This rig has allowed us to maintain safe speed limits on the major interstates and highways, and has helped with crossing the many hills and ridge-lines throughout the Ozarks. Sample collection by boat on the large rivers has proven to be both safe and clean. A typical sample at base stage can be collected in about an hour. This is a significant improvement over the old bridge-deck method which took anywhere from 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic and weather conditions. Therefore, data integrity has been maintained for the entire historic database for each site.
Safety is first and foremost when it comes to operating a work boat on the large rivers.
At base flow, river currents oftentimes exceed 3.5 feet per second and during flood stage, greater than 7 feet per second. With such a torrent of flow, accidents can happen very fast. During winter operation, all personnel are required to wear floatation exposure suits. The boat is also equipped with a marine band radio, depth gage, and radar. The boat is currently used on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers on a monthly basis.