Ogeechee River Monitoring

Our monitoring efforts shifted to the Ogeechee River in February 2001. We selected five stations on this river, which were monitored once monthly at low tide. Additionally, stations 1, 3, and 5 were monitored every other month at high tide. Datasonde deployment devices were placed in the Ogeechee River at stations 1 and 3.
The University of Georgia Marine Extension Service coordinated a survey of tides and currents on the Ogeechee River in cooperation with the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. The research was carried out from October to December 2001. Seven Acoustic Doppler Profilers (ADP's) were deployed in the river during the study. A similar study was conducted in the Altamaha River a few months later. This information is needed to develop predictive computer models of the rivers.

Our water quality team will be revisiting the Ogeechee River beginning in May 2003. We plan to investigate a series of rice canals on this river, which appear to provide some lateral exchange of salts from the Little Ogeechee River. This work will be cooperative with the Skidaway Instutute of Oceanography and Dr. Changsheng Chen of the University of Massachusettes, Dartmouth. We will conduct further physical, chemical and biological monitoring on selected sites with a focus on salinity structure and currents.