15.945: cooperative research and training programs of the national park system cesu network programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative…

The National Park Service (NPS), through its Cooperative Research and Training Programs – Resources of the National Park System (CFDA 15.945), awarded Colorado State University a $172,000 cooperative agreement effective August 1, 2025, with completion targeted for September 30, 2026. Under this award, Colorado State University will research, develop, and enhance software and tools designed to ensure National Park Service water data are open, accessible, and interoperable. Key deliverables include identifying and digitizing legacy analog and contemporary NPS water datasets, converting them to open-format and machine-readable standards, and creating technical infrastructure to facilitate data sharing and collaboration among the NPS, state agencies, industry partners, and the general public.

This initiative supports the broader CESU (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit) Network mission to facilitate multi-disciplinary science and integrated information products across the National Park System. The project directly benefits a diverse range of stakeholders, including state and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and the general public by enhancing transparency, accountability, and accessibility of critical water resource data that inform science-based management decisions across national parks and preserves.

15.945: cooperative research and training programs of the national park system cesu network programming supports a comprehensive network of cooperative study units to facilitate cooperative research, technical assistance, education, and training to inform science-based management of the national park system. The study units facilitate multi-disciplinary science and integrated information products across multiple geographic regions of the national park system. This project seeks to ensure national park water data are open and accessible by researching, creating, and enhancing software and tools that support water data interoperability to foster greater transparency, accountability, data sharing, and collaboration between the national park service, states, industry, and the public. Part of this effort will research, identify, and digitize legacy analog and contemporary NPS water datasets to make them open-format, machine readable, and publicly accessible to ensure that data collected are well-documented, RE-usable, and readily available to everyone with an interest in park waters.beneficiaries include industry, state and local governments, federally recognized indian tribal governments, public private nonprofit organizations, nonprofit institutions of higher education, and the general public.