Save Our Native Species Inc.
S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fishing Club
(A 501 C (3) not for profit organization)

WEATHER BUOY DEPLOYED OFF OF ERIE

The Regional Science Consortium took delivery of the new weather buoy on May 6th . The weather was absolutely perfect. A crowd of on lookers gathered along the East basin at the foot of State St. to watch as crews from Lake Shore Towing loaded the buoy and its 4000 pound anchor onto a barge. Then the barge was pushed out on to the Lake to an area located WNW from the Presque Isle Lighthouse where it was placed in 45 feet of water.  

A flotilla of boats including the Regional Science Consortium’s boat and another boat operated by Eric Obert from PA Sea Grant accompanied the barge and buoy to its site of deployment . TV crews road along to film the event.  

Funding for the buoy came from a grant from the Great Lakes Observing Systems (GLOS) for the Weather, Water, & Wave Buoy System.  The buoy will be collecting the following data:

Weather - Air Temperature, Wind Speed, Max. Wind Speed, Relative Humidity, Barometric Pressure, Daily Rain, Rain Duration, Rain Intensity, and Solar Radiation

Water - Water Temperature, Specific Conductivity, pH, Turbidity, and Dissolved Oxygen

Wave - Wave Height, Wave Period, and Wave Direction

It will also have a video camera      

The data will be collected and updated every 20 minutes and can be accessed at the Regional Science Consortium  website, the GLOS website, and through the National Weather Service for the nearshore forecast for the waters of Lake Erie off of Erie, PA.  The National Weather Service will report this data on their website, NOAA weather radio, and their Dial-A-Buoy program.  In addition, the buoy is also outfitted with a video camera that will collect 30 minute clips of the Lake Erie conditions and update the RSC website every hour.  This buoy system will fill observation data gaps in the nearshore region of southern Lake Erie, and provide critical meteorological and physical data to support National Weather Service and local meteorological forecasts.  This data is also of great importance to those that recreate on Lake Erie (i.e. boaters, sailors, anglers, swimmers)

The Regional Science Consortium received a Grassroots Grant from Boat U.S. in the amount of $10,000 to be used to educate boaters on the new Lake Erie buoy. The grant was awarded based on voting by interested individuals on line.

Internet access to the data can be seen at the locations listed below.

  Observing System (http://glos.us/data-access/boaters-forecast)

      http://palakeeriebuoy.com

      National Buoy Data Center (http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/)

      National Weather Service Radio

      Website http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/gtlakes/clemz.htm

      Dial-A-Buoy! http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dial.shtml 

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE BUOY

Crews from Lake Shore towing loading a 4000 lb anchor block onto its barge

The weather buoy arrives via pick up from Dayton, Ohio

The buoy is lifted onto the barge

Crews ready the buoy for final assembly

The solar panels and weather station

Final assembly nearly complete

Regional Science Consortium Boat

Lake Shore Towing Barge and Tow Boat headed onto the Lake

Channels 12 & 35 news crew on the RSC Boat

RSC Exec Dir Dr. Jeanette Schnarrs briefing crews

Crews hooking up anchor

LST crewman takes depth soundings

4000# concrete anchor block being lowered

Next the Buoy was placed in the Lake waters

Dr. Schnarrs RSC Director cuts a ceremonial ribbon

The lake was so calm that the RSC boat was asked to make some waves with its boat wake to test wave height sensors

WJET Crew went out with Eric Obert from PA Sea Grant to cover the Event

There she is up and running!