Why was the Colorado Data Sharing Network (CDSN) started to begin with?

The CDSN is a collaborative project envisioned by the Water Quality Monitoring Council in 2004. Folks at the WQMC understood that data is only meaningful when people can actually use and share it. From that understanding the idea of a Data Sharing Network specific for Colorado was birthed.

For 3 years the WQMC worked with Gold Systems to design, test, and implement the CDSN. Essentially, the CDSN was formed to address many of the issues that have historically been barriers to effective sharing of water and ecological quality information (data!) across different entities within Colorado.

Why should I join the CDSN network?

Why are you waiting to join is the real question here.

We like to think that you would join the CDSN for one or more of the following reasons:

• You have data lying around and you just want a consolidated place to store it all.

• Your data is just waiting to be merged with other entities’ data and analyzed with accessible tools so that questions/issues may be answered.

• You believe in collaboration and the power of sharing data to help keep Colorado’s watersheds and ecosystems safe for all.

• You are working on a project that requires data to be uploaded to EPA’s WQX.

Initially, CDSN products and services sought to satisfy reporting requirements for Colorado Non-Point Source project sponsors. But, we are growing our data network family and we welcome any entity who wants a safe storage area for their data that can be accessed and/or analyzed at anytime along with other entities’ data (How about that! No more digging around files and files and files and files trying to find that data you collected long ago!)