executive secretary of the ACWI for further distribution. | |
| G. The cochairs will provide summaries of each Task Force meeting, recommendations adopted, and copies of all documents approved by the Task Force for public inspection on the World Wide Web. | |
| V. Period of time necessary for the activity. The total period of time necessary for the Task Force to carry out its activities is estimated to be until the required Streamgaging Strategy is provided to the ACWI. | |
| VI. Official to whom the Task Force reports. The Task Force reports to the chair of the ACWI through its executive secretary. | |
| VII. Support services. Support services and administrative assistance for the activities of the Task Force will be provided by the USGS. In addition, other organizations will provide services and support to the Task Force as mutually agreed. | |
| IX. Authority. The Task Force is part of the Water Information Coordination Program mandated by OMB Memorandum No. 92-01, dated December 10, 1991. The Task Force reports to the ACWI that operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The Task Force is not separately chartered under FACA. | |