Seametrics DO2 Dissolved Oxygen Logger - NexSens

Case Studies

Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Modeling with Real-Time Technology

Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Modeling with Real-Time Technology

Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Modeling with Real-Time Technology

In 2022, Otsego Lake in New York became one of many lakes to experience its first cyanobacterial bloom. While the cause is still unknown, the blooms may be an indicator of various water quality issues resulting from invasive species, runoff events or other environmental stressors. To get to the bottom of the mystery, Kiyoko Yokota, an associate professor of biology with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, has spent the past several years researching the lake and supporting local management strategies and organizations.Yokota serves as the president of the North American Lake Management Society, scientific advisor for the Otsego Lake Watershed Supervisory Committee and technical advisor for the Otsego Lake Association, all of which support conservation efforts on the lakes.Currently, Yokota is working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to develop the Nine Element Plan, a comprehensive lake and watershed management plan. The goal of the plan is to create a long-term strategy to protect both Otsego Lake and the surrounding watershed. This strategy will be periodically evaluated for its efficacy and revised as needed. The evaluation uses watershed and lake models to be built with both manually collected snapshot data and high-frequency sensor data. Challenge: Gathering High-Frequency Data Remotely

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Real-Time Hydroelectric Dam Monitoring

Real-Time Hydroelectric Dam Monitoring

Real-Time Hydroelectric Dam Monitoring

Hydroelectric dams provide clean and renewable energy to the grid, which is sorely needed in regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels. While the dams utilize a renewable resource that will remain viable as long as the waterway flows, they still put a strain on the environment.Dam monitoring can take many forms, but most hydroelectric facilities are required to monitor conditions above and below that dam to ensure that conditions meet ecosystem needs. When successful, dams can operate for many years with limited impacts on the surrounding system.It’s the job of environmental professionals like Craig Goldinger, a regional manager with Eagle Creek Renewable Energy in Western Pennsylvania, to oversee monitoring efforts above and below the dams and adjust operations to protect resources while continuing to provide power to the public. Challenge: Building a Reliable Monitoring System for Hydroelectric Plants

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Monitoring Source Water to Optimize Water Treatment

Monitoring Source Water to Optimize Water Treatment

Monitoring Source Water to Optimize Water Treatment

Clean drinking water is necessary for all human life, and source water monitoring is the first step in the long process of converting source water into tap water. Millions of people rely on the work of analysts like Michele Gilkerson, a water research analyst with the City of Columbus Division of Water, to convert wastewater into potable water.Source water monitoring gives treatment plants insight into incoming water conditions, allowing them to begin taking the necessary measures to properly treat such water. Without data collected and analyzed by Gilkerson and her team, plants would be ill-prepared for poor water quality. In the case of nutrient-rich water loads, specific technology is required to treat the water in addition to the treatment plant’s usual procedures. Challenge: Meeting Safe Drinking Water Act Standards For example, a nitrate event that goes improperly treated can be the beginning of a taste and odor event—wherein the water may meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards but tastes or smells strange to the average consumer. While not always an indicator of safety, making sure drinking water meets expectations is important to protecting the relationship between the division and the public who rely on them for water.

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