Agency to Angler Data Dissemination in Minnesota

Increasingly, the public is demanding access to raw data extracts (the internet effect), and multiple agencies are managing across political boundaries, each demanding access to local (typically, the states) data. 

Historically, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was great at collecting data, but poor at providing data. We met angler requests for fisheries information by distributing synthesized products such as reports and producing summary data reduced to a common denominator (e.g., catch per unit of effort).  Under this system we found that providing raw data or meeting custom requests for data were often difficult to accomplish and even when available, provided minimal interpretation.

In 1993, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources implemented a system that stored raw fisheries data and generated reports locally, with consolidation of raw data from 27 fisheries area offices in Minnesota once each year.  However, it was inherently inflexible, narrow in scope, and made data extracts excessively time consuming.  

In 2006, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources implemented a centralized system allowing easier access to data and greater flexibility to adapt to changing needs.  This system exceeded expectations and has been expanded to integrate other new subsystems for water body management plans and stocked fish distribution.

Going forward, technology efforts must focus on designing and building information systems with integration and data dissemination in mind, as well as efficient data entry.