WEST OLIVE – The use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, is being highly debated in many circles.

But scientists such as John Koches, an associate research scientist at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute, believe these devices can play a significant role in helping to assess and improve the quality of water in West Michigan.

Koches has used two different types of drones – a fixed-wing styrofoam aircraft and a quadcopter, each mounted with infrared cameras and on-board modems – to study levels of blue-green algae and chlorophyll-A in Muskegon Lake. He discussed the use of the drones and their potential applications Friday during Ottawa County’s ninth annual Water Quality Forum at the county’s administrative headquarters.

Koches conducted the study with assistance from GVSU students on the lake in the summer of 2013 with funding help through the Michigan Sea Grant program. The infrared photos taken by the drones showed some good news in that they did not indicate high levels of blue-green algae blooms, but did show signs of chlorophyll-A levels higher than what is considered safe for bodily contact.

“We can’t say a lot about the process without looking up more lakes and collecting more data, but it looks promising for separating out what lakes are having problems,” Koches said.

The unmanned aircraft have to obey federal aviation rules in that the operator must be able to maintain visual contact with the aircraft. It must also not fly more than 400 feet above the ground. The aircraft have sensors that can be programmed to immediately return to the operator once it reaches a certain distance, Koches said.

“These look like toys, but there’s some sophistication in terms of safety built into the system,” he said.

And Koches predicts that newer and more sophisticated vehicles coming on the market will be able to be programmed in advance to take photos covering selected areas, or to even follow people or objects. He sees potential applications in agriculture, where vehicles can be used for more targeted use of herbicides, which he says could result in less pollution and therefore helping improve water quality.

The forum brought together researchers from local colleges, state and federal environmental officials, as well as representatives from local tourism offices and nonprofit organizations.

The forum also included an update on the second phase of a Michigan State University study of water quality in Ottawa County. The study is led by MSU Institute of Water Research specialist David Lusch.

The first round of samples, collected in September from rock wells in the center of the county, found 21 percent exceeded recommended water quality levels for chlorides. A second round of samples, from areas around the perimeter of the county last month, found only 6 percent of the 173 samples tested exceeded quality levels.

“The original hotspot delineation done in the phase one study using archival data did prove, at least to this point, we have not discovered large exceedances in the peripheral areas of the county,” Lusch said.

The first phase of the study, released in 2012, found groundwater levels were declining in the county, as well as increased levels of chloride and nitrates in the groundwater.

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