The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Mission Area (WMA) Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) has released a funding opportunity through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) for the development of camera-based water monitoring technology. This opportunity seeks a partner affiliated with the Colorado Plateau CESU network to support further development of the Hydrocam system, a scalable camera-based solution aimed at advancing water monitoring capabilities for a national network. The USGS, which currently operates around 800 active cameras in its 13,000-station water monitoring network, requires an integrated hardware and software solution that meets unique environmental monitoring needs and is not available in commercial systems.

The project has two primary research objectives. Objective 1 focuses on hardware enhancement, including prototype refinement, expanded field testing across various environments, nighttime operation capability with infrared technology, and smart power management improvements. Objective 2 aims to advance Hydrocam’s software, enhancing over-the-air updates, enabling standalone deployment, improving stage reading algorithms for water levels, implementing privacy functions for selective image processing, and adding onboard processing capabilities. The development will involve an iterative design process with USGS staff and an industry partner, focusing on user-friendly, robust systems.

This funding opportunity will support a single award, with a base year and a renewal year contingent on performance and fund availability. The funding amount available for FY 2025 is $250,000. Applications are open only to CESU partners in the Colorado Plateau network, and must be submitted through Grants.gov. Inquiries can be directed to Faith Graves, the USGS Contract Specialist.

Applicants are required to submit contact information for principal investigators and key technical personnel, along with details on relevant facilities and past experience in camera-based monitoring, image analysis, and artificial intelligence for environmental monitoring. Proposals should include a project narrative with a statement of the problem, objectives, methodologies, anticipated products, and a dissemination plan for research findings. Budget documentation must detail personnel costs, travel, lab analyses, equipment, supplies, and other direct costs, with a CESU-negotiated indirect cost rate of 17.5%. A data management plan (DMP) up to two pages is also required, outlining data standards, sharing, and archival protocols.

USGS will evaluate proposals based on project relevance, technical approach, budget justification, and applicant qualifications. Evaluations and scores by technical personnel will guide final award decisions. Award recipients must submit annual and final reports, including a final technical report summarizing findings and progress, and an SF-425 financial report. Publications based on the project must acknowledge USGS support, and two copies must be submitted to the Department of the Interior’s Natural Resources Library.