New Orleans EMPACT Project: (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking)

This project will install a monitor on the Lake Salvador platform, providing time-relevant water quality data to the public. The data obtained from the monitor is also expected to help scientists and engineers better manage the water diversion and diminish the likelihood of algal blooms, which can be toxic, contaminate seafood and irritate breathing. Partners in the project hope the EMPACT monitor will also provide valuable before and after data of the effects of diverting freshwater from the Mississippi River into coastal areas being overtaken by saltwater.