Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Corvette Catastrophe
Studying Car-Swallowing Sinkholes
Sustainable Development
Coastal Terraforming in Lusail City, Qatar
LIFE AFTER
HORIZON
Remediation Efforts on the Gulf Coast
IN THIS ISSUE
HEADLINE MISSION: WATERHEADLINE
STAFF
In this Issue
Welcome to the 2nd edition of MISSION: Water, a magazine featuring the organizations and researchers tackling the worlds
most challenging water issues. Id like to give a special thanks to all the participants in our inaugural edition who helped
make the magazines launch such a success and another thank you to the contributors telling their story in this issue.
Im excited to see MISSION: Water feature stories from around the globe, with topics ranging from climate change in the
arctic to grassroots monitoring coalitions in the Himalayas. This edition also puts a spotlight on the work of environmental
professionals confronting the lingering effects from some of the worlds worst environmental disasters, including the
Deepwater Horizon spill and the Gold King Mine incident in Colorado.
We hope you enjoy the magazine, and let us know if youre interested in joining us for the next issue!
24 32
Timothy A. Grooms
Director of Marketing - Xylem Analytics, NA
44
Editorial Staff: Magazine Contributors:
12 Challenging Colorado Mining Legacy Chris Iarossi, SonTek The Water Institute
16 Waterkeepers at the Third Pole
Infographics Contributing Writer of the Gulf
Theresa McGeady
10 Lead An Accumulating Problem Content Director Guest Writers
24 Corvette Catastrophe: Studying Sinkholes
Theresa.McGeady@Xyleminc.com Inger Graves, Aanderaa
34 Horizon Six Years Later Contributing Writer Waterkeeper Alliance
Gulf Coast Highlights Guest Writers
Reidun Dalland, Aanderaa
32 Life After Deepwater Horizon
Xylem Spotlight Contributing Writer
62 EARTH FORCE, Engaging the Next Generation Emily Jensen
36 Battling Wetland Loss in Coastal Louisiana Associate Editor
40 Gulf Coast Monitoring Solutions
64 Renaissance Woman Q&A with Jessica Clemmons Emily.Jensen@Xyleminc.com
FlowTracker2
Water Blogged
Sharing in the love of water,
Sea Level Rise Research: 7 Tips to Fight Fouling and Real-Time Stormwater Monitoring
Clam Bayou Estuary Extend Sonde Deployments System for NPDES Compliance
In Pinellas county, surrounded by Gulfport, The goal of every monitoring program is to gain a After receiving a text via telemetry indicating a real-time
St. Petersburg, and Boca Ciega Bay, lies a 170-acre better understanding of an environment. That deeper spike in ammonium and conductivity, field technicians
estuary Clam Bayou. Due to urban development understanding can lead to better water management dropped what they were doing to track the potential
constructed prior to stormwater monitoring regulations, tactics or better decision making. Ultimately, to better illicit discharge. Something unusual was going on near
the Clam Bayou habitat is now facing environmental understand water we simply need more data and one of the stormwater monitoring stations in the Reedy
repercussions affecting water level and quality. the more the better. Watershed. The team quickly mobilized and drove to
the station.
Monitoring sea level rise and water qualitywith the Some organizations only have the resources to monitor
ability to accurately report water level data over low Using a portable water quality sonde from YSI, the team
on a weekly basis with handheld water quality sampling
current, continuous operationis a key component in began taking readings around the station, and then
equipment, and while that is a great first step to collect
managing the Clam Bayou resources, but it isnt without continued to take readings as they hiked upstream in
water quality data, a more robust monitoring schedule
its challenges. search of changes in the water chemistry. First they
of even daily sampling can shed light on events
found a small pipe dumping water in the river; they
occurring there.
A specific challenge we face with this site is the amount traced the pipe back to a small tributary. Finally, they
of hard fouling that occurs, explains Mike Lizotte. pinpointed the source to a small drainage ditch where a
I knew that the bubbler would have the same Ultimately, however, we cant be at the site 24/7, 365 sanitary sewer manhole was blocked and overflowing.
challenges, so we came up with a method that is days a year to maintain the high resolution data set we Just as they arrived on the scene, a citizen was calling in
protecting the orifice tube from fouling by installing an need via handheld instrumentation. Thats why sondes to report the sewer problem.
anti-fouling protection pipe. are critical to building a global water quality data set.
The real-time alerts from the continuous monitoring
The lessons learned from the site, have produced For those of you who are new to water quality station had given the team fast insight into a suspicious
numerous product enhancements that, in-turn, make monitoring, a sonde (EXO) is a piece of instrumentation discharge and they reacted quickly to address it.
work easier and the data quality higher for researchers, that can autonomously record water quality data in-situ
notes Lizotte. for weeks or months at a time. This equipment can Recognizing the need for more data to meet permit
be installed throughout a watershed to capture key requirements, the county - a Phase 1 Municipal
The result of the latest Xylem brand technology paired parameters on the health of a waterbody... Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit holder
with monitoring efforts at the Clam Bayou site, will - transitioned from a grab sampling program to a
provide greater understanding... continuous monitoring program five years ago... Proven accuracy
Easy to use
Get the full story: bit.ly/sealevelclambayou Get the full story: bit.ly/7foulingtips Get the full story: bit.ly/realtimestormwater
New features
4
LAKE
SURFACE WATER SURFACE WATER
MEAD
Lake Mead, located approximately 25 miles (39 km)
southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is an impoundment of
the Colorado River and is one of the most intensely used
reservoirs in the western United States.
Vertical Profiling
The recreational area of Lake Mead shows the
same discoloration and lowering water line.
Photo: Songquan Deng
Monitoring the watershed and analyzing water quality data In recent years, researchers have even studied the effect of
Don't Settle.
are crucial steps to ensure Lake Mead is attaining the states pharmaceutical compounds on aquatic organisms in Lake Measure Water Quality Data Additional profiler options:
water quality standards. If parameters such as dissolved Mead and the Las Vegas Wash.
oxygen or temperature fall outside of the specified ranges,
throughout the water column,
then the lakes beneficial uses are adversely affected. These Efforts are currently underway to improve the regions water. not just at a single depth.
uses include: propagation of aquatic life, including a warm Several organizations are working to reduce erosion and silt
water fishery; recreation; irrigation and watering of livestock; in the Las Vegas Wash Channel, build wetlands to reduce
and municipal drinking water supply. nutrient loading, perform environmental monitoring, and Depth: 5m DO: 116% Sat
promote public awareness about this important watershed. Temp: 23C Chl a: 10.2 ug/L
For example, as the level of the lake continues to drop due
to high volume usage and reduced inflow, the elevation of Lake Mead and water distribution in general in the
the thermocline, a zone that separates a layer of cool water southwest play a key role in population growth, agriculture,
from a layer of warm water, is also lowered. As a result, the and politics. Preserving its quality and volume is critical to
drinking water intakes, which are located at fixed elevations, the population and agriculture of this region, notes Michael Take automation to the next Fixed-Position Buoy Profiler
may be drawing in warmer lake water, which is associated Strobel, Ph.D., in the USGS publication Water in Nevada. level with a Vertical Profiler
with poorer quality water. This may require increased efforts
to treat the drinking water, which would lead to higher
system from YSI.
treatment costs.
Depth: 50m DO: 98.5% Sat
Managing Data in a
Temp: 9C Chl a: 2.8 ug/L
Changing Environment
Near real-time monitoring can reveal a lot about water For historical water quality and For more on the Vertical Profiler:
quality. Population growth in Las Vegas has increased the flow meteorological data from the Lake Mead
and volume of water through the Lake Mead region, leading monitoring platforms, please visit: +1 (727) 474-8535 | systems@ysi.com
to flooding and allowing additional pollutants to enter the
lake. These pollutants include bacteria, oil, grease, pesticides, nevada.usgs.gov/lmqw/index.htm
sediment, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and heavy
metals, which affect the quality of water. Better Data, Better Decisions.
For more than 20 years we've been demonstrating how defensible data can change
your world. From autonomous HydroMet monitoring systems to hardware installation,
design, and maintenance we have solutions to fit every scale and budget.
8 MISSION: WATER Learn more online at: YSI.com/systems
HEADLINE
INFOGRAPHIC INFOGRAPHIC
HEADLINE
problem Some historians suggest that the Romans high exposure to lead in
wine urns, utensils, and aqueducts contributed to their empires
sits for a long time in lead pipes, the
resulting corrosion can add lead to
tap water. (7)
decline. Ironically, lead poisoning was then a disease of the Take action if lead in drinking water
affluent; today, it is primarily an affliction of poorer communities.(2) exceeds 15 ppb at the tap, which
8,000
(3)
city switched its water 3 http://www.reuters.com/article/
source to the Flint us-michigan-water-idUSKCN10J26Q
River to save money.(3)
10.5
The city switched
1990 4 https://www.epa.gov/
$ 395
mcg/dL
million
The social cost is 7 http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/
(3)
$395 million.(3)
THE GOLD
KING MINE
For many, Southwestern Colorado is known for its four-season For decades, state and federal agencies have worked to
recreation activities such as rafting and kayaking on rivers remediate and close over 6,000 of these inactive mines, but
that flow out of world famous snow-packed ski areas. In the many thousands more remain open. A few older Colorado
high-country, hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking trails mines are still active, but most are no longer producing.
extend off of old logging and mining roads, which are also
used by locals and visitors for four-wheeling. Fun mountain Early mineral mining in the United States had rampant
towns like Durango, Silverton, and Pagosa Hot Springs have interest and activity with little regulation that controlled the
enough entertainment and commerce between backcountry excavations, resulting in such environmental effects as heavy
CHALLENGING COLORADO
trips to support locals and tourists alike. Even the many old metal polluted rivers and streams, and open unsafe tunnels,
mines scattered throughout the region offer historic interest or adits (a horizontal access or drain tunnel).
in the early regional mining industry.
The remnants of negligent mining practices arent the only
MINING LEGACY However interesting these old mines are as remnants of the
wild west and the early Rocky Mountain natural resource
environmental offenders, as naturally occurring seepage from
the regions mineral rich soils and geology also contributes
extraction, many are also unsealed and remain as unresolved to the high contaminant waters. Colorados Gold King Mine
water and land pollution sources. In the state of Colorado incident last year stands as a glaring reminder of these
alone, there are approximately 23,000 of these original mining practices still left unresolved.
Luke Giroux abandoned mines.
Gold King Mine There are about 400 of these abandoned mines in the greater Surface water testing, which still continues in 2016, includes
San Juan River watershed of southwestern Colorado, which the following parameters: salinity, turbidity, temperature, pH,
10:30 am, Wednesday includes the Animas River watershed where the Gold King dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity, and oxidation reduction
While using heavy machinery Mine is located. This inactive gold and silver mine, located potential (ORP). During the weeks and months after the Gold
to investigate pollutants, northeast of Silverton, was established in 1887 and closed in King Mine incident, the EPA supported the involved states and
Cement
11.3 million liters of waste- 1922. Unfortunately, on August 5, 2015, the Environmental downstream communities with substantial staff and funding
water spills into Cement Creek.
Creek Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors discovered just how to handle clean up, agricultural needs, ongoing testing and
tenuous the conditions of these inactive mines are. While monitoring, and other issues resulting from the spill.
conducting a mine inspection, a water reservoir above the
12:34 pm, Wednesday mine adit collapsed, releasing an estimated 11.3 million In addition to water testing for contaminants, the EPA
SILVERTON liters of acid mine drainage and heavy metals-rich water into contracted with the Mountain Studies Institute (MSI)
Spill approaches the town of
nearby Cement Creek and the Animas River. The Animas feeds out of Durango to assess the possible harm to benthic
Silverton, where Cement Creek
the San Juan River, which flows through New Mexico and macroinvertebrates (BMI) from the discharge. BMI, such
flows into the Animas River.
ultimately into Lake Powell in Utah. The irony in this situation as immature and adult stages of invertebrate flies, beetles,
is that EPA inspectors were on site to evaluate additional worms, and snails, occur in relatively small numbers in the
Animas remediation steps for the mine when the plugged water Animas watershed, and have historically contained high
Midnight, Wednesday River reservoir broke through. concentrations of metals. MSI concluded, in part, that the
Above: Treatment ponds close to the Gold King Mine.
Approaches Tall Timbers increase in copper, aluminum, and iron at some of the testing
Below: Water Monitoring in the Animas River with a
Depot on the Durango & Though initial communication to EPA management and local sites did not significantly affect these BMI populations, and
LA PLATA must also be considered within the historic data of the region. YSI handheld multiparameter meter.
Silverton Railroad. community officials was challenged by limited satellite and
COUNTY cell phone capabilities, inspectors soon warned communities Colorado Parks and Wildlife also concluded that Animas River
and officials downstream. EPA management cautioned fish populations, which are historically challenged by the
restricted water use across the spectrum for fishing, drinking, watersheds water quality, were also not adversely affected by
agriculture, and recreation purposes in Colorado, New the Gold King Mine release.
SAN JUAN Mexico, Utah, the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, the Southern
COUNTY Ute Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. Immediately down river, The Gold King Mine clean up effort has prompted the EPA
SAN JUAN Silvertons public drinking water was not affected, but further to add many other active and dormant mines in the region,
downstream, Durango closed its Animas River intakes before and throughout the U.S., to the National Priorities List, which
NATIONAL is supported by federal Superfund clean-up regulations
the plume arrived. The EPA was able to supply drinking and
FOREST irrigation water to users in Colorados San Juan and La Plata and parameters. This plan includes additional efforts for
counties. In New Mexico, authorities recommended closing inactive mine remediation to further reduce the possibility
water intakes along the Animas and San Juan rivers, and the of an incident of this type occurring again. Though very well
5:30 am, Thursday EPA provided irrigation and livestock water at eight regional intentioned in this instance, and with similar issues among
sites and delivered hay to Navajo and New Mexico ranchers. all of these mines, it is also very difficult to anticipate every
Spill travels towards
variable in working with abandoned sites.
Bakers Bridge.
EPA staff also quickly established numerous filtering and
treatment ponds just below the adit rupture site to reduce In 2016, the EPAs clean-up contractors have continued their
toxic overflow from continuing downstream. Unfortunately, stabilization efforts of the Gold King Mine adit and waste pile.
HERMOSA the construction of these ponds happened after the initial These efforts include operating the Gladstone Interim Water
plume of contaminated water pushed through. But once they Treatment Plant (IWTP) downstream, securing the adit and Below: Lime is added to a settling pond to assist in the
were put in place, officials were able to effectively control waste pile at the incident site, and removing and disposing pH adjustment of the water prior to discharge to Cement
1:30 pm, Thursday and treat whatever water was still flowing before it entered solids from the treatment ponds.
Creek on August 14th, 2015.
the Animas River and beyond. The pond treatment included Photos: Eric Vance / EPA
Water discoloration
lime to reduce acidity and raise pH, and sodium hydroxide Abandoned mines, established when regulations and
begins near Glider Park. oversight were often minimal or non-existent, present many
solution, which aided metals sedimentation within the ponds.
challenges to modern attitudes and remediation efforts.
EPA staff further established monitoring and testing of the Federal and local agencies have been left holding the bag
8:00 pm, Thursday
contaminant plume during and after the incident. Though the of thousands of toxic water reservoirs and naturally occurring
Contaminated water
initial plume passed through and dissipated in about an hour, drainages, a seemingly Herculean clean up task to resolve.
reaches Durango as However, with this significant mishap at the Gold King
hundreds line the river
residual contamination continued. River monitoring used pre-
spill contaminant levels as baseline determination, and within Mine, federal and local officials and communities have been
DURANGO to watch.
weeks, river contaminant levels had returned to pre-spill reminded of the tenuous nature of the situation, prompting
conditions, ultimately allowing the Animas River to re-open public and private cooperation and action to restore the
for recreation purposes on August 14th, only nine days after regions need for clean and safe flowing waters.
5:00 am, Friday the incident. It is important to note, however, that these
Estimated time to reach monitored contaminant levels are complicated by historically
New Mexico state line. high baseline levels which are found in the watershed from
epa.gov/GoldKingMine
abandoned mines and naturally occurring sources not
Source: connected to mining.
The Denver Post N
14 MISSION: WATER Whos Minding the Planet? 15
SURFACE WATER SURFACE WATER
WATERKEEPERS
T H E H IMAL AYAN G L AC IE RS ,
which stretch east from northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
India, through Nepal and Bhutan, and into the neighboring
Tibetan Plateau and China, are the source of fresh water for
nearly four billion people in Asia.
Co-written by Three major rivers the Indus, the Ganges and the
Sharon Khan, International Director Brahmaputra arise in the Himalayas and flow directly into
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong,
and Marc Yaggi, Executive Director
Irrawaddy and Salween Rivers arise from the Tibetan Plateau
and flow directly into China before continuing into Myanmar,
Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Pangong Lake, an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). Stewards without borders, the WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE work beyond political lines to solve water issues. Credit: Rinchen Wacher
Ladakh, India
High up on the sacred rooftop of the world, on the Indus In July 2016 the Waterkeeper Alliance held their first training
River in the Ladakh region of India, Himalayan Glacier exercise in the former Buddhist kingdom of Ladakh, India,
Waterkeeper was founded in 2013 by His Holiness the 12th where Himalayan Glacier Waterkeeper has been leading
Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Drukpa lineage of Buddhism, communities, and especially young people, to protect the
who has over 27 million followers around the world. He is There are no means of disposing of this waste, which is regions water resources. Himalayan Glacier Waterkeeper
an award-winning humanitarian and environmentalist who migrating into the regions rivers, its primary source of currently includes 20 Waterkeeper Affiliates based at Drukpa
advocates respect for nature as one of the steps on the path drinking-water. In addition, the rapid melting of glaciers monasteries in streamside villages throughout Ladakh.
Bhutan
Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom east of Nepal, north of Bhutan, long closed to the outside world, opened its doors to
India and southwest of China. It contains the least impacted tourism in 1974, and is now rapidly modernizing. As imports
rivers in the Himalayan region. It is roughly 75 percent of packaged foods and other commodities have increased, so
forested, and its constitution requires that it remain at least have littering and unsustainable practices such as dumping
60 percent so. These conditions have allowed the country to and burning of waste, this includes the burning of plastics,
be one of the few in the world that acts as a carbon sink which releases toxic fumes. Waterways are becoming
that beneficially absorbs more carbon than it releases. polluted, especially in the capital city, Thimphu.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay promises that Bhutan will A recent letter to the editor of Kuensel, the national
remain carbon neutral while it is in fact, carbon negative. newspaper, lamented the lack of proper controls of erosion
Bhutans strong conservation ethic was established by King and sediment on road-construction projects. And, though
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who reigned until 2006, and has automobiles remain fairly scarce in Bhutan, their growing
been carried forward by his son, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel number has brought more repair-shops, which discharge
Wangchuck, the prime minister and the Buddhist leadership. waste-oil and other pollutants directly into the citys
Where we live, the current king has declared, must be Olarongchu River, tributary of the Thim Chu.
clean, safe, organized and beautiful, for national integrity,
national pride, and for our bright future. This too is Several acts and plans have been established to address
nation-building. waste-management in Bhutan, including the National
Environmental Protection Act and the National Strategy and
Bhutans main economic generator is hydroelectricity, 75 Action Plan: Integrated Solid Waste Management in 2007,
percent of which is exported to India. But as climate-change the 2009 Waste Prevention and Management Act, and the
advances, more caution is required in dam building. A 2012 2014 National Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy.
UN report on glacial-lake outburst-floods noted that the Unfortunately, implementation of these plans does not
WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE engages monks and citizens at the top of the world to make positive impacts. Credit: Waterkeeper Alliance countrys 677 glaciers and 2,794 glacial lakes had experienced appear to have reached beyond Thimphu yet.
more than 21 glacial lake outburst floods in the last forty
years. It also identified another 25 glacial lakes as potentially The Ministry of Health, which administers parts of the 2011
dangerous ticking time bombs whose outbursts could have Water Act, has begun to focus more on water quality. It
devastating impacts on dams downstream. oversees a modest hospital-based aquatic laboratory, but it
severely lacks equipment and training for monitoring and
analyzing all the pollutants that are caused by
rapid development.
Nedup Tshering
A charismatic authority who inspires citizens and leaders
across the country, is the founder and executive director
of Clean Bhutan, an NGO with a mission to achieve
a zero-waste Bhutan by 2030. It was established in
February 2014 in celebration of the 60th birthday of
the previous king, who conceived the Gross National
Happiness Index, by which welfare is measured by
good health, environmental preservation, clean air,
clean water and other factors. Clean Bhutan advocates
behavioral change and awareness of its programs. In
September 2015, Clean Bhutan welcomed Thim Chu
Waterkeeper to Thimphu.
Credit:
Waterkeeper Alliance
ProDSS
THE ULTIMATE
WATER QUALITY
Sampling &
Profiling System
Last November, Waterkeeper Alliance staff traveled to About WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE
Bhutan with a team of scientists from Stroud Water
Research Center of Avondale, Pennsylvania to conduct Waterkeeper Alliance strengthens and grows a global
physical, chemical and biological assessments of water network of grassroots leaders protecting everyones
quality in three Bhutanese rivers, the Thim Chu, Paro Chu, right to clean water.
and Punakha Chu, and various streams. Working alongside
Thim Chu Waterkeeper and partners from the National Were the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused
Environment Commission and the HydroMet Division of the on clean water. We preserve and protect water by connecting
Ministry of Economic Affairs, they installed the countrys local Waterkeeper organizations worldwide. Our goal is
first three real-time water-quality monitoring sensors. drinkable, fishable and swimmable water everywhere.
waterkeeper.org
facebook.com/waterkeeper
@waterkeeper
YSI.com/ProDSS
info@ysi.com | +1 (888) 860-9465
22 MISSION: WATER
SURFACE WATER SURFACE WATER
CORVETTE
CATASTROPHE
A car-eating sinkhole opens
a window into Kentuckys
subterranean caves
STEVE WERBLOW
The unique and fragile nature of karst geography generally Their key tool was an EXO multiparameter
comes to light when new sinkholes form in populated areas, water quality sonde from YSI, a Xylem brand.
It was a
opening the earth in a scene straight from the Bible and Logging measurements of water turbidity
giving people on the surface a window into the porous (TSS, or total suspended solids), specific
world below.
perfect storm.
conductance, pH, temperature and level
every 10 minutes, the monitoring sonde
Most of them are slow-forming subsidence sinkholes that was Polks eyes and ears as he searched for
take thousands of years to form, notes Jason Polk, associate indications that the old pond and the new
professor of geosciences at Western Kentucky University in Above: Drone footage of the sinkhole.
Below: The heartbreaking aftermath. sinkhole could be connected. He and his
Bowling Green and a global authority on sinkholes. Theres team also monitored whether runoff from
not too much to worry about as far as cars or people. We Photos: National Corvette Museum
the museum was making its way to the pond
dont have many reports of big, catastrophic sinkholes like or undermining other areas of the lot
the Corvette Museum. or buildings.
At the National Corvette Museum, after the sinkhole
While crews at the museum were drilling
occurred, we could see that there was just a few feet of
foundation structures and filling the
distance between concrete and the roof of the cave, Polk
sinkhole, turbidity and level were the key
adds. The ceiling had migrated upward over hundreds of
parameters on Polks mind. A spike in
years, thousands of years. Little by little, water continues
turbidity could indicate that sediment-
to move. Storms can undermine the system because rain
enriched drilling water was flowing from
continues to erode away the ceiling. The weight of the
the museum sinkhole into the pond, or
water as its sitting there, making the clayey soils and
that other water was somehow making
overlying rock heavier, can be an issue.
the trip. That would have been fascinating.
It would have also raised a huge red
Heavy rains and deep freezes in February 2014 created
flag, indicating that a blowout or further
the perfect conditions to break the cave ceiling lying
collapse could be imminent.
just a few feet beneath the museums car collection,
Polk explains. The weathered rock was stretched to its
Throughout the rainy spring, level and
limit, spanning a cavern more than 12 meters wide. The
water quality readings in the pond
massive weight of water-laden soil and rock, frozen in
showed that gutter and parking lot
place, stressed it further. Then a thaw created a pulse
runoff indeed drained straight into the
of meltwater, possibly eroding away the last millimeters
retention pond, but no other sources of
of structure that held up the roof. Thats when the first
water seemed to be flowing into
Corvettes started dropping 9 meters to the floor of the
the depression. That was good news.
cave, along with 160 truckloads of limestone, soil
and debris. It was a perfect storm, Polk says.
When the excavation was complete and the site deemed safe,
Polkan accomplished caverand some of his colleagues
went into the sinkhole. It was surprisingly dry, without the
underground river most geologists expected to see. It was
also surprisingly extensive, part of a cave system that was
more than 60 meters long, 12 meters wide and as deep as After the Vettes were exhumed,
27 meters beneath the surface. Mapping the cave gave Polk WKU geologists studied the sinkhole.
a chance to ground-truth the observations he and his team Photo: Dr. Jason Polk
made with the EXO sonde at ground level.
Educational Opportunity
Visitors to the National Corvette Museum As crews excavated the sinkhole in the National Corvette exhibits of the restored cars as well as the remaining wrecks
peer into a still-open portion of the sinkhole. Museum, rescued buried sports cars and filled in the massive extracted from the debris, and detailed information on karst
Photo: National Corvette Museum cave, visitors flocked to the museum to see not only the car geography and sinkholes. Visitors can peer into a manhole
collection, but the sinkhole itself. cover to the bottom of an unfilled portion of the sinkhole.
Theres even a sculpted area that gives guests a sense of what
When it first happened, it was so unbelievable people just its like to be at the bottom of a sinkhole.
came to see the sinkhole, says Katie Frassinelli, the museums
marketing and communications director. It was in our best Frassinelli admits that the events of February 12, 2014 gave
interest to show people what had happened. People started her a little bit of a panic attack. But the museum survived,
peering through the PlexiGlass window, watching them dig and is thriving. General Motors volunteered to restore two of
those cars out. the most valuable cars, including the one-millionth Corvette
to roll off the assembly line. And Bowling Green remains a
We had a 67-percent increase in tourism the year it great place to live and work, she says. In fact, Bowling Green
happened, and kept growing from there, she adds. residents talk about sinkholes like Los Angelenos describe
earthquakes or Miami residents discuss hurricanes.
With annual visitor numbers approaching 250,000 in 2014
and 2015, the National Corvette Museum has turned the Sinkholes are really common here, Frassinelli tells visitors.
sinkhole disaster into a teaching moment. A new Corvette What is uncommon with us is that it was in a building, and
Cave-In exhibit, inaugurated on the second anniversary of Corvettes fell into it. This is a safe place to work and live
the appearance of the sinkhole, includes interactive displays, and drive.
Extensive System
LEARN MORE @
As water makes its way underground, [the karst] is
with the new
like a bathtub, Polk explains. The holes the water
YSI.COM/EXO
goes into eventually become holding chambers. Handheld
There are many spring outlets, most of which
eventually feed into the Barren River, the hydrologic
border of the city. There are over 2,000 injection
wells in the city, draining down the surface water
and filling up the karst just as fast. They could plug
with sediment, or they could collapse some more, or
an injection well could flood.
underBGKY.org
The rescue of the Corvettes brought
attention to the mysteries of karst For more on the EXO platform:
@WKU formations beneath Bowling Green.
+1 (888) 726-3194 YSI.com/EXO info@ysi.com
Photo: National Corvette Museum
30 MISSION: WATER
GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS
Claims Filed
80
(thousands)
60
3
40
1,000 dolphins 20
46%
stranded (95% stranded Beaches 52%
4
0
It is estimated that Al
dead) from Louisiana to Lo Fl M O T Coastal
2 to 5 trillion ui ori ab i th exa
Alabama following the oil spill.1 sia da am ssis er s Wetlands
na sip
larval fish a
pi
and
Economic and property damage Today the highest percent of oiled
37 to 68 trillion claims filed by state are reported shoreline still affected are coastal
invertebrates highest in Louisiana. 4 wetlands. 5
were killed in the
surface waters as a
5
result of floating oil
Over 770 square
and mixing of that oil
TRANSFORMING A TRAGEDY
miles of sea floor into the upper water
around the wellhead was column. 1 37 of 50 states have renewable energy standards or goals. 6
damaged by oil.
Increased number of students are insisting their universities
These deep water impacts
include damage to reefs,
divest in fossil fuels 7
where corals can be
hundreds of years old.1 BP will spend an estimated $62 Billion on court fees, penalties,
claims, and clean up costs. 8 In addition, as part of the settlement, BP Exploration and
Production (BPXP) is providing $7.1 billion to the United States and the five Gulf states
over 15 years for natural resource damages.
SOURCES:
1
NOAA 3
Popularmechanics.com 5
National Geographic
2
Oceana 4
Deepwater Horizon 6
NCSL 7 Associated Press
34 MISSION: WATER Whos Minding the Planet? Claims Center 8
The Guardian 35
HEADLINE
GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS
HEADLINE
Mississippi
Lake
Salvador
River
Aerial footage,
coastal Louisiana. Black
Photo: The Institute Bay
Breton
Sound
Barataria Basin
BATTLING
WETLAND LOSS
in Coastal Louisiana Monitoring Site
Above: Leland Moss, research associate, Photos: Below: Cyndhia Ramatchandirane, research
records data for NOAA from a YSI EXO
multiparameter sonde handheld.
The Institute associate, performing maintenance on a YSI
EXO sonde used for long-term monitoring. The YSI...sonde was essential in collecting the varied
hydrological data necessary for validating our decision...
The YSI multiparameter sonde was essential in collecting The Institute serves as the RESTORE Act Center of Excellence
the varied hydrological data necessary for validating our for Louisiana and will soon join CPRA and the Louisiana
decision support tool, said Melissa Baustian, Ph.D. co- State University (LSU) Center for River Studies as the first
principal investigator for this work and a coastal ecologist tenants of The Water Campus in Baton Rouge, fostering an
with the Institute. The outputs of our integrated model international destination for research, unprecedented views
have already been used by CPRA to decide which coastal of the Mississippi River, and a collaborative culture to better
restoration diversion projects they will pursue thats understand and manage the complex relationship between
huge for the future of rebuilding Louisianas coast. water, land, and people.
The model continues to inform critical decisions on an
ongoing basis. Governmental agencies, business, and industry interests can
thoughtfully plan for sustainable infrastructure, ecosystems,
Through a cross-disciplinary approach, the Institute economies, and emergency preparedness by leveraging the
integrated links between data, models, and end users Institutes knowledge and capabilities, and the organization
to continuously deliver high quality information to help welcomes opportunities to apply its expertise with new
sustain coastal Louisiana and its most valuable resources. partners to face new challenges.
As with its projects involving YSIs, the organization works
to develop and apply tools that support effective and
transparent decision making and that ensure livable For more information about the Institutes research
communities and thriving economy and environment. capabilities and how they can benefit your organization:
thewaterinstitute.org
3 MEET OUR
2 Gulf Coast
Kyle Waits
Gulf Coast Team Lead
1
YSI Baton
Rouge Offices 4 TEAM
13 years of consulting experience
with water level, flow and quality
instrumentation.
Lisa Landry
Applications Specialist
12 years field experience with
environmental agencies in the Gulf.
Restoration planning team member.
6
Gulf Coast Solutions 5 Kevin Labbe
Application Engineer
Xylem's long history of technical support in the Gulf Coast region 13 years of consulting experience
has helped ecologists, fish farmers and businesses gain a better with flow instrumentation.
understanding of water characteristics. 17 years field experience with
the USGS.
YSI Integrated
Systems & Services
Atchafalaya Basin, LA
1 Moss Point, Mississippi
2 Mindy Joiner
Team Coordinator
The Atchafalaya River Basin is used The Grand Bay National Estuarine 7 years field experience, and
heavily for shipping and industry, and Research Reserve (NERR), is part served as Product Coordinator
as a result the Great Swamp Forest of the National Oceanic and for BP oil spill natural resources
that surrounds the river has suffered. Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) damage assessment.
To address this challenge head on, The National Estuarine Research Reserve
Nature Conservancy purchased 5,359 System (NERRS). The NERRs System-
acres in the Bayou Sorrel region, and wide Monitoring Program measures
has monitoring sites equipped with short and long-term changes in Jason Bullock
YSI EXO2 sondes for water quality estuarine conditions. Continuous Senior Repair Technician
monitoring. Data from the sites will water quality data are collected
assist the team as they work to restore at four long-term monitoring sites 10 years experience with service,
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: repair and technical support for
habitats for fish and wildlife. throughout the reserve.
Nature Conservancy Grand Bay NERRS water quality instrumentation.
3 4 5 6
Mobile, Alabama Dauphin Island, Alabama St. Petersburg, Florida Kissimmee, Florida
When Deepwater Horizon sank about The mission of the Mobile Bay Due to urban development prior to The City of Kissimmee developed a
100 miles off the mouth of Mobile National Estuary Program (MBNEP) stormwater monitoring regulations, stormwater, watershed monitoring
Bay in 2010, Dr. Webb put his Jag is to promote wise stewardship of the Clam Bayou habitat is now facing plan and contracted YSIs Integrated
Ski outfitted with a SonTek acoustic the water quality characteristics and environmental repercussions affecting Systems & Services to design, supply,
Doppler Profiler (RiverSurveyor M9) living resource base of the Mobile Bay water level and quality. To determine and install 19 stations throughout
and a Portable Sea Keeper water estuarine system. As a division of the the level of impact the Bayou faces, the city. Each station utilized YSI data
quality testing system to work, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, it monitors the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and collection and telemetry systems,
studying the movement of oil from water quality at eight stations Prediction System (COMPS) installed YSI water quality sondes, level
the spill in the rich fishery. Data throughout the area with YSI sondes. a monitoring site to collect data. The sensors, rain gauges, and SonTek
collected offer insight into the Mobile They work with a variety of agencies, COMPS system was upgraded with flowmeters. The data help the city
Bay estuary, and the performance of to implement their Comprehensive several Xylem brand instruments to better understand the baseline
practices designed to repair the barrier Conservation Management to monitor the sea level rise with a conditions entering, and within,
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: geodetic reference. Photo Credit: their boundaries. Photo Credit:
island at the mouth of the Bay. Dr. Bret Webb Plan (CCMP). Renee Collini Mike Lizotte Kevin Simpson
CONTACT: Xylem Gulf Coast | gulfcoast@ysi.com | +1 225-239-4267 | +1 866-921-4550 (US) Leverage Xylem's 72 YEARS of combined experience in the Gulf with your next project!
Water Heroes Interview Field work offers its fair Katrina Cut Station,
Renee
share of high adventure. one of many Gulf Coast
Photos: Yantzee Hintz sites studied by Renee.
Collini
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
As environmental
About Dauphin Island Sea Lab Renee's Role
Founded in 1971 by the Alabama State Legislature, Dauphin
Island Sea Lab (DISL) is the administrative home for Alabamas
Program Manager, Alabama Real-Time
Coastal Observing System (ARCOS)
Q. What are some of the challenges
currently facing DISL? professionals, we
Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium. Located on
the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, a barrier island in the
Coordinator, Northern Gulf of Mexico
Sentinel Site Cooperative
A. Like most organizations right now, Id say our biggest
challenge is finding funds. Transitioning from grant to grant are sentinels.
northern Gulf of Mexico, the DISL is surrounded by Mobile often times puts a lot of stress on the team.
Alma Mater
Bay, Mississippi Sound and the waters of the Gulf, making it a University of Texas at Dallas, B.S. Biology Its becoming difficult to get the money necessary for even Q. The amount of effort required to collect a
perfect location to conduct marine science activities. University of South Alabama, M.S. Marine Science basic ecosystem monitoring these days. It isnt cheap to continuous data set is often under appreciated.
gather baseline data, but its absolutely critical to understand How does your team pull it off?
changes in our environment. You have to fight for every cent.
Aside from funding, its balancing the needs of stakeholders, A. You need dedicated people from top to bottom in an
Q. Tell us a little about Dauphin Island Sea Lab Q. Do you miss your days on the
from restoration efforts to gulf-wide monitoring projects. Like organization and even then you have to battle. You need
and your role within the organization. front lines as a technician?
all monitoring organizations, we have limited resources to people who are driven to put in effort even in their spare time,
A. Dauphin Island Sea Lab has been around since the early A. (Laughter) Thats a tough one! The transition was difficult go around. Everyone wants your timefor free. And while all on weekends. You have to be willing to stay up all night to deal
70s, and in some rendition even before that. Our goal has in some respects, but a breeze in others. The devils in the these opportunities are worthwhile investments of our time, with the problems that will inevitably arise, and you have to be
always been to gain a deep understanding of our regions details when it comes to collecting high quality data, so it we have to prioritize. We cant be everything to everyone, so enthusiastic about field trips in rain or incredibly hot weather.
marine and coastal environments, and to educate those in was challenging to pass the torch when I didnt want to see we try to support as many folks as we can.
our communities about the importance of environmental anything overlooked. It was also difficult to let go of being out Maintaining a high quality data record is a never-ending job.
stewardship and the impacts we all can have on our world. in the field day in and out. Its just so beautiful out there Q. What tips or tricks can you share for It requires a network of people to make it happen. Most folks
at least when its not freezing! dont often think about that when theyre looking at the graphs
securing funding for monitoring efforts?
In conjunction with research, education is a big mandate for and spreadsheets.
our team, and we have a number of initiatives that include But, I knew someone had to be a champion for our field A. BE CREATIVE! As practitioners we inherently know the
K-12 field programs, teacher-training, and public engagement. work and support funding efforts for the organization. I had primary audience that would benefit from our data and often Q. Thanks for your time Renee!
One of our most popular programs is the BayMobile, DISL's the experience to grasp both the importance of the data we times well target the same groups over and over again with Is there anything else youd like to add?
traveling classroom, which allows Sea Lab educators to bring collect and what it takes to make it happen. requests for funding. This is the starting line, not the finish
marine science lessons to schools all across the region. line. Its not easy to break outside of our traditional sources, A. Yes! Id like to take this opportunity to thank all the marine
but weve had success looking at public health agencies, tying field technicians that have helped DISL get to this point.
Q. Why are the data collected
My current role at the lab is to support our researchers with our water quality data to things like seafood safety. There are
access to real-time water quality data and observations. by your team so important? lots of public health opportunities where we can all benefit. Id also like to highlight our brilliant data manager, Lei Hu,
Its a program manager position that lets me take more A. As an organization we continue to champion monitoring at who works her miracles to provide the general public with an
of a leadership role on the team and ensures the valuable a bigger scale. Continuous data inform EVERYTHING! Another recommendation is to thoroughly understand your amazing view of our local waterways at www.mymobilebay.com
environmental data were collecting gets in the right hands. Data help us make good policy decisions and also help us to end users. You want to make sure youre catching all the
relate environmental change to the general public. opportunities available to you and that starts by learning Lastly, Id like to acknowledge Mike Dardeau! He built our
everything you can about the people using your data and network from the ground up and gave myself and all the other
Q. How long have you been with
As environmental professionals, we are sentinels. We are the educational services. Whenever my team makes field visits, members of the team the opportunity to do this fun and
Dauphin Island Sea Lab? important work. (And my Mom! She strong-armed me into
people watching and observing the world on a daily basis, and we always introduce ourselves to the fishermen and tell them
A. Ive been with DISL for several years and worked in a its our responsibility to understand ecosystem dynamics and what we do. Whenever we go to a community meeting, we taking a NSF research experience at DISL and its turned out to
number of positions. I started out maintaining our network of to educate the people around us. Data help us do this. market our capabilities. Make use of every touch point to be one of the best experiences of my life. Love you Mom!)
water quality monitoring sites, collecting the data. These days convey your value because you never know wholl line up to
Im behind a desk, but I am doing equally important work support you next.
securing funding for our work at the lab. mymobilebay.com
42 MISSION: WATER Whos Minding the Planet? 43
GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS GULF COAST HIGHLIGHTS
CLEARER
VIEWS
Flow data will help steer springs recovery
I remember how
clear it was...
Since the 1870s, the crystal clear waters of Invasive plants, including hydrilla, have upset the
Silver Springs have provided millions of visitors a ecological balance of the plant community. And
glimpse into primeval Florida, a world of buried algae, fueled by nutrient-enriched flows, coat
caverns, bubbling springs and cruising alligators, native eelgrass and floats on the waters surface,
manatees and long-nosed gar. dulling the systems sapphire glow.
Floridas oldest tourist attraction, Silver Springs Mitch Wainwright, hydrographer for the St. Johns
is one of the largest artesian springs River Water Management District (SJRWMD) in
ever discovered. Palatka, Florida, grew up visiting Silver Springs.
Now he is collecting data that will help inform
But the once-pristine springs and the Silver restoration efforts for the springs.
River that flows from them are threatened
by Floridas growing population. Spring flows As a kid in the early 60s, I remember how clear
have declined due to a combination of climate it was, Wainwright says. Ive seen a difference
change, surface drainage alterations and in my lifetime. Its amazing.
groundwater pumping. High levels of nitrates
and other nutrients flow into the aquifer from
lawns, farms, septic systems, faulty sewers and
urban runoffbackground concentrations of
nitrates in the river jumped 20-fold, from 0.05
mg/l to 1 mg/l, during a 50-year study.
Mysterious Foundations
Floridas spring-fed rivers are home to a host of wildlife species, including alligators Using four RiverSurveyor M9s, Mitch Wainwright and the SJRWMD team mapped changes in underwater vegetation and river
adding urgency and a bit of excitement to data collection. flow every three months for two years, providing insight into the mysterious world of Floridas spring-fed river systems.
Photo: SJRWMD Photo: SJRWMD
In total, Wainwright conducts 11 transects across the Silver With its multiple acoustic frequencies, the system will switch
River every three months to profile flow, velocity and canopy from measuring in shallow water to deep water automatically,
depth using RiverSurveyor M9 systems produced by SonTek, and it autoconfigures in the field. Calibration takes five
a Xylem brand. The RiverSurveyor systems are equipped minutesits a simple self-test.
with a hydroboard floating platform and a power and
communications module that includes an integrated SonTek product manager, Isaac Jones, says Wainwright and
GPS system. the SJRWMD team have tapped into the versatility and
performance features of the RiverSurveyor M9 in a cluttered,
Wainwright and his team from the district also conduct 12 complex environment.
longitudinal transects every quarter, profiling flow, velocity,
direction and canopy depth along a six-mile reach. The district Mitch and his colleagues provide an amazingly detailed
uses four RiverSurveyors in the massive data-gathering effort. look at the characteristics of the channeldominated by
Wainwright designed a lightweight PVC frame that attaches vegetation, logs and a maze of cypress tree rootsand their
to each RiverSurveyors hydroboard on one end and a kayak impacts on flow through the river, Jones says. They have
on the other, which allows a hydrographer to steer the harnessed the capabilities of the RiverSurveyors SmartPulse
instrument without interfering with how it floats. system to automatically select the optimum frequency, ping
rate and processing techniques to provide valuable data as
User-Friendly Instruments the rivers depth and velocity change in a very challenging
application. Working in a heavily vegetated environment, they
Wainwright says the RiverSurveyor M9which uses nine rely heavily on the RiverSurveyor telemetry and GPS package."
transducers and multiple acoustic frequencies to measure
flow and velocity at depths of a few centimeters to 40 The tool works well, but nothing works perfectly in an
metersis ideally suited for the complex bathymetry and environment like this, Jones adds. Mitch and his team have
dense aquatic forests that make the Silver River a challenging overcome many obstacles through hard work, creativity,
place to profile. ingenuity and collaboration with other experts. The insight
they are providing on flow and detailed channel bottom
The RiverSurveyor has been extremely reliable during all features will complement the growing understanding of water
conditions, he says. I was especially amazed to see the quality parameters and pollution to provide a deep look into
this fascinating environment. Mitch Wainwright of the St. John River Water Management District (SJRWMD) figures he paddled more than 200 to 300 miles
integrated GPS system pick up numerous satellites through
while measuring depth, flow and velocity of a six-mile reach of the Silver River in 2015 and 2016.
heavy tree canopies during the summer season.
Photo: SJRWMD
RiverSurveyor-M9
The award-winning RiverSurveyor-M9 just got better!
No Tagline or
Tape Measure Required
With RiverSurveyor Stationary Live,
automatically measure distance
between stations with DGPS or RTK
Data from 12 longitudinal GPS equipped systems.
and 11 latitudinal transects
of the Silver River yields high-
resolution data that helps Manual Configuration
hydrographers visualize the Now you can set blanking distance,
contours of the river as well cell size and number of cells for
as flow velocity and direction moving boat measurements.
on a 6-mile reach.
Honorable Mentions
Send in your
monitoring photos:
This year Xylem Analytics put out a call for your best environmental monitoring photos.
We were humbled to receive dozens of wonderful photos - and here are some of the best! MissionWater
@Xyleminc.com
Lusail City
Satellite imagery detailing almost a decade of development.
Turbidity monitoring is an essential part of the Lusail project.
Photos: Lusail.com 2007
New development, similar challenges Fisheries have been stressed for many years in Qatari waters,
but traditional methods are allowed, as they are viewed as
One of the newest and most ambitious locations being developed is in sustainable for this ideally renewable resource. Oil drilling and
Qatar, on the Arabian Gulf, a place where civilization is stretched to its limits, natural gas extraction, the latter of which Qatar is the worlds
due to the existing hot and arid climate. Qatars new coastal development third largest producer, ultimately drive the development
project, Lusail City just north of the capital city of Doha is a new city economy here. On the strength of these varied and competing
being built along the coast, with a planned population of 450,000. With the resource environments, and major commercial and residential
aggressive goal of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, construction of new developments, Qatar is continuing to establish itself as a
waterways, land transportation and infrastructure systems, and residential, world economic player.
commercial, and entertainment areas are in an enormous all-out effort.
2015
YSI
Smart and Sustainable Additional water quality data such
as pH, temperature, and turbidity
Spatial Water Mapping INTEGRATED Monitoring Networks
The Lusail City development project,
which intends to be a new smart city
of over 450,000 residents, is requiring
is collected and uploaded to the
Environmental Agency in Doha.
Dredging contractor Al Jaber
Custom Systems SYSTEMS Open Channel Flow
massive coastal changes, the norm
in the Gulf regions new super cities
and commercial developments. The
Engineering and agency personnel
review and assess the data, and feed Support & Maintenance
and SERVICES Data & Field Solutions
back to dredging equipment operators
coastal modifications will entail marine to adjust progress and direction as The full spectrum
and earthworks changes in the realm needed. It is a feedback loop that of water quality
of dredging and excavation of nearly ensures the sustainable viability of the solutions.
one billion cubic feet of gulf bottom, project, and a critical step to minimize
reclamation and land filling of over 700 the impact on the fragile marine
million cubic feet, and creation of 6.2 ecosystems in the QMZ.
miles of block walls, 13 miles of rock
revetments, and 2.5 miles of 19 new The Gold Standard
beaches. Its a feat that is enormous and
stunning from any perspective. As civilization marches on, the practice
of utilizing once-marginal land and locations to support
The Qatari government and its construction partners, to ever-burgeoning populations will continue at the same pace.
minimize environmental impact of the Lusail project as Given this trend, establishing and following progressive
much as possible, took it upon themselves to adopt the and sustainable development procedures to monitor the
Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) and the impact as it's taking place and making corrective adjustments
internationally recognized LEED (Leadership in Energy and accordingly before proceeding should be the new paradigm
Environmental Design) standards for green and sustainable for contractors and developers. Lusail City is being billed as
building development for Lusail City a positive step on the the high-tech smart city of the future. It seems to be very
world stage of supersized projects. appropriate, then, that Qatar is taking steps to make the Speak with a systems expert
construction and development of Lusail equally smart and for your custom solution:
To adhere to the oversight requirements, and as part of the sustainable. Qatar should be proud of their progressive
coastal dredging for new waterways, marinas, and island monitoring and development practices for Lusail, as they +1 (727) 474-8535 | systems@ysi.com
development, 50 monitoring stations including 8 anchored exemplify a significant step in the right direction for this type
buoys are monitoring and reporting dredging impacts of development on the world stage perhaps even the gold
in real-time. These stations and buoys constantly monitor standard by which all future construction and development
water conditions, as high sediment concentrations can lead to projects should hope to emulate. Better Data, Better Decisions.
reduction in DO, negatively affecting marine life. For more than 20 years we've been demonstrating how defensible data can change
your world. From autonomous HydroMet monitoring systems to hardware installation,
design, and maintenance we have solutions to fit every scale and budget.
56 MISSION: WATER Learn more online at: YSI.com/systems
OCEAN & COASTAL WATERS OCEAN & COASTAL WATERS
DRILLING
INTO
THE
INGER GRAVES
ABYSS Photos:
Mr. Svein sterhus
A rapid increase in sea level is a real threat Hot Water Drilling A Kiss Goodbye
if the larger ice shelves in the Antarctic
disintegrate due to heat transportation One of the scientists who ventured to the Antarctic most The hot water drilling is energy demanding and So what sort of equipment is used in these extreme conditions?
from ocean currents. frequently is researcher Svein sterhus at Uni Research challenging, requiring many barrels of fuel to be Since the foundation of Aanderaa Instruments in the mid-
Climate. sterhus, who holds the world record for measuring transported onto the ice shelf. First, sterhus team sixties, there has been a close working relationship between
Following a disintegration of the ice shelves, the inland ice the lowest ocean temperature in the world at -2.6C, has must heat up massive amounts of water. To do this, the company and the internationally renowned academic
could move freely into the ocean causing an accelerated been going to the Antarctic since 1985. Having taken 12 trips snow is melted in massive tubs and then a special hose institutions in the Bergen, Norway area says sterhus.
rise in sea level. Are the ice shelves heading for a quick there, his colleagues in Bergen joke hes the only researcher is used to slowly melt through the ice. The drilling
disintegration? Or, are they actually growing, gaining and with his own dedicated camp site in the Antarctic. During the operation requires a steady supply of hot water and Over the years Aanderaa has been engaged in instrumentation
becoming more stable? The answers lie below the 700 winter months of 2016, hell once again camp out to collect it is critical to perform at the correct pace, or one can development, drawing on the experience from numerous
meter thick ice cover of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. more data on the integrity of the ice shelf. easily start drilling sideways. Typically the drilling speed projects in deep and challenging waters. The cooperation with
of 1.5 meters per minute can be achieved during the academia has led to a company that has established itself
sterhus focus has been to document the development of drilling operations, and no more. The end result is a 30 internationally as an instrumentation provider and designer of
Digging into the Science
the ice shelves and predict the coming changes via modeling. centimeter diameter hole, 700 meters deep into the complete, rugged water monitoring systems.
Due to the cost associated with scientific missions to the ice shelf.
In 2006, a series of icebergs struck New Zealands coast for During the International Polar Year (IPY), Aanderaa and
Antarctic, there is less data from these areas, which could
the first time in almost a century. The icebergs, stemming Once the hole has been drilled, sterhus and his team sterhus developed a platform for long-term studies in polar
lead to missing important trends predicting sea level rise. In
from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, calved off in March 2000 need to move fast. Scientific instrumentation measuring areas. The result was the SmartSub, a product that can be used
order to conduct his research he must venture deep into the
and had an initial size of 167 kilometers by 32 kilometers. water quality is lowered quickly through the ice shelf and for observatories on the sea bottom both in shallow and deeper
Antarctic region, which requires research vessels, airplanes
In order to study this calving and ice-ocean interaction, the hole is left to freeze. At this point, its critical that waters. This is the only commercially available product that
on skis, and hot water drilling for extended periods of time.
scientists from around the world have taken several the system deployed into the water below is working came out of the IPY program, sterhus jokingly stated.
missions to focus on what is happening hundreds of meters as expected. The team kisses each instrument goodbye
Not an easy task for the faint of heart.
below the ice shelves. before it goes into the deep, cold, dark waters. This is The system used in the ice shelf project is a small under-ice
the last time this monitoring equipment sees the light of observatory based on the SeaGuard instrument from Aanderaa.
To get through the ice, scientists have spent decades day. After deployment, the hot drilling water is used for This instrument features a 500 meter long sensor bus, where
Antarctica base camp.
refining a technique of water drilling, enabling them to other important purposes, such as giving the team a rare sensors can be connected to various nodes at varying distances
Photo: Mr. Keith Makinson
make real-time observations from under the ice. Antarctic hot bath on the ice. When data starts trickling from the SeaGuard hub. In the setup utilized in the Antarctic,
in from the under-ice observatory and the scientists are nodes contain a current sensor, with conductivity,
relaxing in the tub, the project is officially a go. temperature, and oxygen sensors attached.
SeaGuard II
From the under-ice observatory, there is a real-time communication Photo:
cable frozen into the ice. Up top, a data logger stores the data relayed Mr. Keith
from the under-ice instruments and is housed in a protective cage. Makinson
The team then buries the enclosure under a pile of snow to keep it
out of the most brutal storms, which are common in the area. When
sterhus and his colleagues leave the arctic site, only a small flag and a
set of antennas remain as evidence of their adventure. An ideal solution for non-ideal environments.
Data transmitted across the globe via Iridium satellite, and sterhus
is able to tap into the observatory under the ice in real-time from the
comfort of his office in Bergen. This is a huge benefit over previous
installations, says sterhus. In the past, the data were a mystery as
real-time access to the arctic was unavailable. Yearly missions were
required to manually recover and replace the equipment and only then
could scientists discover what was changing in the ocean underneath
the ice. Today, sterhus can view and download live data in an instant
and look at processes under the ice as they happen.
So what is next for this scientist from Bergen? Being able to watch
climate changes real-time is one thing, but the next step is to develop
an alarm system for the processes occurring under the ice. The worst
case scenario is the ice shelves are shrinking to the point they can no
longer hold the in-land ice. Better safe than sorry, sterhus is eyeing a
system that accurately predicts sea level rise as it happens. But it may
be some time before this technology is ready, so he and his team are in
the process of planning another trip to the Antarctic during the winter
of 2016 to deploy additional monitoring instruments. And according to
tradition, the event will be celebrated with a hot bath.
Photo: Mr. Svein sterhus
Broadband doppler current profiler for
extended range and accuracy
Scalable platform - from stand-alone sensors
to observatory hub
Increased deployment time - up to 2 years
with 30-minute measurement interval
Intelligent compensation for non-ideal,
dynamic deployments
Reward for a job well done. For more on the SeaGuard platform:
Photo: Mr. Svein sterhus
aanderaa.info@xyleminc.com aanderaa.com
EARTH FORCE
Lets dive into exactly how Earth Force develops skills,
knowledge, and motivation in young people and why it
matters for the future of our environment.
EARTHFORCE
We believe in supporting youth in real-world learning
so they develop and use civic skills like problem-solving,
on the Web
Developing skills, knowledge, and motivation to solve environmental issues. critical-thinking, teamwork, and communication. Students
take the content they learn inside the classroom and put it earthforce.org
For over twenty years, Earth Educators use the Process to support young people in into practice to investigate real issues in their community.
Force has worked to engage environmental problem-solving, while also building positive The most important part being, youth address issues that
young people as active citizens youth development. Through our programming, youth engage matter to them, versus working on a project selected by their facebook.com/EarthForceGREEN
who improve the environment authentically with their communities by working to solve teacher. This approach is successful: 90% of students who
and their communities, now real problems. participate in Earth Force improve their problem-solving, @earthforce
and in the future. We want decision-making, and civic action skills.
youth to develop the skills, Water serves as a large focus of our work. Earth Force
knowledge, and motivation to operates in many low-income communities that are Our programming also focuses on building students
become lifelong environmental disproportionately affected by environmental challenges. This STEM knowledge by creating opportunities to use science,
citizens and ensure a means that its even more important that we equip youth to technology, engineering, and mathematics to solve
healthy planet. make environmental change. Oftentimes, young people think environmental issues. In each of our three programs,
KRISTEN problems like polluted streams and rivers are beyond their students use chemical and biological concepts as they utilize
MUELLER-SIMS At the core of Earth Forces control. Our goal is to help them see that not only can they be monitoring kits to collect and analyze water quality data.
programming is our part of the solution; they have the ability to lead the solution. Students often draw on engineering when designing solutions
Community Action and Problem-Solving Process, a six-step We run three water-based programs throughout the U.S. and like a rain garden, retention pond, or rain barrels. Through
instructional model that guides young people to investigate Canada: GM Global Rivers Environmental Education Network this multidisciplinary approach, weve seen an increase in
their local environments and work with (GREEN), Keep It Clean - Neighborhood Environmental Trios students understanding around how science plays a role in
their communities to (KIC-NET) and Caring for Our Watersheds. environmental action.
solve problems.
One example of this approach takes us to Reagan Middle
School in Grand Prairie, Texas. Students were concerned
Keeping it Clean with KIC-NIT. about a beaver dam on school property that caused
Photo: Earth Force dangerous and costly flooding in their Outdoor Learning
Center. Trapping and removing the beavers was not a
guaranteed solution, as they might return. Rather than
choosing a stopgap solution, the students partnered with
several local organizations to build and install a more
sustainable solution, the beaver deceiver. This contraption
allows water to safely escape while keeping the dam intact,
preventing flooding over the long term while leaving beaver
habitat relatively undisturbed.
Earth Force youth create change like this all over the country.
And our hope is that they are invested in understanding their
environment, developing the skills and motivations to take Young Environmental Stewards Photos: Earth Force
action, and helping those around them to understand how we
all play a role in protecting our planet.
RENAISSANCE
Q: Tell us a little bit about your Q: Tell me a little bit about your
day-to-day job at Xylem Analytics. involvement with Xylems Watermark.
...Im working with a team
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Have your teams work
featured, reaching over 80,000
Thoughts from the front line of customer support. JOIN OUR environmental professionals
around the globe!
COMMUNITY
Past Contributors:
SHARE YOUR
Nepal River Conservation Trust
University of Dayton River Stewards
TOM MOEGGENBERG Wright State University
Technical Support Manager Arctic Elder Society
Limitations with
STORY National Corvette Museum
Western Kentucky University
St. Johns River Water Management District
Sapelo Island, Georgia.
Measuring ORP Photo: Scott Kindleberger
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
The Water Institute of the Gulf
About ORP
66 MISSION: WATER
Xylem | zl m|
e
1) The tissue in plants that brings water upward from the roots;
2) a leading global water technology company.
Were a global team unified in a common purpose: creating advanced technology solutions
to the worlds water challenges. Developing new technologies that will improve the way
water is used, conserved, and re-used in the future is central to our work. Our products and
services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment, in public utility,
industrial, residential and commercial building services, and agricultural settings. With its
October 2016 acquisition of Sensus, Xylem added smart metering, network technologies
and advanced data analytics for water, gas and electric utilities to its portfolio of solutions. In
more than 150 countries, we have strong, long-standing relationships with customers who
know us for our powerful combination of leading product brands and applications expertise
with a strong focus on developing comprehensive, sustainable solutions.
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