Location: Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit
Project Number: 3070-13000-014-015-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2023
End Date: Jul 31, 2025
Objective:
The primary objective of this research is to develop an integrated, statewide monitoring system for surface water, soil water, and groundwater for Oklahoma. Real-time data will be used to develop new and improved models that will feed into early warning systems to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events (e.g., drought or flood). USDA-ARS Agroclimate and Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit (AHERU) will serve as a catalyst in pulling known available data streams into a common data platform. This platform will be served on a commercial cloud with an authority to operate, which meets federal cybersecurity rules and regulations. In addition, the USDA-ARS AHERU will focus on developing new low-cost sensor technologies with collaborators to compare to commercially available sensors for monitoring reservoir levels, testing sensors in a laboratory setting, deploying sensors in the field, and transmitting data to the common data platform.
Approach:
The USDA-ARS AHERU scientists with the USDA-ARS Partnerships for Data Innovations will conduct critical fundamental research that is essential for monitoring dams and reservoirs. USDA-ARS will work with Oklahoma State University and their partners, University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, to carry out the primary objective outlined in this agreement. USDA-ARS will serve as the catalyst to integrate data from various sources into a common data platform. ARS will identify and test commercially available sensors used for monitoring water levels, and they will work with collaborators in the development of low-cost water level sensors. It is proposed low-cost sensors will be tested against commercially available sensors in a laboratory setting. Sensors will be deployed to selected reservoir sites within Oklahoma. ARS scientists will communicate research findings through presentations at professional meetings and conferences and co-published peer-reviewed journal manuscripts.
