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7. Maintenance Checklist

Last updated on 2022-12-02

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7.1 Learn About Your Station and Watershed

7.2 Daily: Check Data at Monitor My Watershed

  • Go to Monitor My Watershed.org
  • Learn the patterns for your particular station.
  • Look for sensor fouling particularly with the turbidity sensor, identify abnormal patterns and visit station for maintenance accordingly.
  • Track battery level and potential cellular data transmission issues; battery level should be > 3.7 V for optimal function.

7.3 Weekly (or According to Your Specific Situation): Visit the Monitoring Station

  • Clean the sensors and the area under and around the sensors.
  • Clear the area around logger and solar panel.
  • Fill out the Field Visit Data Form.
  • Always record what was done on site visit – if no check boxes on Field Visit Data  Form address the issue, describe what was done in comments sections.
  • Always record staff-gauge height.
  • Check accuracy of station sensors using handheld sensors (if available).
  • Enter data from Field Visit Data Form and/or in field notebook.

7.4 Every Six Weeks: Download Data From MicroSD Card

  • If data are not online, download data as needed for monitoring purposes, at least every six weeks.
  • If data are online, download data from microSD card when cellular connections fail and data stop transmitting to website, fill in gaps with microSD card data.
  • Suggested title format:  “Sitename/ID_mm-dd-yy”

7.5 Every Six to Eight Weeks: Back up Online Data

  • Save in Excel to a secure hard drive or server.
  • Suggested title format:  “Site name/ID_mm-dd-yy”

7.6 Continuously: Develop the Station Management Process

  • Refine the maintenance process as understanding of site and station is developed.
  • Continue to refine the project plan and how station and data are used.
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