Big Data & Mountain Water Supplies

Roger Bales presents methods and technology used to gather information about our mountain water supplies. This presentation was part of the CITRIS Data Innovation Day conference Streams, Gardens and Clouds. 

Watch the video to learn about answers to the following questions!

1. Why is it important to measure & communicate water data supply?
2. What are the key things that decision makers and other stakeholders need to know? 
3. What are the particular problems associated with going from data to effective & democratic decisionmaking?
4. How have we tried to address these problems?
5. What are the major challenges going forward?

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE: Streams, Gardens, and Clouds: Visualizing Dynamic Data for Engagement, Education and the Environment

A CITRIS Data and Democracy Symposium to Celebrate Data Innovation Day (24 January 2013)

Scientists, policymakers, business leaders, journalists—all seek to harness the deluge of data generated by the minute through sensing networks and social media. Aided by the increasing availability of high-speed Internet, wireless networks, and mobile devices, people with access to multimedia tools contribute to these data flows both intentionally and inadvertently. Apps can now map the flow of traffic, rivers, and wind; social media sites chart the pulse of user sentiment; the online marketplace provides instant measures of economic activity; and online education platforms bring their own stream of information and feedback loops.

Anyone who must make sense of this flood of information—leaders in various fields, teachers, citizens and consumers—rely on having effective tools to aggregate and visualize the data in a meaningful way.  “Streams, Gardens, and Clouds” will examine sensor networks and social media platforms for supporting citizen and student engagement, economic development, and public health and safety. Drawing on the expertise of CITRIS and UC Berkeley researchers, as well as invited speakers, the event will highlight current projects to represent dynamic data on urban trends, the environment, education, and health and humanitarian response.

Speakers will include Eric Rodenbeck (Stamen Design), Maya Madriz (Re:Imagine Group), Michelle Zhou (IBM), Galen Panger (UC Berkeley), Ken Goldberg (UC Berkeley), Alex Bayen (UC Berkeley), Roger Bales (UC Merced), Ron Cohen (UC Berkeley), Edmund Seto (UC Berkeley), Greg Niemeyer (UC Berkeley), Rajiv Bhatia (San Francisco Department of Public Health), Rishab Ghosh (Topsy Labs), Olga Werby (Ushahidi), Juliette Powell (#Wethedata), Marti Hearst (UC Berkeley), John Canny (UC Berkeley).