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Case Studies

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Mohonk Lake in the mid-Hudson Valley, New York, is one of many lakes in the U.S. that experiences annual freezes. However, ice conditions are changing rapidly now due to rising global temperatures and changes in other climate conditions. Various shifts in the physical and chemical traits of Mohonk over time have the possibility of changing the seasonal dynamics of the lake, including in the winter.The desire to understand lake dynamics year-round is not exclusive to the Hudson Valley. Instead, the year-long monitoring efforts on Mohonk are part of a multi-lake research initiative sponsored by the National Science Foundation with over a dozen participating lakes across the country. Because the project seeks to highlight winter dynamics and the effect of ice presence on various lake conditions, it was aptly named the Thin Ice Project. Challenge: Monitoring in the Winter Dr. David Richardson, a professor in the Biology Department at SUNY New Paltz, is responsible for monitoring efforts in Mohonk Lake, which is one of the lakes that will serve as a reference point for conditions in lakes that experience freezing. Compared to ice-free lakes, winter monitoring in Mohonk could present some challenges.

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Freshwater Beach Monitoring in Chicago

Freshwater Beach Monitoring in Chicago

Freshwater Beach Monitoring in Chicago

Chicago’s beachgoers travel from near and far to enjoy Lake Michigan’s cool waters during the summer months. Like ocean beach fronts, resource managers work throughout the year to monitor water quality and environmental conditions on freshwater beaches to ensure that people are able to access the resource safely.Maggie Warren, the water quality project manager for the Chicago Park District, monitors the Lake with support from a local university during the beach season and works to publish the data for beachgoers on a daily basis. Water quality, weather conditions, and environmental hazards are monitored and then communicated to the public via a web portal, social media channels, and physical flags at each of the managed beaches. Challenge: Making Data Available Chicago is a massive urban center with millions of residents and tourists each year, and reaching everyone with valuable information before they head to the beach is essential. Second, Chicago is a large area with 26 miles of beachfront to monitor, which presents a unique opportunity to analyze the water quality along this stretch of water, and turn the information around in a timely manner.

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Monitoring An Active Thermocline, Rapid Changes

Monitoring An Active Thermocline, Rapid Changes

Monitoring An Active Thermocline, Rapid Changes

Beginning in the 1990s, researchers have collected samples manually every few weeks on trips to Lake Champlain to gather data on its dynamics. But the metrics the team has collected are spotty, considering the faster-paced changes fueled by a changing climate.To help fill in those holes, researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY)—Plattsburgh deployed a cellular data buoy in the lake near Valcour Island. The buoy is providing previously unavailable data in real-time, helping research and education at the university, improving National Weather Service forecasts, and keeping local fishermen a little safer. Challenge: Monitoring the entire thermocline in real-time Previous attempts to monitor Lake Champlain’s thermocline only reached from six meters beneath the surface to the sediments—but the available data reveal that the lake experiences extreme fluctuations at times due to an active seiche and wind.

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