Publish Your Data

CUAHSI provides tools for data discovery, analysis, collaboration, and publication. 

Any type of data can be published and archived using CUAHSI's data repositories, HydroShare and HydroClient. 

The benefits of publishing your data with CUAHSI include:

  • Data can be discovered in a domain-specific repository among hundreds of other data sources. 
  • Data published with CUAHSI are discoverable through Google Database Search.
  • Data access control: keep data private, limit sharing to select colleagues, or make data publicly available.
  • Access to free tools developed by the hydrologic community for managing and analyzing data.
  • Resources to fulfill Data Management Plan requirements.
  • Obtain a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to permanently publish data and formally cite in literature when work is complete.
  • Assistance from CUAHSI support staff and long-term infrastructure support, including regular data back-ups.
     

New to data sharing?

Check out Enabling FAIR Data FAQs to learn more about community standards and how to get started, or contact help@cuahsi.org with questions. 

Learn more about CUAHSI's data repositories HydroShare and HydroClient below. 

 

  • HydroShare

     

    HydroShare enables users to publish and share multiple types of water data including time series data, GIS data, models and more.  Data published in HydroShare can be made publicly discoverable if desired.

    HydroShare supports all data formats widely used in water sciences. Any file type can be added to a HydroShare; files can be further described with file level metadata using Dublin Core metadata standards. HydroShare also enables users to create groups to share data with collaborators and perform analyses in the cloud. Examples of data types supported by HydroShare include: 

    • Geographic features (e.g. shapefiles) and geographic rasters. HydroShare has tools developed for specific GIS data types that allow users to visualize data sets without needing to download any data or software.
    • Multidimensional data. HydroShare uses the Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) specification for multidimensional data. Multidimensional space-time data is commonly used for hydrological modeling (e.g., precipitation or surface air temperature that vary in space and time).
    • Models and model Instances. HydroShare has tools for specific models like the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and MODFLOW, but can be used to store and disseminate any type of model or model instance.
    • Other data types. HydroShare supports many other data and file types not listed here. Upload any data type, including web applications, scripts, collections of different data, pdfs, word documents, and more. 

    Review the Hydroshare Getting Started Guide or the HydroShare Help Pages, or contact help@cuahsi.org for more information about publishing data to HydroShare. 

  • Hydrologic Information System (HIS)

    CUAHSI’s Hydrologic Information System (HIS) data portal, HydroClient, provides access to nearly 100 data services, including over 3.5 million unique time series, from federal agencies, university researchers, and volunteer science groups through a single map interface, with all data returned in the same format. Time Series Data can be published to CUAHSI’s HIS using HydroServer, and data can be made discoverable through the HydroClient data portal. 

    Examples of time series data include stream gauge measurements, meteorological station measurements, repeated “grab” samples, and soil moisture measurements.  Data published in the HIS must have the following five metadata attributes:

    1. Site: latitude and longitude
    2. Property measured: such as alkalinity or discharge
    3. Method: method used to make the measurement
    4. Source: the collecting organization
    5. Quality Control level: level of review of the data (the data can be in raw form)

    Data must be published with CUAHSI’s HydroServer to be available in HydroClient and the WaterML R Package:

    1. Create a publishing account
    2. Verify your account using the activation email
    3. Format your data: Follow the Guide and fill in the Standard or Advanced Excel Templates. (Download the templates: Standard or Advanced)
    4. Upload your data: Follow the Guide using the Standard or Advanced uploading option
    5. Request Publication: Click Request Publication on the HydroServer Homepage to make your data service accessible to the public on HydroClient
    6. For all subsequent uploads, data is automatically published every Saturday unless requested otherwise 

    Some time series data may be better published in HydroShare. Contact CUAHSI staff to discuss the best method to publish data.

    Contact CUAHSI support at help@cuahsi.org with questions or to learn more.