The Tulare County Resource Management Agency (“RMA”) has installed several IoT water level sensors throughout the county to assist in monitoring stream levels and areas of concern for flooding, the use of which has proved invaluable to flood control operations in the county. The devices use a sonic sensor to determine stream height within 1/100th of a foot, are battery powered with a solar option, and communicate data to the cloud via cellular networks. Alarms and notifications may be set based on data from individual sensors for specific water levels or specific rates of increase in the water level, which may be targeted towards first responders or the public to warn residents of impending road closures or dangerous conditions. This presentation outlines two case studies and one proposed application of the devices. The first case study involves monitoring a bridge where current operations require closing the bridge and removing the guardrails during high flows. The second case study describes the use of two sensors during a flooding event along the Kings River in Tulare County. During this event, various federal, state, and local agencies monitored the data from the devices in conjunction with dam releases and observations to limit the impact of flooding. The proposed application places the devices at various storm water pump stations through the county, which will be used to prioritize resources during emergencies.
Proficiency Level
Applied
Learning Objectives
- Evaluate the use of IoT flood level sensors in gathering and distributing water level data for use in monitoring water resources and flooding events
- Implement new technologies that are cost effective to improve efficiency and reduce risk while managing limited resources during flooding events
- Develop emergency warning systems using data from flood level sensors for use in public messaging and decision making by first responders
Contributor/Source
Ross Miller;Randy Weatherspoon
Proficiency Levels
Introductory
Focuses on a general or broad overview of the topic, awareness of basic factual recall. Limited experience of the subject matter is necessary to understand content areas.
Applied
Focuses on practical implementation of technical steps or strategies, some prior knowledge and experience of the topic is necessary.
Advanced
Mastery of basic concepts associated with an area has been obtained. Focuses on understanding nuances, advanced concepts, and intricacies with implementation within knowledge area. Strong understanding of how the concept impacts other factors or areas of operations.
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