Support for GOES Data Collection System Presentation to the Advisory Committee on Water Information by Charles Kazimir, Chairperson of the Satellite Telemetry Interagency Working Group (STIWG)

What is the STIWG? The GOES Satellite Telemetry Interagency Working Group (STIWG) is a user group that: ● Advises NOAA on user requirements of the GOES DCS related to the collection of hydrologic, meteorologic, oceanic, and other environmental data. ● Promotes information exchange including the sharing of data, research, and technical information among users of the GOES DCS. ● Supports improvements to the GOES DCS by funding development projects. e.g. HDR DCP development.

STIWG Reports To ● Subcommittee on Hydrology of the ACWI ● Committee for Environmental Services, Operations and Research Needs (C/ESORN) of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (OFCM).

What is the GOES DCS? The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Data Collection System ( GOES DCS ) is a satellite system used for the collection of environmental data in real-time from remote data recording sites located all over North and South America. The GOES DCS is operated by the National Environmental Satellite Data Information System (NESDIS ) of NOAA and is available for use by government agencies and their other government-sponsored groups.

GOES DCS as a Critical System The GOES DCS started as an experimental system for collecting real-time data without formal support. It has evolved into a critical system that has become the backbone of many agencies' real-time data collection systems.

Components of the GOES DCS GOES DOMSAT LRGS (All Channels) UsersUsers DCS / DAPS Wallops, VA EDDN Sioux Falls All channels & Agency DRGS (Limited Channels) USGS/NESDIS Partnership

How important is the GOES DCS? ● The GOES DCS is used extensively by numerous Federal, State, and local governments as well as by private organizations to provide current information about hydrologic, meteorologic, and oceanic conditions. ● The GOES DCS provides a system that allows the extensive sharing of real-time data among many different users of environmental data who have diverse requirements.

Importance of real-time data collected using GOES DCS Real-time data obtained from remote sites using the GOES Data Collection System help protect the lives and property of citizens throughout the U.S. and much of the Western hemisphere during fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters or severe conditions Real-time data are used during critical hydrologic events for such things as flood forecasting, fire management, tsunami warning, etc.

Wildfire support Helo Operations Fire fighter support

Wildfire support

USGS GOES Site supplying real-time data during New England Flooding

Public Web Hits to Access USGS Real- Time Data from the GOES DCS Approaching 1 Million Hits/Day

The GOES DCS User Community NOAA National Weather Service National Ocean Service National Climatic Data Center National Data Buoy Center Department of Defense United States Army Corps of Engineers United States Air Force United States Navy Department of Interior National Interagency Fire Center(NIFC) National Forest Service Bureau of Land Management United States Geological Survey Department of Interior(cont) Bureau of Reclamation National Park Service Department of State ( International Boundary & Water Commission) States California Colorado Many Canadian Environmental agencies Many South and Central American Environmental agencies

Data Collection Platforms reporting through the GOES DCS in North and Central America

Why is the STIWG concerned about the GOES DCS? ● No formal commitment by NOAA to operate the GOES DCS. ● For a system this important, the current GOES DCS has vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.  Processing system is in need of major upgrades.  Reception system at Wallops Island has no backup.  COO plan is not comprehensive. ● GOES DCS is considered an ancillary system which means certain types of failures could be tolerated by NOAA.

What this indicates to the STIWG The STIWG members believe that, institutionally, NOAA/NESDIS does not fully appreciate the importance of this system for environmental monitoring.

What the STIWG has done to mitigate some of the concerns Hardware upgrades to reception system  Contributed funding to upgrade some components of the system. Backup system  Started the development of an Emergency Data Distribution Network (EDDN) at the Center for EROS in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. ● System will include a receive system for both GOES East and West satellites ● System will be operated by USGS with support from NESDIS and other STIWG agencies.

Why this is not enough formal ● No formal commitment to continue the operations of the GOES DCS. ● No known formal GOES DCS strategic plan for the continued operations of the GOES DCS including  System upgrades  Funding support ● No clear strategy for mitigating the effects of the failure of critical components.

What the STIWG Wants from ACWI Support for recommendations in the following areas: ● Continuity of Operations ● Strategic Planning ● Priority of System

Recommendations for Continuity of Operations Recommendation 1 NOAA/NESDIS should develop a comprehensive COO plan for the GOES DCS including a strategy for the loss of each critical component of the system. Recommendation 2 NOAA/NESDIS should continue to work with the STIWG to closely integrate the Emergency Data Distribution Network being developed at EROS with the existing GOES DCS reception sites.

Recommendation for Strategic Planning Recommendation 3 NOAA/NESDIS, with the collaboration of the STIWG, should develop a strategic plan that includes: ● System life cycle planning ● Sources of funding for upgrades and operations ● More formal relationships with the users to delineate roles and responsibilities.

Recommendation for Priority of GOES DCS Recommendation 4 NOAA/NESDIS should recognize the importance of the GOES DCS and elevate its status to a high priority system with the support this status implies.

Summary ● The STIWG believes that the GOES DCS has been and continues to be an essential resource for real-time data collection. ● Agencies have made large investments in internal systems that absolutely depend on it. ● The extended loss of data from the GOES DCS would adversely effect the nation’s ability to forecast floods, effectively operate flood-control dams and levees, or issue flood warnings and evacuation notices. ● The GOES DCS needs to be treated as a high-priority system within NOAA.

Conclusion ● The GOES DCS has operated well but as a background system that many praise and all assume will always be there. ● However, operationally it is still viewed as a low-priority system and has vulnerabilities that need attention. ● The ACWI, by supporting the STIWG's recommendations, will greatly assist in beginning the development of the necessary support for the GOES DCS to insure that it will always be there.