Fund the Online Ottawa River Gauge

The Online Ottawa River Gauge is a grassroots project created for paddlers and river-enthusiasts who would benefit from being able to check the water level of the river without having to drive for hours or search to hear by word of mouth for someone who might happen to know the current level. 

The Ottawa River Gauge is a custom device that will consistently report the exact water level of the Beachburg Whitewater section of the Ottawa River. We hope to expand in the future and install devices in other popular rivers in the area.

The Online Ottawa River Gauge project was piloted last summer, and successfully monitored the water level for the majority of the season. This year, all new hardware has been purchased, and with this new specialized hardware we'll be able to publish real-time water levels all year round - even when the river is covered in ice.

The new hardware consists of specialized low-power sensors, GPS and a cellular transmitter. Sensor readings (Ultrasound, Depth-Pressure, Barometric-Pressure, and Temperature) are used to precisely calculate the level then transmit over cellular connection.

This new hardware will be online 24/7, every season. 

We firmly believe that river level information should be free. This project is non-profit. We are accepting donations to help cover project costs and keep this project running year-round.

Costs include monthly cellular data costs as well as the initial hardware costs of specialized sensors, micro-computer, cellular-transmitter/receiver, waterproof housing, small-solar panel, Li-PO batteries, custom software and web-hosting.

We sincerely thank you for any and all donations, and we are very grateful for your support (monetary or moral!)