Pilot Project

Russian River

The Telemetry Research Unit (TRU) is developing a Telemetered Water Monitoring Pilot Project (Pilot Project) in the Russian River. The Pilot Project is for research only and has no enforcement or regulatory component.

The Pilot Project will occur from 2025-2028 and will automatically collect water data from sites of water diversions, instream flows, storage, and wells and automatically transmit the data into a research data system. The Pilot Project plans to gain knowledge from community members and evaluate real-world conditions for telemetered water monitoring.

Project Goals:

  1. Evaluate the cost and effectiveness of monitoring and transmission equipment.
  2. Refine the technical tools that the Division of Water Rights uses to assess water diversions and flows.
  3. Test logistics of connecting data streams from diverse equipment to a data system.
  4. Advise the Water Board on simplifying reporting, supporting monitoring efforts, and potential regulation updates.

The success of the Pilot Project depends on participation of members and organizations from the local community. We are looking for volunteers to provide land, equipment, or data access.

If you are interested in learning more about the Pilot Project, including potentially being a volunteer or technical advisor, please email: telemetry@waterboards.ca.gov.

Figure Caption

- The Telemetered Water Monitoring Pilot Project (Pilot Project) will take place in the Russian River watershed. Exact project boundary and monitoring sites have not been selected yet.

  Stay informed

Email Subscription Topic

Subscribe to the Telemetry Research Unit email topic to receive notifications and the latest updates.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or wish to learn more about volunteering for the Pilot Project, please email telemetry@waterboards.ca.gov