The Sidney High School flood monitoring team has been busy this summer as students have completed a lot of work.
Besides being out in the field doing the normal maintenance, which includes cleaning as well as brush and grass trimming, the group made needed repairs. All eight stations are currently fully functional. The following is a list of improvements/repairs that were made:
- Worcester station returned to full functionality.
- Replacement of rain gauge conduit from the Sidney Center station to the gauge.
- Replacement of a faulty rain gauge wire at the Sidney station (fully operational again)
Upcoming work includes fixing a damaged antenna and soil moisture gauge at the Edmeston station because of a fallen tree. Some of the station batteries have been in the field for eight years and will need replacement in the next six months or so.
The work that has been done, and the future work planned, have been made possible through grants from the Unatego Science Foundation.
Satellite communication devices in six of the eight stations will also need replacement in the next few years. The Sidney station device has been replaced, thanks to the Unatego Science Foundation, and the Hartwick station will have the same item replaced this fall through a regional grant awarded through Rotary.
Students have presented to the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, and will present to “Four Towns Forward” in September as additional funding is sought. Each device costs about $2,500.