Federal activities and funding for water resources information are integrally tied to partnerships with non-Federal entities. Therefore, the Secretary of the Interior established an advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to help implement the program at the national level. The purposes of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) are to identify water information needs, evaluate their effectiveness of water information programs and recommend improvements. The member organizations represent all levels of government, tribal interests, and the private sector. The Chair of the ACWI is Interior's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. The Alternate Chair is Don Cline, Associate Director for Water of the USGS.