Integrating Sensor Networks and Simulation Modeling to Forecast Reservoir Water Quality

Water quality in lakes and reservoirs around the globe is changing. To understand how both human activities are altering freshwater ecosystems and how changing water quality feeds back to affect human decision-making, the Carey Lab at Virginia Tech has developed a novel water quality forecasting system. The FLARE (Forecasting Lake And Reservoir Ecosystems) system generates 35-day-ahead predictions of multiple water quality variables using sensor networks coupled to ensemble water quality simulation models with data assimilation to quantify the contribution of uncertainty from multiple sources. By applying FLARE to drinking water reservoirs, our team has been able to successfully predict water quality impairment ~4-14 days in advance, thereby assisting management operations. Throughout this interdisciplinary project, our overarching goal is to lead collaborative, team-focused and open science that can advance our understanding of freshwater ecosystem functioning while predicting the future of our water resources.

Learn more about Dr. Carey at https://carey.biol.vt.edu/