[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43673-43674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16978]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

 Geological Survey

[DOI-2020-0017; 212G0804MD GGHDFA3500 GF0200000 GX20FA35SA40000]


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: United States Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Rescindment of a system of records notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the 
Department of the Interior (DOI) is rescinding the system of records 
notice (SORN), INTERIOR/USGS-01, National Water Information System: 
NWIS. This notice was maintained by the United States Geological Survey 
(USGS) and is no longer required as the NWIS records are neither stored 
nor retrieved by use of an individual's personal identifier. All 
records in NWIS are stored and retrieved by site identification data. 
As such, NWIS does not meet the statutory definition of a system of 
records under the Privacy Act.

DATES: These changes take effect on August 10, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by docket number [DOI-2020-
0017] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for sending comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket number 
[DOI-2020-0017] in the subject line of the message.

[[Page 43674]]

     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Teri Barnett, Departmental 
Privacy Officer, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, 
Room 7112, Washington, DC 20240.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number [DOI-2020-0017]. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    You should be aware your entire comment including your personally 
identifiable information, such as your address, phone number, email 
address, or any other personal information in your comment, may be made 
publicly available at any time. While you may request to withhold your 
personally identifiable information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee we will be able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cozenja Berry, Associate Privacy 
Officer, Office of Enterprise Information, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Room 4A209, Mail Stop 159, Reston, VA 
20192, [email protected] or (703) 648-7062.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy 
Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, DOI is rescinding the INTERIOR/
USGS-01, National Water Information System: NWIS, SORN as this system 
of records no longer meets the statutory definition under the Privacy 
Act. This rescindment complies with the Privacy Act of 1974, and the 
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-108, Federal Agency 
Responsibilities for Review, Reporting, and Publication under the 
Privacy Act.
    An assessment of NWIS records by the USGS Associate Privacy Officer 
revealed that the records contained therein are not stored, maintained 
or retrieved by use of an individual's personal identifier. The USGS 
Water Mission Area utilizes NWIS to preserve a repository of hydrologic 
data that is collected as part of cooperative hydrologic studies 
nation-wide. The records include contact information for individuals or 
groups that own or have physical control of access sites (site owners) 
where USGS collects groundwater data. Site owner contact information 
stored in NWIS includes name, address, phone number, and when provided 
an email address. The records in NWIS are saved and retrieved by use of 
the site identification data; records cannot be retrieved by use of the 
site owner's personal information. Indexing in NWIS is by the site name 
and number, with the site name being the name given to the body of 
water and the number a unique identifier assigned to that specific 
location (example Mississippi River near Bemidji, MN, 05200430). To 
narrow searches, other site identification data or attributes may be 
used to retrieve records (state/territory, regional water center, 
geographic coordinates, water body type, altitude, drainage zone, 
depth, or aquifer code/name). Controls are in place to ensure contact 
information is only accessible to authorized USGS personnel; it is not 
published or released to the public. Rescindment of this notice has no 
adverse impact on individual privacy of the site owners. The affected 
records will continue to be maintained under their disposition 
schedules as approved by the National Archives and Records 
Administration. This rescindment will promote the overall streamlining 
and management of DOI Privacy Act systems of records. Members of the 
public can access hydrological historical data via the NWIS web page 
(https://help.waterdata.usgs.gov/) or may request NWIS records under 
the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/foia). This notice hereby rescinds 
INTERIOR/USGS-01, National Water Information System: NWIS.

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    INTERIOR/USGS-01, National Water Information System: NWIS.

HISTORY:
    73 FR 54425 (September 19, 2008); modification published at 74 FR 
23430 (May 19, 2009).

Teri Barnett,
Departmental Privacy Officer,Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2021-16978 Filed 8-9-21; 8:45 am]
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