Submitting Data to EPA: Historical Resources

Previous versions of the files for 2019

• Manual Verification Guides - Current version used to verify data beginning with Season 2019.  Verification Tool Matrix 2019 (xlsx)
• Submitting Water Quality Data to WQX/STORET (PDF)
• eBeaches Data Flow Diagram 2019 (pdf) (173.98 KB)
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Submitting 2019 Season eBeaches Notification and Monitoring Data

Previous versions of the files for 2018

• User Guide for vT - 2018 (pdf) (820.86 KB)

Previous versions of the files for 2017

• Manual Verification Guides - Current version used to verify data beginning with Season 2017. Verification Tool Matrix (xlsx) (20.61 KB)
• User Guide for vT - 2017 (PDF) - This User Guide is also on the vT site, and is provided here for those who do not have credentials.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Submitting 2017 Season eBeaches Notification and Monitoring Data (pdf) (949.62 KB, August 2017)
• eBEACHES Submissions to the Exchange Network Services Center (PDF).  Changes: Revised pages describing emails notifying submitters of successful (completed) or failed (with errors) transactions (slides: 22, 23, 25, 31, 33, 48, 49, 51-55).

Previous versions of the files for 2015

• eBeaches Submissions in the Exchange Network Services Center (pdf) (2.86 MB, August 2015)

Previous versions of the files for 2014

• eBEACHES Data Flow Diagram 2014 (pdf) (37.47 KB)
• Submitting Water Quality Data to WQX/STORET - June 2014 (pdf) (272.06 KB)

Previous versions of the files for 2013

• Supplemental Guidance for the 2013 Beach Season Data Reporting Cycle (pdf) (74.03 KB)

Previous versions of the files for 2012

• Storet Instructions (pdf) (786.75 KB)
• Water Quality Exchange XML Training Manual for BEACH Monitoring Data (2012) (pdf) (1.32 MB, January 2012, EPA 810-B-12-001) Changes from the previous version: Text Clarifications made for Activity Groups, Project, Monitoring Location, Result Description Sections, Changed ORG_ID to WQXTEST, Clarified Reusable Data Block definition, Updated Insert-Update and Delete XML files to reflect WQXTEST ORG_ID and updated related screen shots. Beaches/WQX Crosswalk (xls) (52.5 KB) Minor changes from the previous version shown in blue shaded cells and in footnotes in blue shading.  For states not using the Monitoring Data Access Database (c, above), item "e", second link, explains how to configure a local state database to produce WQX compliant XML submission files.
  • File WQX_BEACH_Demotest.xml (xml)
  • File WQX_BEACH_Demotest_Delete.xml (xml)

Previous versions of the files for 2010

• Submission Method Selection Instructions December 2010 (pdf) (1.65 MB)   Changes from the previous version the WQX/STORET office has added screen shots and how to use WQX Web. This document contains general instructions on how to select either a State Node, Node Client, WQX Web, or EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX) as the starting point for submitting Beach monitoring and notification data. If you do not have a Beach Program Organization ID from EPA, prior to submitting data, contact Bill Kramer (kramer.bill@epa.gov); 202-566-0385
• eBEACHES 2009 Location Data SOP (PDF) (Changes from previous version: updated for use for 2010 season, and links to Goggle Earth and Review Tool).  Describes the steps to assign, change, or retire Beach IDs, what beach locational data to submit, and in what form. A Beach ID (with location) is necessary before you can submit monitoring or notification data. You can use the following materials to convert latitude and longitude point data to index beach shape files to maps to support environmental and public health analyses.
• Reach Indexing Tool (RIT) Part of the NHD Toolkit, the National Hydrography Dataset Reach Indexing Tool (NHD-RIT) is an interactive GIS application that allows users to georeference surface water data using the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). The process of identifying and assigning attributes to portions of the NHD is referred to as Reach Indexing.
• Beach-related national geospatial downloads and fact sheet available for the BEACH Act program. The geospatial data represents Beach Act beaches for the 2009 swim season.  This data is available in GIS-compatible shapefile and geodatabase formats and in KMZ Google Earth files.
• eBeaches Locational Data Review Tool (PDF)
• WQX Beach Monitoring Data User Guide v2.2.1  Changes from the previous version: Updated Appendixes E (Data Entry Forms) and F (Summary Reports), and added Appendix G (CDX Email Messages).  The User Guide contains descriptions of all required beach water quality data fields to be reported in XML file format and how to input XML files from WQX.
• Monitoring Data Access Database Quick Reference (PDF)  Provides steps to install the Monitoring Data Access Database (next item).
•    A state can choose to use this database to store all required beach water quality data fields, input XML files from WQX, and generate an XML file for data submission to WQX.
• Water Quality Exchange XML Training Manual for BEACH Monitoring Data (2012) (pdf) (1.32 MB, January 2012, EPA 810-B-12-001)   Changes from the previous version: Changes from the previous version: Updated Insert-Update XML file, updated document links, added text for clarification and to refer to query and solicit web services, Updated Change Log on page 21 of the document and Beaches/WQX Crosswalk (xls) (52.5 KB) For states not using the Monitoring Data Access Database (c, above), item "e", second link, explains how to configure a local state database to produce WQX compliant XML submission files.
  • File WQX_BEACH_Demotest.xml (xml)
  • File WQX_BEACH_Demotest_Delete.xml (xml)
• WQX Homepage, refer to particularly, Submitting Data to EPA Using WQX: Steps for an organization to take in order to begin submitting data. (The WQX data exchange template [Data Dictionary] (xls) (153.5 KB)
  WQX data exchange template [Data Dictionary] )
• Downloading & Using Data from the STORET Warehouse (pdf) (147.49 KB)   Changes from the previous edition include use of "tab" delimited data rather than "tilde ~" data.  This document provides an exercise for the BEACH Program to quality assure IDs.

• PRAWN Beach Notification Data User Guide v2.2.1 - 7/2010 (pdf) (1.88 MB)   Changes from the previous version include: Added Appendix J CDX Email Messages. 
• PRAWN Notification Data Access Database Quick Reference (pdf) (17.47 KB)   Provides steps to install the Notification Data Access Database (next item).
• PRAWN Notification Data Access Database v2.2.1 (zip) (16.43 KB)   A state can choose to use this database to store all required beach advisory and closing data fields and generate an XML file for data submission to PRAWN.
• PRAWN Beach Notification Data Schema and Development Documents v2.2  Contains all required beach advisory and closing data fields to be reported to PRAWN. (Particularly for States not using the above Access DB for notification data.)
• PRAWN Notification Submission Corrections User Guide (October 1, 2008) (pdf) (67.62 KB) Details the process of modifying incorrect, but already submitted, information usually as a result of annual QA review.

Previous versions of the files for Past Years

• All monitoring and notification files from 2009 (zip) (2.4 MB)
• All monitoring and notification files from 2008 (zip) (3.56 MB)
• eBEACHES Location Data SOP v2.1 (2008)
• Notification Submission Corrections User Guide (February 2007) (pdf) (114.99 KB)
• All monitoring and notification files from 2006 (zip) (618.45 KB)
• All monitoring and notification files from 2005 (zip) (7.18 MB)