- Success Stories
- Satellite Science & Environmental Intelligence
Supporting the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard Development
Congratulations to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) on the launch of the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard. This dashboard provides crucial, timely information to support decision-making for those living and working in the basin, which spans 31 states and 40 percent of the contiguous U.S. The team created the dashboard to curate data from across the government, offer customizable maps and images, and provide context on drought impacts. The new dashboard was officially launched at the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative annual meeting on September 17, 2025.
In support of the CSS-Riverside contract with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), CSS-Riverside staff and partners with ISciences, LLC collaborated with NOAA’s National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Geological Survey, state and local government agencies, and industry organizations. The project progressed from initial development and design, including a customized page menu and various map configurations, to multiple feedback sessions with stakeholders and partners. The teams incorporated this feedback to refine the dashboard’s design, content, and functionality. While navigating this process, the team also tackled several technical challenges, such as migrating server operating systems and addressing a variety of data processing and web-rendering issues to ensure the dashboard’s smooth operation.
The development team diligently worked to build a robust and user-friendly product. The group divided their talents and skills for front and back-end development. Front end development focused on creating and refining the website’s components, including map interfaces and a custom floating menu for the dashboard. Back-end development involved robust data processing, containerization, and server migration efforts to ensure reliable data streams, and a stable operational environment. The team’s cohesiveness, efficiency and attention to detail resulted in a dynamic and comprehensive resource for drought and water information.
See More CSS Insights
Organizing Teams to Monitor Coastal Contaminants
For nearly 40 years NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been monitoring contaminants in coastal waters in over 400 sites around the U.S. by testing sediment and bivalves, such as oysters and mussels. A CSS employee owner organizes and coordinates the regional missions to collect and test samples. This includes developing a schedule and coordinating…
Evaluating the Use of Earth Observations Digital Twin Technologies
Earth Observations Digital Twin technologies are data analytics, artificial intelligence, and advanced modeling technologies that provide an estimate of the true state of the Earth. An Earth Systems Digital Twin is observations-based and grid-flexible with multiple components and high-resolution data over space and time to capture all available observations and feed a variety of direct…
Astronauts Conduct Latest Plant Water Management on the International Space Station
NASA recently performed the sixth iteration of the CSS-supported Plant Water Management experiment on the International Space Station (ISS).