Building the Foundation for a Water Information System Modernization at the Bureau of Reclamation

In 2024, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) initiated an effort to modernize its collection of regionally tailored Water Information Systems (WISs). The systems share the common goal of collecting and storing hydrologic and meteorologic data that water managers rely upon to make real-time operations decisions at Reclamation facilities. The data also support other Reclamation activities and decisions in long-term planning, environmental compliance, and infrastructure management. A changing cybersecurity landscape and improving the WIS management paradigm are reasons supporting this modernization effort.

The first phase of modernization is an appraisal-level project to holistically understand the use and capabilities of current WIS technology and develop modernization options for Reclamation leadership consideration. Early project team activities included initiation of a nine-member project management team (PMT) with representation from key user communities, development of a preliminary problem statement and project team documents (e.g., team charter and project management plan), and establishment of eight community cohorts to complement the PMT and increase representation within affected communities. With the PMT and cohort infrastructure built, several “Orient Communities” sessions were held for the PMT and cohorts to level-set their understanding of the WIS technology and project goals and deliverables. Building from knowledge gained at the Orient Communities sessions, PMT members worked individually with their cohorts to define existing and future customer requirements. Next, the PMT consolidated the cohort-developed requirements in preparation for the synthesis of modernization alternatives.

Reclamation pursued a better understanding of the industry standard for WIS technology prior to synthesizing alternatives. These outreach efforts provided Reclamation valuable information and additional understanding on “the possible” related to WIS technology. This presentation will summarize these outreach strategies and the customer requirements collection. Additionally, how these activities inform the development and analysis of WIS modernization alternatives will be discussed.