Missoulian: Surf to new site for ocean of information on fisheries, water

Surf to new site for ocean of information on fisheries, water

By MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian

March 12, 2007

KALISPELL - A virtual reservoir of water and fishery data is quickly filling online, providing a comprehensive and unparalleled look at scientific studies across the Pacific Northwest.

The “one-stop shopping” Internet site - http://nppc.bpa.gov/Portal - was created by a host of federal and state agencies, as well as Indian tribes and Canadian resource ministries. It offers the latest environmental and biological data on fish, wildlife, water quality, habitat and results from scores of scientific studies around Montana and the Northwest.

Visitors to the free site can search for data by region, or by key words. They can make custom maps, and even overlay different kinds of data - geographic and biologic, for instance - on the same map.

Leading the data-compilation effort is the multistate Northwest Power and Conservation Council, which is charged by Congress with balancing the needs of fish and wildlife with the need for reliable and affordable hydropower. The council was joined by Bonneville Power Administration - which markets power produced at the region's federal hydroelectric dams - as well as by NOAA Fisheries.

Council chairman Tom Karier called the regional data collection the “most comprehensive ever,” and said he expected it to be widely used by scientists, students, activists “and, in fact, anyone who has interest and access to a computer.”

“It's important for decision makers to have access to the best available data,” Karier said, “and it is equally important that the available data can be shared efficiently with all interested parties.”

Others participating include the federal Environmental Protection Agency, British Columbia's Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, several Indian tribes, state agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers.

“The portal is an example of how representatives from many different groups can work together at a regional level,” said John Stein of NOAA Fisheries. “Science that serves the region requires transparent and easy access.”

In addition to crafting custom maps and searching by region or key word, visitors to the site can download material related to a particular topic but included in separate studies, can link to data at other locations, can organize the information into indexes and can print, save or e-mail the results, directly from the portal.

Reporter Michael Jamison can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or at mjamison@missoulian.com