Intelligent River National Science Foundation Award

Project Site: 312-mile Savannah River www.intelligentriver.org (data portal)

Funding: $3M Major Research Instrumentation Award from the National Science Foundation
(NSF Award CNS-1126344)
Project PI Contact: Christopher Post, cpost@clemson.edu or (864) 656-6939

Clemson University was awarded $3 million by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program to design, develop and deploy a basinwide network of computerized sensors to monitor water quality along the entire length of the 312 mile Savannah River as part of the Intelligent River^® Research Enterprise.

The network will provide real-time data on water quality and flow rate at a scale that until now was cost-prohibitive. The data is critically needed to improve water resources management as demand increases for drinking water, hydroelectric power, recreation and industrial production. Battery-operated computers called "MoteStacks" are inserted into buoy systems anchored to the river floor. External sensors collect data on water temperature, flow rate, turbidity, oxygen levels and the presence of pollutants. The MoteStacks process the data and transmit it to Clemson University's high performance computer system, and the data is displayed on the Intelligent River^® website www.intelligentriver.org.