PI: Miki Hondzo (U. Minnesota)
Co-PIs: Raymond M. Hozalski, Bill Arnold (U. Minnesota), Paige Novak (U. Minnesota), and Nihar Jindal (U. Minnesota)
Funding agencies: National Science Foundation and USGS-NIWR program
Background and Vision
The water quality of streams draining watersheds has been degraded by increasing urbanization. The general symptoms of this degradation include more frequent large flow events, reduction in channel complexity, reduced retention of natural organic matter, and elevated concentrations of nutrients and organic chemicals. The sustainable restoration and management of urban streams and rivers require quantification of hydrological, chemical, biological, and geomorphological processes across a range of temporal and spatial scales. We propose to transform traditional and very limited (in terms of spatial and temporal resolution) field measurements through the integration of multi-scale, spatially-dense, high frequency, real-time, and event-driven observations by a wireless network with embedded networked sensing. This will allow quantification of processes across temporal and spatial scales and the characterization of non-steady state and non-linear events. It is hypothesized that the water quality in streams draining similar impervious urban areas is controlled by the mean and variance of effective stormwater residence time.
Research Objectives and Progress to Date
The overall aim of this ongoing research project is to establish and evaluate a water quality monitoring network test bed capable of real-time monitoring of fundamental water quality parameters such as turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and nutrients (nitrate and phosphate). Our system is also capable of automatically triggered grab sampling for subsequent analysis of chemical and biological contaminants that cannot be measured in situ. Finally, we are investigating novel approaches for quantifying stream velocities and fluid residence times using particle image velocimetry and radio frequency identification device technology, respectively. The monitoring network is being used to investigate the performance of selected stormwater best management practices ( e.g. , ponds and wetlands) and the ability of the fundamental sensed water quality parameters to be used for predicting the concentrations of emerging chemical and biological contaminants in urban streams. The test bed was installed in summer of 2007 and the research is ongoing.
Questions? Contact Ray Hozalski at hozal001@umn.edu or (612)626-9650 or any of the PIs listed above.