Lower Rio Grande Valley Real Pilot Channel: City of Edinburg
Linda Navarro
Funding:
NAD Bank/EPA -Border 2025
Objectives:
- Characterize local flows in a local ditch at the City of Edinburg by installing a Real-Time Hydrologic System (RTHS) Station.
- Four Monitoring Campaigns:
- Water Quality
- Flow Measurements
- Increase awareness of Nonpoint pollution
- Potential application of RTHS and REON Systems shared by Stakeholders.
Project Activities:
RTHS Location: EPA #1
RTHS Station Design
- Base Station
- Wind Sensor
- Solar Panel
- Control Box
- Battery
- Water Sensor
- Visual Staff Gage
- Pressure Transducer
RTHS Installation
Water Sensor
Base Station
RTHS Station Installed
Survey Activities:
- Collected elevation data with surveying equipments
Elevation data
Staff Gage Elevation
A&M Civil Engineering Students
NOAA's Online Positioning User Service (OPUS)
Provides free access to high-accuracy National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) coordinates.
- Collected and uploaded Static Data (4-hour) to obtain high accuracy elevation data.
Example of OPUS Solution
EPA 1 Station Benchmark
RTHS Reported Data:
Website for RTHS Data: Edinburg -EPA 1 Station
- Barometric Pressure
- Gage Height
- Relative Humidity
- Water Temperature
- Air Temperature
- Wind Direction
- Wind Speed
Early Warning System
The City of Edinburg requested two warnings alerts
- 1st Warning- @ 94.4 ft WSE-10.82 ft ( Gage Height)
- 2nd Warning- @ 94.9 ft WSE- 11.32 ft (Gage Height)
Sampling Campaign #1
Field Electronic Form:
Water Quality Parameters:
- pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity
Water Quality Samples Results:
- Total Nitrogen (mg/L): 3.88
- Total Phosphorus (mg/L): 1.63 (0.69- TCEQ)
- Nitrate-Nitrite (mg/L): <0.68
- Bacteria (E. Coli- MPN/10mL): 648.8 (126- TCEQ)
Flow Measurement:
Flow Rate: 0 m3/s due to ponding on the ditch.
Causes of high levels of Total Phosphorus:
Food Processing Wastes, Detergents, and Fertilizers
New flooding managing system installed in Edinburg
