With Gen-Z-like dexterity, the buoys of the Smart Lake Erie Watershed can text you real-time reports on weather, water, and wind conditions. All you have to do is ask. This initiative is part of the Cleveland Water Alliance’s goal to make Lake Erie the largest digitally connected freshwater body in the world. The buoys, though, maintain the demeanor of Dragnet’s Sergeant Joe Friday: just the facts. No emojis allowed.
For the latest measurements on dissolved oxygen, pH, wave height, and temperature, send a text with one of the codes below to 866-218-9973:
The complete list of texting buoys is available here, courtesy of Limnotech, engineering firm and partner to the Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA), which helps build and maintain the watershed tech.
The buoys, along with a vast network of sensors, constitutes the heart of the Smart Lake Erie Watershed Initiative. The system delivers robust, real-time data to shape decisions related to industry, utilities, agriculture, maritime research, and recreation across the region.
"Our water managers and stewards require accurate, timely, robust data to make the best decisions possible to protect and conserve our most precious resource," said Bryan Stubbs, CWA president and executive director. “We are exploring opportunities to scale this effort into the Ohio River Valley, furthering our impact across the state and into a new watershed. Nothing like this exists at this scale anywhere else in the world." With 10 buoys this year, the telecommunications network of the initiative covers over 6,500 square miles of the watershed.
