The cell phones will also allow scientists to program specific instructions for the buoys sampling equipment. The data collected will be used to create a comprehensive scientific simulation model of the Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish watersheds. The model will also incorporate data collected throughout the watershed, land-use data, and similar models developed with the University of Washington. The county's current water monitoring program consists of twice a month sampling in the summer and once a month sampling during the winter in which county scientists on boats lower equipment by hand. The new buoys will use similar equipment to automatically and continuously sample water.
Staff also collect water samples that are taken back to a lab for analysis.
The water is tested for a variety of things including bacteria, nutrients, organic pollutants, heavy metals and chlorophyll. Test results can help determine if there are potential public health threats due to water quality, as happened with the recent closing of Juanita Beach due to high levels of fecal coliform from waterfowl. Data collection by boat will continue and that information will be combined with data from the new stations to build a model to evaluate regional water quality. For example the information will be used to better understand the dynamics of the lake, algae blooms, habitat quality for fish and wildlife and water quality and quantity. This model would not be possible using our existing monitoring program.