Integrating satellite data analysis into a water quality monitoring program

Water quality monitoring is an integral tool in the management of freshwater resources. It identifies trends in water quality and tracks the effects of anthropogenic influences such as shoreline development and eutrophication and the successes of restoration actions. Remote sensing presents a cost efficient complementary approach for a more comprehensive assessment of our freshwater resources. The open access to Earth observation data limits the costs to software maintenance and data processing costs and makes the integration of remote sensing into water quality monitoring programs more attractive for natural resources management agencies. The operational annual satellite retrieval of the water clarity for thousands of lakes across Wisconsin from Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS data assists the Wisconsin DNR in trophic state assessments for the State of Wisconsin. The results are shared within the Wisconsin DNR for the Wisconsin Water Quality Reports to Congress in compliance with Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act and with state and local water quality managers, lake organizations, and the public. Summer water clarity maps are shared through the Wisconsin Lakes & Aquatic Invasive Species Mapping Tool and GIS data portal. Current remote sensing activities at the Wisconsin DNR include the transition of image processing efforts from a desktop to cloud environment, the collection of field and satellite match-up data for waterbodies across Wisconsin to support algorithm development and validation efforts by external partners, and the development of strategies for the integration of satellite data products into our water quality monitoring program. This poster provides insights in the different components of the successful integration of satellite data analysis into our water quality monitoring program and can serve as a roadmap for natural resource management agencies.