The Captiva Community Panel and city of Sanibel are partnering with the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association to address management challenges in coastal communities.

High tide flooding has become a major concern to tourism-based and residential coastal communities, the CCP reported on June 3. A widespread network of water level monitoring stations is needed to help communities with decision support. The five-year Southeast Coastal Communities Water Level Observation System project is being funded by the Southeast Coastal and Ocean Observing Regional Association, a member of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System and part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association is leading one of the four teams selected to create a regional water level monitoring network, according to the CCP. The project will engage 40 of the association’s member communities to install low-cost sensors to fill gaps between federal tide stations. It is seeking to expand the project on a national scale.

“Community demand for local water-level data has exceeded expectations,” ASBPA Science Director Dr. Nicole Elko said. “Managers have elected to install sensors on their estuarine shorelines, where chronic and episodic flooding is most severe.”

The project will provide real-time water level data, tide predictions and flooding alerts to coastal communities. The data will be used to plan for and respond to flood emergencies and to design resilience strategies for sea-level rise and the projected increase in flooding. The ASBPA is collaborating with Hohonu Inc., a technology startup that provides environmental water level monitoring to help communities adapt to climate change.

“We’re excited to participate in the SECOORA research program with ASBPA,” CCP Sea Level Rise Committee Chair Linda Laird said. “The closest NOAA water level sensor is on the Caloosahatchee near downtown Fort Myers. Now, Captiva has real time data on water levels.”

Joel Caouette, environmental biologist with the city’s Natural Resources Department, also worked with the SECOORA to install a tide gauge on the bayside of Sanibel.

“This tide gauge will help to provide valuable localized information on coastal flooding that will aid the city in making informed decisions in resiliency planning in the future,” he said.

The water level sensors are installed; the data is available online at Hohonu.io. Users can sign up for a free account to view it. Eventually, the data will be accessible on SECOORA’s website.

For more information about the Captiva gauge, contact Kate Gooderham at 239-850-8736.

For more information about the Sanibel gauge, contact Caouette at 239-472-3700.

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