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Sorting Code: 98-NCERQA-S1
Title: Environmental Condition On-Line DFW Metroplex (ECOPLEX)
Investigators: Howard Martin, City of Denton; Kenneth L. Dickson,
Samuel F. Atkinson, William T. Waller, James H. Kennedy, Miguel F. Acevedo, University of North Texas.
Institution: City of Denton, Denton, TX.
Project Period: January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2000
Research Category: EMPACT
Keywords: Real-time monitoring, UVlight, water quality, air clarity,
ozone, clam gape, chlorophylla, weather data, public information,
environmental education, landuse, AVHRR imagery.
Project Summary:
The objective of the ECOPLEX proposal is, through the use of both innovative
and proven environmental monitoring technologies, to collect real time
and time relevant environmental data which will be used to inform the citizens
of the City of Denton, the Elm Fork watershed and the Dallas/Fort Worth
metropolitan area of current, historical and near-term forecasts of environmental
conditions to which we are exposed. We propose a suite of parameters encompassing
the most pressing environmental issues this region is faced with: water,
land and air. These parameters include real time measures of clam gape,
water quality (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity), predicted
chlorophylla, wind speed, air temperature, and rainfall, which
will be monitored at a site in Lake Lewisville and Pecan Creek a tributary
to Lake Lewisville. Ozone concentrations, ultraviolet light levels, and
air clarity will be monitored at the Environmental Education and Science
and Technology building on the campus of the University of North Texas.
These parameters will clearly communicate time-relevant data for one of
the largest metropolitan areas in the country, assisting our citizens in
making environmentally responsible decisions. Our objectives are to combine
a suite of proven technologies for measuring certain environmental parameters
with a suite of innovative technologies recently explored by university
researchers to present our community with a comprehensive "systems" view
of our environment. Our approach is two-fold: first, we intend to post
on the world wide web a series of graphical indices of each parameter measured
(as well as combined indices indicating overall system quality), with links
to movies depicting the recent history of each parameter and predictions
of near future conditions. As important as the technological first step
is, providing the community with the knowledge of how to use the information
is even more important. Therefore, our second approach is to develop curriculum
which will be delivered to the community, especially school-aged children,
via an intensive outreach program. We will hire teachers to develop curriculum
and conduct monthly workshops for teachers to show how to utilize the information
in classrooms, how people should view the information, and how to make
environmentally responsible decisions based on that information. Our intent
is provide a finely woven tapestry of technology which measures the quality
of the environment and tools which allow the community to understand how
to interpret that information. This project will result in a community
which understands the interrelated nature of our environment as well as
past, present and future conditions.
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