Buoy monitors, protects quality of lake water

Matthew Martin | 10th June 2009

They have been installed in lakes as far away as China and as close to home as Rotoiti - now one of the district's most beautiful lakes has its own.

So what's inside the big orange buoy boaties that are floating in the middle of Lake Tarawera?

According to Environment Bay of Plenty's lakes programme manager Andy Bruere the lake water quality monitoring buoy is another important step in preserving and protecting Rotorua's natural wonders.

"Lake Tarawera is the second cleanest lake in the district behind Lake Rotoma, but it still needs improving. There are isolated algae problems on the lake ... and this assists in knowing exactly what is going on in the lake," Mr Bruere said.

It is the third buoy of its kind introduced into the district's lakes over the past few years. The first went into Lake Rotorua and another into Lake Rotoiti.

Waikato University research technician David Miller has helped put the buoys together and the information they send is analysed back at the university.

Solar panels provide power to the unit's data logger and a cell phone modem sends the information collected to a computer at Waikato University every 15 minutes.

Mr Miller said the buoys used could cost anything up to $50,000, depending on their use.

 Visit www.ebop.govt.nz for more information.