Phoenix Chapter Meeting

Abstract: The Arizona Water Observatory: Open-Source Infrastructure for Water Data Analytics

With support from the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, Arizona State University's Center for Hydrologic Innovations and the Lincoln Institute's Center for Geospatial Solutions are developing the Arizona Water Observatory (AWO), a publicly accessible, map-based platform that centralizes and streamlines access to Arizona's water data. AWO is designed as a one-stop shop for visualizing, exploring, and downloading water-related data from trusted sources to support sustainable water management across the state. Currently under development, the platform aims to scale the integration of water data and information by applying FAIR data principles—Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets—with a strong emphasis on standardization and usability to enhance data-driven decision-making. As an open-source web platform, AWO provides actionable, up-to-date water information across Arizona. It standardizes data from a wide range of sources and features a modern, intuitive user interface that guides users in accessing and interpreting that data through map-based visualizations, along with clear references to the API that powers the application. By improving interoperability, the AWO empowers more informed and effective water decision-making statewide. The tool has been developed in collaboration with a technical workgroup that includes representatives from multiple Arizona agencies. This talk will highlight the collaborative development process, the value of its open-source framework, key insights gained through stakeholder engagement, and the next steps for advancing the Arizona Water Observatory.