Proposal for improving access to local data

Although the development of a new system to deliver local data to practitioners is outside the scope of the FEH Local project, it is envisaged that a future implementation would have greatest benefit if linked to the NRFA, which already holds the core peak flow data used for flood estimation in the UK. A feasibility study was therefore

conducted on the development of a Local and Historical Flood Data Archive and its integration with the NRFA. Appendix C provides a report on the study and its main findings are summarised below.

A future implementation of the new system and its supporting procedures would need to have the functionality to collate, store, quality control and provide access to the data with a UK-wide remit. The host organisation and project team would need to consider options for the content and technical structure of the system and how it might be set up, operated and maintained. Business planning considerations would include the hosting, funding and governance of the system and the mitigation of risks associated with its use. This feasibility study outlines a number of options in each of these areas and makes recommendations as to the most beneficial.

With regard to archive content, there is a broad range of data types that could be of use to FEH practitioners in validating and refining their estimates of peak flows and flood frequency at their site of interest. These include:

 existing estimates of peak flows and related information

 hydrometric measurements additional to those already available on national archives

 catchment information such as local amendments to FEH catchment descriptors and changes in hydrological response over time

The feasibility study proposes that:

 hydrometric measurements are best hosted by existing national archives  catchment information not pertaining to a specific event should be outside

of the scope of the new system

The recommendation is therefore that the system contains estimates of flood events, quantitative records of flood extents and levels, and the raw observational information (such as photographs) from which they are derived.

With regard to the potential for integration of the new system with the NRFA, full integration into the NRFA is likely to be the most effective option, both with regard to costs and to engagement. This will exploit existing skills and technical infrastructure, and allow practitioners to discover and analyse the available information efficiently. In setting up the system, funding would be required to establish the systems and procedures, and then to populate the empty archive with a core set of data. While it would be possible to postpone the population until after the launch, it is recommended that the system is established along with supporting policies and procedures and is populated with a core set of data by a consortium of organisations so as to maximise initial user engagement.

Post-launch, secure and sustained funding would be required for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the system. For data collation and quality control, it is

recommended that users submit data, which are quality controlled by central or federated teams of experts, who may also be engaged in proactive collation of data. For ongoing stewardship of the data, it is recommended that archive content is improved by the processing of user data quality flags and by rolling review. It might also be extended by an active programme of extraction of structured data from unstructured records.

Table 4.6 highlights the recommendations in 7 key areas that would require decisions in a future implementation of the system.

Table 4.6 Recommendations for a new system to deliver local data to practitioners

Element Recommendation

Archive content The system contains estimates of flood events, quantitative records of flood extents and levels, and the raw

observational information (such as photographs) from which they are derived.

Back-end database The system is held on local storage with in-house systems support, and contains both structured and unstructured data. Future phased expansions should accommodate growth in size.

Front-end user interface

An advanced user interface allows federated searches across different (or integrated) databases, with options for data display and export, and tools for authorised users to add and amend records.

Integration with existing UK national flood data archives

The remit of the NRFA is extended to host the new system, with the option of integrating all relevant records from the CBHE.

Setting up the system

The system is established along with supporting policies and procedures, and is populated with a core set of data by a consortium of organisations.

Data collation and quality control

Users submit data, which are quality controlled by central or federated teams of archive staff, who may also be engaged in proactive collation of data.

Data stewardship Archive content is improved by the processing of user data quality flags and by rolling review, and may also be extended by an active programme of extraction of structured data from unstructured records.

In conclusion, the delivery of an archive to meet the aims of the FEH Local project is eminently feasible, given clearly defined limits on the data types to be included and secure funding, with a national remit for the establishment and long-term operation and maintenance of the system.

The position of the NRFA as the UK’s central archive of peak flow data, with proven capability in database and web development and in hydrological data stewardship, and with established partnerships with the primary measuring authorities, commends it as a suitable host.

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High-resolution catchment