What's New in Version 2?
ADB
v.2 is organized around “Assessment Units” instead of Waterbody Segments.
In version 1 of the ADB, users defined “Waterbodies” of a specific type
(ie river, lake) and then created “Segments” within these waterbodies to
which they assigned assessment information. A unique identifier was
created by concatenating Waterbody ID and Segment ID with an underscore.
In the new system, the “waterbody” level has been removed and users can
assign unique identifiers directly to their AUs. There are no required
conventions for setting up unique ID’s for the AUs. ID’s can be up to 50
characters.
New Features in Version 2.3.1
The ADB v2.3.1 software release provides an updated Reports Module.
There are no database changes in this release. Some of the new and updated
reports are listed below.
State Level Reports.
Assessment Unit Summary List.This report has general information
associated with the assessment unit including, AU Name, Water Type, Water
Size, Location Description, Use and associated Attainments, Causes,
Sources, and TMDL Status. If you have additional locational information
(HUC, county, etc.) for each assessment unit you can select to have the
report organized by one of these instead of just alphabetical order.
303(d) List. This report shows all waters on the 303(d) list
with their associated causes, TMDL status, uses, and sources.
Delisting. This report contains the assessment unit – cause
combinations that have been removed from the 303(d) list since the last
reporting cycle and were designated by the ADB user as a delisting.
WQS Attainments. This report contains the assessment unit –
cause combinations that have been assigned WQS attainment reason for the
recovery of the waterbody. Some of these may also be delistings and will
appear in the delistings report as well.
TMDL Status. This report lists all of the impaired AUs with a
cause that require a TMDL and any information the user has entered
regarding the progress towards submitting a TMDL. Each assessment
unit-cause combination without a TMDL or expected to attain date where the
cause is a pollutant must have either a TMDL priority or TMDL schedule
date.
Cycle Comparison Reports.
Summary Statistics. This report allows you to view the total
number of assessment units in the current cycle compared to the previous
cycle. You can also compare the current cycle Assessment Unit – Cause
Combinations and compare Water Sizes by Category for both the current and
previous cycle.
Assessment Unit-Cause Combination Added to List. This report
provides a detailed list of those assessment unit-cause combinations added
to the 303(d) list since the last reporting cycle.
Changed Use Attainments. This report provides a detailed list of
those assessment unit-use combinations where the use attainment has
changed since the last reporting cycle.
Changed Category (Assessment Unit). This report provides a
detailed list of those assessment units that have changed overall category
since the last reporting cycle. You can view the current assessment unit
ID and overall category in comparison to the previous cycle assessment
unit ID and overall category. This report is the most time consuming to
run.
Unaccounted For Waters (disappeared from list). This report
provides a detailed list of those assessment unit-cause combinations that
were on the 303(d) list in the last reporting cycle but are unaccounted
for because a delisting/WQS attainment reason has not been provided.
New Features in Version 2.3
The following new features were developed to accommodate changes in the
2008 Integrated Reporting Guidance and provide new enhancements.
Modified delisting forms and delisting reason list. ADB version
2.3 contains modified delisting forms and delisting reason list to include
a designation between WQS attainment and delisting. The updated available
delisting and WQS attainments reasons are as follows:
Delisting:
- Data and/or information lacking to determine water quality status;
original basis for listing was incorrect (Category 3)
- TMDL approved or established by EPA (4A)
- TMDL Alternative (4B)
- Not caused by a pollutant (4C)
WQS Attainment:
- Applicable WQS attained; original basis for listing was incorrect
- Applicable WQS attained; due to restoration activities
- Applicable WQS attained; due to change in WQS
- Applicable WQS attained; according to new assessment method
- Applicable WQS attained; threatened water no longer threatened
- Applicable WQS attained; reason for recovery unspecified
Mercury Reduction Strategy. The ADB v.2.3 has added the
description and URL fields to track mercury reduction strategy
information.
Expanded data fields for 4B. The data field for category 4B
(TMDL alternative) has been expanded.
User Defined Category. The ADB v.2.3 includes an added field for
states to designate a user defined category at the use and cause levels.
In the case of the user defined cause category this will be the place for
a state to designate a 5M water.
Assessment Unit Use Attainment Flags. The ADB v.2.3 now offers
flags at the assessment unit use attainment, and cause levels to track if
a cause of impairment was added by EPA.
Cycle Tracking Update. A field has been added to track the cycle
of consent decree if a AU-cause combination was part of a consent decree.
Observed Effects and Source Levels. A comment field was added at
the observed effects and source levels.
Data Exports. The data export function has been improved by
adding TMDL information and other additional fields.
Water Types. ADB v2.3 has added the following water types:
“Great Lakes Connecting Channel”, “Ditch and Canal”, and “Inland Lake
Shoreline”
New Assessment Type. "Other" has been added as a new assessment
type.
New Features in Version 2.2
The following new features were developed to accommodate changes in the
2006 Integrated Reporting Guidance and requests of ADB v.2users. Both
organizational changes and data management updates are found in ADB v2.2.
Probability Survey Module. The Probability Survey Module is
designed to store water quality assessment information which has been
gathered using probability-based assessment methods. The user can store
all of the data elements suggested by the 2006 guidance as well as GIS
coverages, documents, and other assessment-related information. The
probability survey also allows the user to browse, export, summarize and
report the information within the module.
Category Determination at the Assessment Unit, Uses and Causes
levels. The ADB v.2.2 has been updated to support multiple category
determinations per assessment unit in accordance with the 2006 Guidance. A
single AU can now have one attainment category, one attainment category
per designated use, or one attainment category per use and cause.
Delisting. The ADB v.2.2 allows you to keep track of causes
which were previously listed the state’s 303(d) list for a particular
cause of impairment, the dates of delisting, and the reason or rationale
for delisting.
Atlas Information. The atlas information screen allows a user to
independently track the total water size in the state according to each
source and/or scale cited.
Trend Analysis. The ADB v.2 includes the ability to track the
trend status for each assessment unit.
New Reports. The ADB v.2 now offers an atlas information report,
a delisting summary, and a TMDL status update report. Additionally, the AU
Summary Report has been updated to provide more flexibility in report
creation.
Copy an Assessment Unit. The ADB v.2 allows the user to copy an
assessment unit within the cycle and use it as a template to create a new
assessment unit.
TMDL Information. Additional fields have been added to aid
states in tracking TMDL status and project information.
Cycle Last Assessed. The user can now view the last time an
assessment unit was assessed from the main assessment units screen.
Assessment Date. The assessment date field has been moved to the
designated use level to allow for the possibility that waters may be
assessed for different uses on different dates.
New in Version 2.1
The following new features were developed by implementing changes
requested by users of ADB v.2. Many of the changes deal with the user
interface and management of data within the ADB, rather than the major
organizational changes that made ADB v.2 different from ADB v.1.
Reorganized Assessment Units screen. The new screen is better
organized and the buttons have clearer descriptions.
Migrate to New Cycle. States can now migrate data from cycle to
cycle so they do not have to re-enter data.
Export from Browse. Users can export what they see in the “Full
Browse” screen to a .csv file.
Shell to External Applications. Users have the ability to access
other applications from the ADB and to pass the assessment unit ID to this
application.
User Category. Users can create their own categories for
internal reporting and management purposes. Assessment units will still be
placed in one of the five EPA-defined categories when submitted.
Limit Uses by Class. State or jurisdictions that use classes to
group designated uses can now associate those classes with assessment
units. When assigning uses to the assessment units, you will only be able
to select uses associated with the designated class.
TMDLs Associated with Impairments. In version 2.1, TMDLs are
associated with individual impairments rather than entire assessment
units.
Data Exports. In addition to the category listing export, users
can now export the 303(d) list and a list of category 4A and 4B assessment
units.
Reports Module. The new Reports Module allows users to create
two different kinds of reports: 1) Summary Reports that allow users to
create use support summaries, impairment summaries, and use summaries for
a selected state, cycle and water type, and 2) Comprehensive Two-page
Reports for selected assessment units.
Observed Effects. Now, an Impairment can also be designated as
an Observed Effect during the same reporting cycle.
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