The project will help develop a low-cost observing network capable of gathering in-lake full frequency water level fluctuations, and the methodology to relate that data with the most pressing water…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Federal Grant Program (CFDA 11.012) provides $1,199,427 to the Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association (GLOS) to develop a low-cost observing network capable of gathering high-frequency water level data and establishing the methodology to relate that data to coastal hazards in the Great Lakes region. The 3-year project aims to fill critical data gaps in existing coastal observation networks and provide real-time, accurate water level measurements to help minimize impacts on human life, coastal infrastructure, and ecosystems. GLOS, a non-profit organization, will engage stakeholders to prioritize locations of interest and ensure the final products meet community information needs. The organization will also provide ownership and training for the observing platforms to interested communities upon project completion.

The project will help develop a low-cost observing network capable of gathering in-lake full frequency water level fluctuations, and the methodology to relate that data with the most pressing water level-related coastal hazards. The real-time and accurate measurements of water level fluctuations are critical for the protection of human life, as well as coastal infrastructure and ecosystems. However existing coastal observation networks cannot adequately resolve spatial scales and are not designed to resolve high frequency water level fluctuations that have direct connections to coastal hazards. In addition, most of those gauges are located onshore which limits the ability to use their data for timely warnings. Being able to develop an observing network capable of filling those data gaps, as well as a toolkit that elucidates the connection between full-frequency water level fluctuations and the most pressing hazards facing coastal communities can potentially help minimize impacts. Stakeholder engagement will be an integral component of the project to prioritize locations of interest to communities in lake michigan and lake superior, and to ensure that the final products meet their information needs. In addition ownership of the observing platforms will be given to interested communities at the end of the project and their designated personnel will be trained on the operations of the systems.