Wednesday July 3, 2024
The Malaysian Reserve —
A new partnership between California and Australia will test specialized sensors to monitor water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a crucial agricultural and ecological water body near the Bay Area.
Developed by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, AquaWatch Australia will be a world-first system which combines data from water sensors and satellites to provide near-real-time water quality monitoring and forecasts.
University of California (UC) Davis, UC Merced and United States Geological Survey (USGS) will work with CSIRO to pilot test AquaWatch, which has the potential to help protect the Delta’s natural ecosystem – including the endangered Delta smelt – and the agricultural sector reliant on it.
Secretary Wade Crowfoot of California Natural Resource Agency said the landmark partnership between California and Australia was game changing.