New limnimeter sensor to aid in monitoring water levels around Porto Alegre

Destroyed during the floods that hit Rio Grande do Sul in May, the manual water level gauge at the Itapuã Lighthouse has been replaced by a new limnimeter sensor. Subsidized by Portos RS at the request of the Port of Porto Alegre Environmental Management Program (PGA-POA), the device was installed at a strategic location that marks the boundary between the Guaíba River Basin and the Lagoa dos Patos Lagoon.

The new station joins a network already operating in Porto Alegre and Rio Grande. The installation took place in early August, with the participation of researchers from the State Center for Remote Sensing and Meteorology and the Institute of Geosciences at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). The buoy tender vessel Comandante Varela, from the 5th Naval District, assisted in transporting the team to the site.

Manufactured by TideSat Global, a startup incubated at UFRGS’ Center for Informatics Ventures, the equipment was installed atop the lighthouse to provide a clear view of the Guaíba and the lagoon from north to south. Thanks to the lighthouse’s height of approximately 15 meters, the sensor can act as a satellite-feed reflectometer and measure water levels up to hundreds of meters away.

According to Felipe Nievinski, a professor in the Department of Geodetics at the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO), “This new source of information on the Guaíba and Lagoa dos Patos water levels complements the federal and state river monitoring networks, adding robustness and redundancy. Water monitoring in the region contributes to the safe and efficient operation of the Port of Porto Alegre,” he explained.

Portos RS’ environmental director, Henrique Ilha, stated that these sensors will aid in dynamic draft management and provide critical information to all public agencies involved in responding to climate emergencies. “This is another major collaborative effort from the Portos RS Environmental Management Plan in partnership with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul,” he added.

Source: Rodrigo de Aguiar; translation by DatamarNews

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