Smart Buoys Installed in Lakes Lielais Ludzas, Luknas and Mičurinietis for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring
Within the framework of the cross-border cooperation project “Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring in Urban Lakes Using Smart Buoys (Lakes Go Digital)”, smart monitoring buoys have been installed in Lake Lukna, Lake Mičurinietis and in Lielais Ludzas lake to ensure continuous real-time water quality monitoring.
The deployment of the smart buoys marks an important step towards modern, data-driven water resource management and sustainable governance of urban lakes. The aim of the project is to introduce innovative monitoring technologies that help identify ecological risks at an early stage, improve environmental management processes and provide the public with access to up-to-date information on water quality.
The installed buoys are equipped with sensors that continuously measure several key ecological parameters, including:
– water temperature,
– water level,
– dissolved oxygen concentration,
– electrical conductivity,
– nutrient concentrations,
– microorganism activity and other water quality indicators.
The collected data will help monitor the ecological status of the lakes, detect potential signs of pollution in a timely manner and support data-driven decision-making related to water resource management, flood risk reduction and environmental protection measures.
Project partners emphasize that each lake is a unique socio-ecological system with its own natural, cultural-historical and urban context. The implementation of a unified digital monitoring system across different water bodies will help create a comparable and practically applicable knowledge base for future lake management in Latvia and Lithuania.
At the same time, the project implementers invite residents, anglers, and other visitors to be cautious when near the smart buoys. The buoys are part of a scientific monitoring system, and their continuous and accurate operation is essential for obtaining high-quality data. Visitors are kindly asked not to damage the equipment, approach it with watercraft, or interfere with the operation of the sensors.
Further deployment of smart buoys in other lakes across Latvia and Lithuania is planned within the project, alongside educational activities, cooperation with municipalities, and public awareness initiatives.
The project is implemented by:
– Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology,
– National Regional Development Agency (Lithuania),
– Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia,
– Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania).
The project is funded by the Interreg Latvia–Lithuania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.
