Sensor-Equipped Unmanned Surface Vehicle for High-Resolution Mapping of Water Quality in Low- to Mid-Order Streams

Griffiths, Natalie A.; Levi, Peter S.; Riggs, Jeffery S.; DeRolph, Christopher R.; Fortner, Allison M.; Richards, Jason K.

doi:10.1021/acsestwater.1c00342

Sensor-Equipped Unmanned Surface Vehicle for High-Resolution Mapping of Water Quality in Low- to Mid-Order Streams

Journal Article · Thu Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2022 · ACS ES&T Water

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.1c00342· OSTI ID:1855692

^[1]; Levi, Peter S. ^[2]; Riggs, Jeffery S. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Richards, Jason K. ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Drake Univ., Des Moines, IA (United States)

Longitudinal profiling of water quality via the deployment of sensors from watercraft has advanced the understanding of spatial patterns in large rivers and lakes; however, a similar approach in low- to mid-order streams is lacking. To fill this gap, we developed an unmanned surface vehicle (USV)-water quality measurement platform (the “AquaBOT”). The components of the AquaBOT included a nitrate sensor, multiparameter sonde (temperature, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll), quantum sensor, and global positioning system (GPS) mounted to a small pontoon-style USV. The AquaBOT was tested in four streams and rivers in Iowa and Tennessee. All measured water quality parameters varied longitudinally, and greater ranges were generally observed along the low-order, agriculturally influenced streams in Iowa. Nitrate, in particular, was spatially heterogeneous. For example, during one run in early June, concentrations ranged from 10.5 to 12.5 mg N L^–1 along a 2.3 km reach and hotspots were observed directly downstream of some tile drains. The spatial resolution of AquaBOT data collected in June was 10× higher than grab sampling data, and measurements were collected in less time and at a comparable cost. Here, the AquaBOT can complement existing measurement approaches and will lead to advancements in understanding the processes driving water quality along the stream-to-river continuum.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1855692

Journal Information:: ACS ES&T Water, Journal Name: ACS ES&T Water Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 2; ISSN 2690-0637

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Sensor-Equipped Unmanned Surface Vehicle for High-Resolution Mapping of Water Quality in Low- to Mid-Order Streams

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