Near Real-Time Sensing of Clear Creek Water Quality

The transport of sediments, nutrients, and fecal bacteria from agricultural runoff through a watershed can have deleterious effects on receiving streams. It can impair aquatic ecosystems and cause excessive export of nutrients downstream contributing to hypoxia. The ability to sense concentrations of sediment and nutrients in real-time could greatly improve our ability to understand and protect downstream water quality. Observations by sensors placed in streams can relay measurements to databases, and data mining can be used to glean information from streaming data for statistical and mathematical assimilation. Results from models can be used to provide advanced warning of harmful events and/or implement remedial measures. The goal of this research is to install and operate the initial station of the Environmental Field Facility located in Clear Creek, Iowa. This station consists of several components including data loggers, telemetry hardware, and water quality sensors. Measurements collected at this field facility include conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and turbidity which can be used as input to water quality models at the hillslope scale. This Environmental Field Facility will lay the groundwork for a large-scale cyber network.