Information is the Key
Sponsor/grant agency:
Team:
Witold Krajewski, Anton Kruger, Dan Ceynar, Radek Goska, and James Niemeier
The IFC’s statewide network of stream-stage sensors measures stream height and automatically transmits the data to IFIS in near real time
Sponsor/grant agency:
Team:
Witold Krajewski, Anton Kruger, Dan Ceynar, Radek Goska, and James Niemeier
Amount of leveraged funding
Project Period
Location
Partners:
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT), Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (IHSEMD), and Iowa Silver Jackets
Services provided by IFC:
The IFC developed and maintains a statewide network of stream-stage sensors designed to measure stream height and transmit data automatically every 15 minutes to the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), where one can view the sensor locations and data in real time.
“I use gauges as one of my agency’s tools to prepare for and predict rising water levels, which in turn causes a list of various actions to take place,” says Larry Hurst, director of Mills County Homeland Security & Emergency Management Agency. “[I] would actually like several more units installed in my county.”
The IFC maintains a network of over 250 stream-stage sensors across the state. Support for sensor deployment has come from IDNR, IDOT, IHSEMD and research projects at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.
With support from the state of Iowa, the IFC has been able to maintain and expand the stream sensor network to provide resources for smaller communities. The information available on IFIS helps small communities respond to and prepare for flood events more quickly, allowing
them to protect people and infrastructure. Locations for new sensors are selected in consultation with local governments (emergency management, engineers), watershed management authorities, state agencies, and the National Weather Service.
The sensors were originally developed as a student project to design an affordable, yet effective way to measure stream and river heights. The solar-powered sensors are attached to the sides of bridges. The sensors emit a sonar signal to measure the distance from the water surface to the sensor. The data are transmitted via cell modem to IFIS, where the information is publicly available.
Iowa Flood Center
The University of Iowa
100 Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory
Iowa City, IA 52242
E-mail: iihr-iowafloodcenter@uiowa.edu
Contact: Breanna Shea
Phone: 319-384-1729
Fax: 319-335-5238