Introduction and Overview

The data generated by the Springs Inventory Protocol (SIP) and Springs Ecological Assessment Protocol (SEAP) can be complex and interrelated. For example, water quality is linked to flow, geology, geomorphology, soils, flora, and fauna, and multiple data points of various types are associated with each of these categories. To address this complexity, we designed a relational database that provides a framework to compile this information and analyze biological and physical relationships, many of which are poorly understood.

The database facilitates archival storage of qualitative and quantitative information to document present conditions, establish a baseline for future reference, inform the assessment process, guide monitoring, evaluate stewardship efforts, track restoration actions, and monitor changes influenced by aquifer depletion, climate change, and other factors for individual springs, or for many springs across a landscape.

The database forms match the format of the field sheets to allow an individual with limited training to enter the information quickly and easily. The system is designed to be user-friendly, and is populated with drop-down fields that facilitate data entry while minimizing the chance of errors. Buttons and tabs allow the operator to easily move between forms. Offering easy methods to enter, retrieve, and analyze data enables landowners and managing agencies as well as researchers to use and improve the quality and integration of information about springs.

Relational Databases

A good relational database should follow three primary rules.

1. It should take no longer to enter data than it does to collect them.

2. The interface should provide structure that assures consistency of data (for example, using drop-down boxes that refer to look-up tables) while still providing flexibility for anomalous situations. Finding this balance usually requires compromise of either flexibility or consistency.

3. It is critical that the information is accessible and useful once the data have been entered.

The primary tables and the relationships between them are the foundation of a relational database that allow users to export meaningful data. It is important to provide a wide range of reports that are easily generated and exported. However, a database should also allow researchers to design complex queries that export data for unanticipated information needs.

Springs Online Database Structure

The database contains many tables and look-up tables but the two primary ones are Sites and Surveys. The Sites table contains general information about the location (such as spring type, geology, a site description, and georeferencing). The Surveys table contains information collected on a specific date (such as flow, water quality, and fauna). The relationship between these tables is one-to-many, meaning one site can be associated with many surveys. Each survey is associated with a Project, with a many-to-one relationship, allowing multiple surveys for a single project. Access to survey data is based on the Project as well as the Land Unit, as discussed in the Permissions section. Watch a short video about this here.

Watch this video of a recent webinar for an in-depth overview of the Springs Online database.