Submitting Data to EPA

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. Here we provide resources and reference materials for state beach program managers and IT staff. 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, which we will 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").  For data submitters, additional guidance will be provided on how to verify that data submitted displays as intended on BEACON.

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

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 Resources

Overview

Central Data Exchange (CDX) (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF) (3 pp, 66 K))
  1. eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF) (3 pp, 66 K) 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. Submitting Water Quality Data to WQX/STORET (PDF) (4 pp, 150 K)  (Changes from the previous version (PDF) (21 pp, 2 MB))  This document contains general instructions on how to select either a State Node, Node Client, ENSC, or EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX) as the starting point for submitting Beach 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. eBEACHES Submissions to the Exchange Network Services Center (PDF) (57 pp, 4 MB).  Changes: Revised pages describing e-mails notifying submitters of successful (completed) or failed (with errors) transactions (slides: 22, 23, 25, 31, 33, 48, 49, 51-55).

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Locational Data (Beach Location—PRAWN, RAD)

NHD-RIT to RAD (this graphic comes from the eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram (PDF))
  1. eBEACHES Location Data SOP (Revised 10/2016) (PDF) (6 pp, 138 K) (Changes from previous version: updated links and instructions in sections 2)c. and 4)b.)  The SOP 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. Hydrography Event Management (HEM) Tool, HEM EPA Add-On Tool, and HEM2XML Tool

    These three tools described below work together to allow users to create and submit GIS files for EPA programs. For assistance with using these tools, refer to the eBeaches locational data SOP (see item 1 above). These tools have been implemented using the latest ArcGIS technology, providing users with a stable, responsive platform to support their reach indexing needs. (Note: These tools are targeted for users who are familiar with the latest ArcGIS technology.)

    • Hydrography Event Management (HEM) Tool tools can be used to create National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) events for both state and EPA programs. These events link water related information, such as beach locations, to the underlying NHD surface water features.
    • HEM EPA Add-on Tool can also be used to create National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) events for both state and EPA programs. These events link water related information, such as beach locations, to the underlying NHD surface water features.
    • HEM to NHDEvent XML Conversion Tool exports the events in a file geodatabase created in HEM 2.2 to an extensible markup language (XML) file that matches the format of  exchange network hosted NHDEvent schema. The tool also compresses the XML file for efficient exchange network submission.
  3. Beach-related national geospatial downloads and fact sheet available for the BEACH Act program. The geospatial data represents Beach Act beaches based on the most recent information provided to the EPA.  This data is available in GIS-compatible shapefile and geodatabase formats and in KMZ Google Earth files.
  4. eBeaches Locational Data Review Tool (PDF) (9 pp, 3 MB) This data review tool allows you to view your beach data mapped to the 1:100,000 scale National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). You can use this review tool to verify the accuracy of the length and location of beaches that have been mapped to the NHD.

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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 "1", "2" and "3"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading items "4" and "5".

  1. WQX Beach Monitoring Data User Guide v2.2.1 (PDF) (67 pp, 2 MB) Changes from the previous version: Updated Appendixes E (Data Entry Forms) and F (Summary Reports), and added Appendix G (CDX E-mail Messages).  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, 18 K) Provides steps to install the Monitoring Data Access Database (next item).
  3. WQX Monitoring Data Access Database v2.2.1 (zip)(1 pg, 1 MB) 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 (Performance Criterion 4).
  4. WQX Homepage, see particularly, Submitting Data to EPA Using WQX: Steps for an organization to take in order to begin submitting data. Also note that domain values may found on STORET website.  
  5. Water Quality Exchange XML Training Manual for BEACH Monitoring Data (PDF) (31 pp, 847 K) Changes from the previous version: Text was added to indicate new WQX/WQX Web Domain Values Service link. Updated Insert-Update XML example file to show example of using STV statistical base code. Updated text to indicate new domain values for Statistical Base Code and reference to 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria document. Updated Change Log on page 21. Previous versions
    (Further information available in the WQX data exchange template [Data Dictionary] [Excel](1 pg, 157 K) )
  6. STORET Warehouse Download Document updated. The document How to Query and Download Data provides step by step instructions on how to generate, download, export (to Microsoft Excel or Access), and analyze a data query from the STORET Data Warehouse.

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Notification Data (PRAWN)

If you are using the Beach Program's "PRAWN Notification Data Access Database", begin by reading items "1", "2" and "3"; if you are using your own database design, begin by reading item "4".

  1. PRAWN Beach Notification Data User Guide v2.2.4 for XML Schema v.2.4 8/2016 (PDF) (130 pp, 2 MB) Changes from the previous version are listed on page vi. (electronic page 7). 
  2. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database Quick Reference (PDF) (1 pg, 18 K) Provides steps to install the Notification Data Access Database (next item).
  3. PRAWN Notification Data Access Database v2.2.4 (zip)(1 pg, 723 K)  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 (Performance Criterion 8). The changes in the database (also reflected in the User Guide) include adding or activating: Effective Year Examples, Swim Day Length attribute, Partial Day Value for partial day actions, and the ability to delete erroneous or duplicate actions. If you already have data in an existing copy of the previous version of this database, you can send it to Notification Data Support and they can make the update so you don’t have to transfer all the information. Jurisdictions not using the EPA-provided Notification Access Database need to review their data structure against the revised schema. 
  4. PRAWN Beach Notification Data Schema and Development Documents v2.4 Exit 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.)  For a description of changes please see the Schema Change Log.
  5. PRAWN Notification Submission Corrections User Guide (October 12, 2016) (PDF) (17 pp, 248 K) Details the process of modifying incorrect, but already submitted, information usually as a result of annual QA review.  Changes from the previous edition are found on pages 15-16.

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Support

  • CDX User Support: Provide support on CDX access and all eBeaches passwords - CDX Support (helpdesk@epacdx.net); 888-890-1995
  • Node User Support: Provide support on Node access alternatives - Node Support (nodehelpdesk@epacdx.net); 877-827-0260 or 888-890-1995 option 2
  • Locational Data Support: Provide support on Beach location data - ebeaches@attain.com
  • Monitoring Data Support: Provide support on
    1. Monitoring Access Database - Beaches Support (ebeaches@cgifederal.com), 337-344-5429; or
    2. Monitoring error messages on XML schema validation, WQX, and STORET - STORET/WQX Helpdesk (STORET@epa.gov); 800-424-9067
  • Notification Data Support: Provide support on Notification Access Database or error messages on XML schema validation and PRAWN - Beaches Support (ebeaches@cgifederal.com); 337-344-5429
  • BEACON User Support: Provide support on the BEACON 2.0 Application - ebeaches@attain.com
  • eBEACHES Registration and General Support: Sponsor users for User IDs to access EPA systems, and provide support on eBeaches questions - Bill Kramer (kramer.bill@epa.gov); 202-566-0385

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