Hancock’s Norway Pond visitors have completed two months of water level monitoring via text messaging in a citizen science program aimed at improving satellite monitoring of climate change effects. Water quality monitoring is also continuing with some changes after the state dialed back water tests due to COVID-19 related budget constraints, as discussed at a Norway Pond Commission meeting on June 25. Volunteers and a Harris Center collaborator are regularly sampling for E.coli, algae and plankton throughout the summer.
Visitors can contribute by reporting algal blooms, preferably with pictures, to Norway Pond Commission member Tom Shevenell at tcshevenell@gmail.com and can record the water level on the gauge by the town beach by sending a text message to the phone number on its sign. All recorded water levels are visible on the Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists and Satellites (LOCSS) website, in a NASA-sponsored collaboration that kicked off in May. The data is being used to calibrate satellites that monitor changes in water bodies worldwide, Shevenell said. The data could be applied to mitigate the effects of climate change as water cycle patterns change, and contribute to a better understanding of how local watersheds function, he said. Pond visitors without cell phone reception at the lake can also enter their readings directly onto the LOCSS webpage.