Regional Data Center

SFEI is one of several Regional Data Centers (RDC) in California that exchanges water quality data to the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN). SFEI provides data management and visualization services to the San Francisco Bay-Delta and northern montane regions through the RDC and other online webservices such as the Contaminant Data Display and Download Tool (CD3) and EcoAtlas.
How to Upload Data to the RDC
Below are the different steps for uploading data to SFEI’s RDC. Any party collecting surface water quality data in California can submit data to the RDC and CEDEN. Minimum data quality standards are included in the data format templates employed by all the RDCs, which support sharing data across projects and accross the state.
1. Inform SFEI staff |
Contact SFEI’s Data Services team ds@sfei.org if you want to submit an environmental dataset to SFEI's RDC or make any corrections to existing data. We will provide you with the appropriate data entry templates and documentation for your data type. |
2. Populate templates |
Use the CEDEN guidance and templates to format your dataset and include valid codes from the controlled vocabulary Lookup Lists. Use the CEDEN Vocabulary Request Template to submit new codes. |
3. Use online data checker |
Check the format and naming conventions of your data by using CEDEN's Data Checker. Contact SFEI’s Data Services team ds@sfei.org to add your agency if it is not is the list. |
4. Submit completed templates* |
Email templates to SFEI at ds@sfei.org. Staff will upload your data into the RDC and contact you with any questions or issues. |
5. View and download data |
CEDEN staff will verify your data’s comparability with statewide standards before making data available on CEDEN’s Query Tool. Once in CEDEN, data will also be shared with other web tools, such as CD3 and the National Water Quality Portal. |
* Datasets that have successfully passed Step 3 take 2-4 weeks to upload and appear on CD3, depending on other project committments and available funding.
Questions? SFEI's Data Services team is happy to help you with any of the above steps. Contact us at ds@sfei.org.
Related Projects, News, and Events:

Contaminant Data Display and Download Tool or CD3 is an innovative visualization tool for accessing water quality data for the San Francisco Bay-Delta and northern montane regions. It is the primary tool for accessing and downloading the San Francisco Bay Regional Monitoring Program’s (RMP) long-term dataset and other project data stored in SFEI's Regional Data Center (RDC).

The California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN) is a central location to find and share information about California’s surface waters, including streams, lakes, rivers, and the coastal ocean.