Details:

Personal Author:
Clites, Anne H.
Corporate Authors:
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
NOAA Program & Office:
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; GLERL (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; GLERL (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory) Less -
Description:
This report outlines a strategy for improving the content and communication of Great Lakes water level information. It is hoped that by providing decision-makers with more helpful information, the social and economic disruptions caused by fluctuating lake levels can be mitigated. To define the water level information needs of the decision-makers, an assessment of user needs was conducted by phone interview. This was not a scientific survey, but an attempt to interview as many informed representatives of different water level information user groups as time allowed. Sixty-five interviews were completed during the fall of 1991. The user needs assessment revealed that unmet needs seem to be concentrated in certain user groups: coastal engineers emergency government workers, recreational boaters and marina operators, and riparians. Some of the needs expressed included better extreme level statistics, more storm surge information, better access to historical and real-time data, and a more understandable water level bulletin. According to our small sampling, there are many user groups that are satisfied with the water level information they now receive. The water level bulletins prepared monthly by the governments of Canada and the United States proved to be the most widely used decision-making tools. As effective as they are, it was also apparent that, even among frequent users, the bulletins are not completely understood. This suggested strategy for improving the quality and communication ofwater level information involves (1) developing better extreme level statistical decision-making tools, (2) proposing to the relevant agencies that subtle changes be made to the water level bulletins to increase their understanding, and (3) tailoring existing forecast and statistical information so that users can take better advantage of the wealth of Great Lakes water level information generated by governments. Authors of this report included J. Philip Keillor, Charles F. Southam, Murray Clamen, and Deborah H. Lee
Content Notes:
Anne H. Clites, editor.

"January 1993."

Also available online in PDF via the NOAA Central Library and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory website.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-75).


Keywords:
[+]
Information Services Water Levels
Series:
NOAA technical memorandum ERL GLERL ; 77
Document Type:
Technical Memorandum
Place as Subject:
Great Lakes (North America)
License:
https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Rights Information:
CC0 Public Domain
Compliance:
Library
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:82113f25159c00ab21da65c7192dd9489b1371e0f95d68dff366d01669f5756a
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/11286/noaa_11286_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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