Geotech ETL Portable Water Level Meters
Features
- Highly accurate polyethylene coated steel well tape marked in engineering or metric increments
- Field serviceable 5/8" probe with stainless steel conductors for durability
- Adjustable sensitivity to prevent false triggering
- Free ground shipping
- Expedited repair and warranty service
- Lifetime technical support
- More
Overview
The Geotech ETL Water Level Meter is a portable instrument used to accurately measure water levels in monitoring wells. The well tape is mounted on a lightweight steel and aluminum storage reel with a rugged aluminum frame. The polyethylene-coated engineer's tape is accurate to 1/100th of a foot.
Mechanics
The sensor consists of a stainless steel and FEP probe, and it relies on fluid conductivity to determine the presence of water. When the instrument contacts water, an audible signal and visible green light activate. The meter also features adjustable sensitivity, which is used to prevent false triggering.
In The News
CrowdHydrology sources water level data from public's text messages
Chris Lowry’s idea was simple: set up staff gauges on local streams and leave a sign requesting passersby read the water level and text the data to a phone number. Data from text messages would be recorded and then posted to a website for public use. 
 It was the beginning of CrowdHydrology, a crowdsourcing project that recently gained U.S. Geological Survey support for expansion into several Midwest states. Though it won’t generate as much data as official USGS stream gauges, the project will generate data points that supplement those lost from official gauges shut down following federal budget cuts. 
 Lowry, an assistant professor of geology at the University at Buffalo, set up eight pilot sites in New York in 2011 in an attempt to crowdsource water level data.
Read MoreCal Poly, San Luis Obispo Manages Monitoring Efforts in Morro Bay
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO), has been monitoring Morro Bay for decades, and while the monitoring program has changed over the years, the dedication to monitoring the bay has remained the same. 
 
The project started in 2006 as a Packard Foundation-funded initiative to monitor water quality flowing in and out of Morro Bay. The goal at the time was to use the data collected to develop and inform an ecosystem-based management plan in collaboration with the Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP). 
 
Since the estuary was the focus at the time, researchers were monitoring water flowing into the estuary from Chorro Creek and Los Osos Creek.
Read MoreGreen Water in Green Bay: Using Data Buoys to Monitor the Southern Bay
While the bay of Green Bay has been referred to as the largest freshwater “estuary” in the world, the watershed hosts intensive agriculture and contributes one-third of Lake Michigan’s total phosphorus load. 
 
 The Fox River flows into the bay, carrying excess nutrients largely the result of non-point source runoff from the watershed. With a history of deterioration extending well into the last century, the bay ecosystem suffered significant declines in water quality. 
 
 This, in turn, stimulated major clean-up and ongoing restoration efforts to improve water quality. Tracking these changes is an important aspect of ecosystem management.
Read More