Guidelines for Water Level Monitoring
A pressure sensor-style water level logger ( Onset or similar ) should be installed on site . Devices resistant to saltwater are recommended . The sensor should be attached to a stable fixed structure ( piling or pier ) if one is available . If not , attach the sensor to a PVC or rebar pole driven into the substrate far enough to ensure stability . This could be several feet depending on how consolidated the substrate is . Sensors can be installed inside of a vented PVC pipe for added protection . The sensor should be attached firmly so that there is no movement in position of the reading lens over time . Ideally , to capture the full range of the tide , the sensor should be installed below MLW if at all possible . An additional barometric sensor should be located within a 10-mile radius of the site so that water levels may be corrected for changes in atmospheric pressure . Determine the elevation of the installed sensor relative to the benchmark so that water levels may be interpreted with respect to marsh surface elevation .
Additional Resources
For more information on the installation of a steel rod with a receiver for attachment of a SET arm visit : https :// irma . nps . gov / DataStore / Reference / Profile / 2225005
For more information on installing a SET and standard operating procedures see : https :// www . nfwf . org / coastalresilience / Documents / nos-set-protocol-installation-sop3 . pdf
For more information on the North Carolina Vegetation Survey ( NCVS ) protocols for recording vegetation percent cover see : https :// www . nfwf . org / sites / default / files / coastalresilience / Documents / ncvs-protocol . pdf
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NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS MANUAL FOR KIAWAH ISLAND