The Champ Data System

The Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program (CHaMP) has the vision to build a web-based system that CHaMP practitioners and partners enjoy using because it saves them time (relative to the “old way”), makes it easier to follow the protocol, and results in higher quality data. The CHaMP protocol is designed to monitor the quantity and quality of the stream habitats that support Pacific salmonids. The CHaMP Data Management System is designed to support this protocol. Its goals include documenting the statistical design, efficiently supporting field data collection, lowering the overall cost of data management, ensuring consistent data formatting and quality, and providing public access to field data measurements, derived metrics, maps, charts, and other data visualizations. The CHaMP data system includes a study design and site evaluation tool, data logger for capturing topographic surveys, data entry application for auxiliary data, geo-processing scripts, centralized data storage repository, and website for reviewing and accessing data. Collectively, these tools support data documentation, data capture, quality assurance review, backup and archiving, metric generation, data display, mapping, and distribution.