Spring 2009 — Vol. 62, No. 2

By Peter Hull

Clemson collaboration is casting a digital net over the Savannah River.

It’s more than 200 miles as the crow flies from Upstate South Carolina to where the Savannah River flows through Jasper County.

But if ecologist Gene Eidson wants to know the condition of the river as it meanders beneath Interstate 95, he’ll soon be able to be there in a matter of seconds — virtually — thanks to promising research at the University.

Eidson, director of the Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence and the ecology focus area of the Restoration Institute, heads up a project developing a network of sensors and probes along the length of the river to transmit vast amounts of information wirelessly.

“Put simply, our watersheds are at risk,” says Eidson. “If ignored, our natural resources will not be able to cope with the demand. We’re at the point where we need to revolutionize how we manage our water resources.”

Economic growth and the environment

The project, called the Intelligent River™, is changing the science of river management using cyberinfrastructure and remote data gathering.

Data, including temperature, turbidity and dissolved oxygen, are collected in a database that can be viewed via the Internet.

“Having real-time data to monitor environmental characteristics — water quality, storm-water runoff, even tree growth — from any Internet access point will improve watershed management,” says Eidson, principal investigator of the Intelligent River project.

“When completed, this system of remote sensors will provide real-time information to the public, scientists and professional environmental managers. The system will supply hands-on practical information to help promote objective, science-based discussions about economic growth and the environment.”

Strained resources

The Savannah River is complex. The waterway is shared by two states with many users that create zones of extreme demand. For example, the Savannah supplies the Upstate, including Greenville, which isn’t on the river. Further, the population boom along the coast requires delivery of large quantities of high-quality water.

That puts a burden on the entire river.

“Historically, there’s been enough water to go around, but meeting the increased demand requires real-time data,” says Eidson. “We need to manage the river so we can meet those challenges.”

Such is the magnitude of the project that more than 25 scientists — faculty, staff and students — in departments across the University are working to navigate its tricky waters.

Some are working on a system to collect and process thousands of data points at one time, which will be new intellectual property for Clemson. Others are working on how to transmit the data wirelessly from within dense wooded environments.

Surpassing ‘natural limitations’

Kuang-Ching Wang and Jason Hallstrom are two Clemson faculty members breaking new ground with their research.

Wang’s job is to build a wireless monitoring network for watersheds in a dense forest environment, a natural limitation of wireless technology.

“Data doesn’t travel far before another tree blocks the signal,” says Wang.

Helped by graduate students, the electrical and computer engineering professor is developing a “mesh network” — a series of base stations that communicate wirelessly, passing data from one to the next like a baton in a relay, until the signal reaches a hard-wired connection.

Hallstrom, a computer science professor, leads a group developing hardware and software to ensure all the deployed sensors work as they should. His group has worked on similar applications for more than four years but never had a real-world application to put theory into practice.

“This has the potential to revolutionize how science is done and provide real value to Clemson and the surrounding communities,” says Hallstrom.

Forestry and natural resources doctoral candidate Sam Esswein, who also received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Clemson, is working on software for the Intelligent River. He spent his summers in the field under the guidance of faculty at the Baruch Institute in Georgetown.

“Putting theory into practice has proved invaluable,” says Esswein. He’s among the growing “green” work force — engineers, scientists, technicians, environmentalists and other professionals learning to support new energy technology.

Communicating with the river

The final piece of the puzzle, where the collaboration comes together, is a Web site.

The project is intended to have a public face and a private face, says Clemson’s David L. White, a research scientist coordinating development of the Web site.

The public site will display some of the sensor activity to demonstrate how the project works. The private site will contain all data within the Intelligent River and be available via subscription.

Independent companies and researchers will be able to buy data tailored for their needs.

Through the Web site, users will not only see data on a computer screen in real time, but by using programs such as Google Earth will be able to visualize the river.

Green sense

The Intelligent River is one example of Clemson’s strengths and expertise in alternative energy technologies, water resources, sustainable agriculture, the built environment and the natural environment.

“Managing natural resources and developing sustainable alternative energy sources are among the most critical challenges facing the world today,” says John Kelly, vice president for Public Service and Agriculture.

“The Restoration Institute’s work in protecting South Carolina watersheds is vital to our future. And the technology developed in the process — along with our preparation of students for a green work force — will have positive impact far beyond our own state.”

For more on the Intelligent River, go to www.intelligentriver.org. For more on the Clemson University Restoration Institute, go to
www.clemson.edu/restoration.