ABSTRACT
Building a computerized groundwater information system presents new challenges for the environmental professional. Skills must be leamed, and new budget line items must be justified. The importance of finding experienced people cannot be overstated. Based on the experiences of others, the following general guidelines will help prepare any organization and its budget. General rules apply to database projects and related geographic information systems (GIS). Digital files for various attributes may be stored in the database—lakes, rivers, streams, highways, land use, contamination sites, and wells. Each digital file can add a layer to the maps and a variable to the analyses. Any organization with an eye to growth and better management will wish to purchase more hard disk storage, a printer, and a plotter. The software packages may include digitizing, word processor, database manager, spreadsheet, graphics manager, map/display, cross sections, GIS, statistics and communications.
