D ata Management and
A nalysis
S ystem for
L akes,
E stuaries, and
R ivers



The Data Management and Analysis System for Lakes, Estuaries, and Rivers (DASLER) is a Windows-based program designed to manage and report many types of water quality data.  Data are concentrated into two broad categories:  physical/chemical and biological.  The main DASLER interface provides a central management point for both areas, with special functions tailored to the specific needs of each section.  DASLER uses the same database engine and database file structure as Microsoft Access.  The database engine can communicate with any SQL database.  This allows individual installations to use their database software of choice, as long as an ODBC driver exists for that software.  For instance, one installation may be using Oracle while another uses the native Access format.  The DASLER suite includes plotting software (called DPLOT3, for DASLER Plotting) that produces a variety of standard plots from your data.  DPLOT3 interacts with DASLER or runs as a stand-alone program.  Plots are highly customizable and can be printed on any Windows printer or saved as metafiles.  Plot settings can be saved as custom templates.  Some installations of DASLER also include a GIS-based interface to the water quality data.

The program is not available for general purpose applications.  This is a custom tool that requires setup and training.  The tools available here are for current users of DASLER and for those that use the more generally applicable utility, DPLOT.

Key Benefits:

COMPONENT	FEATURE	BENEFIT
DASLER	Spreadsheet-like interface for tabular data entry	Makes manual data entry less troublesome;  Provides a familiar environment;  Easy navigation within the data
	Pop up lists of allowable values in coded fields	Reduces data entry errors;  Eliminates the need for memorized or printed lists
	Access to all tables (e.g., analytes, test methods)	Allows complete user customization;  Reduces database size by eliminating unused data
	Data access is password protected	All users can view data and get reports;  Only authorized users can enter or edit data
	Electronic data import from ASCII files	Eliminates manual data entry;  Provides quickest, easiest entry of data;  Iterative process allows review of activities
	Flexible tabular reports	Easily defined report parameters;  Report data window has many formatting options;  Save reports as ASCII text or Rich Text;  Insert external files into reports
	Field data collection planning module	Provides a basis for budgeting;  Tracks completion percentage
	Data integrity checking on entry or import	Checks values against allowable bounds;  Checks lab data for hold time exceedances;  Flags suspect data;  Provides basis for QC
	Standard, pre-defined plots	Produces results quickly, with limited input
DPLOT3	Customization of most objects	Set font, size, and color of text objects;  Set line style, thickness, and color of line objects;  Set symbol, size, and color of point objects;  Most text can also be moved to any position
	Annotation box	Allows the addition of extra information to plots;  Movable to any position on the plot
GIS	Customizable legend	Change text and other legend objects
	Mathematical control of contour parameters	Set grid spacing, number of nearest neighbors,    and influence ratio for smoothing;  Turn off gridding for straight-line interpolation    between triangularized data points
	Printer setup controls margins, paper size, etc.	Set the parameters for any printer to which     your computer is attached
	Instant interpolation of contour data	Click on a point in the contour plot and view      its interpolated values
	Save templates for later use	Save settings such as line types and colors to      named templates;  Load templates to customize the current plot
	Generate Windows metafiles	Metafiles can be imported into many programs      such as word processors or spreadsheets
	Runs as a stand-alone program	Extract data using DASLER or the GIS, then       save data sets for analysis any time
	View data in a spatial context	Identify trends or trouble spots geographically
	Select data for plotting interactively	Point and click to select sampling points;  Use menus and dialogs to select dates and analytes
	Define groups of sampling points for easy selection	Pick any set of stations within any project and       select these with a single menu option
	Identify sampling points using a spatial query	Select stations based on sample characteristics or        sampling results (e.g., stations where measured        temperature was < 121C during 1995)