Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research
Project Number: 5070-12000-001-022-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 1, 2025
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
The overall objective of the proposed Phase II work is to build on the successful findings of Phase I to deliver a drone-mounted sensing system capable of spatially and temporally resolving key water quality parameters, including pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations.
Approach:
Cooperators will use a combination of engineering and field testing to develop a drone-mounted sensing system that combines an optical readout unit, waterproof optical cable, and disposable sensor cartridge to provide real-time, spatially and temporally resolved data on pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations in water. They will validate these measurements by comparing them to the concentrations obtained with our water quality probes at our main monitoring site in Goodwater Creek, near Columbia, Missouri. The sensing system, deployed via drone, offers seamless data collection across varying depths, enabling efficient monitoring and management of water resources.