Tide Gate Monitoring System
Our Projects
Participants
Gotham Analytics, LLC, NJMC
Problem
Ninety percent of the NJMC district (District) is within two feet of the high water mark. Twelve tide gates out of a network of 42 existing tide gates are considered key in protecting the most critical and developed areas of the District. Unfortunately, most of these structures are more than 50 years old and are at different stages of disrepair. Currently, faulty tide gates are only identified because the areas they are supposed to protect become flooded.
Objective
Instrument key tide gates in the District so that water levels on the downstream and upstream sides are reported via satellite phone to a central command post and accessible through the Internet. Have engineers continuously monitor tide gate functionality through the system and promptly coordinate repairs when they malfunction.
Strategy
Create a network of instrumented tide gates where the water level measuring hardware and communication systems are solar powered and report back via the Internet to a central post where data is managed in a database and visualized over a District map in real time.
Activities
- Identify critical tide gates and measure their location and the height of each structure using GPS
- Identify pressure transducers and communication equipment
- Identify an Internet Service Provider and create a back-end data management system
- Create the user interface
- Build and test prototypes at selected tide gates
- Roll out Beta version for comments from end users
- Assess tide gates in real time on a continuous basis for proper upkeep and monitor their operating status previous to, and during, high energy storms and sea surge events
Deliverable
MRRI undertook the development of a first-of-its-kind Meadowlands Breeding Bird Atlas. The Meadowlands has long been recognized as a critical resource for birds and other wildlife, and has been the subject of many research projects on the occurrence, relative abundance and diversity of birds within the District.
However, the breeding habits of birds within the Meadowlands have not been fully studied. To fill this gap, MRRI staff, with assistance from volunteers from the Bergen County Audubon Society and Hackensack Riverkeeper, undertook a study of breeding birds in the Meadowlands District.
Wildlife Habitats and Public Education
A service that operates disconnected from the local power grid and the provides accurate water levels around critical tide gates in the District in real-time which is available over the Internet so that Engineers can evaluate whether or not these critical tide gates are functioning at any moment.
