Otago Regional Council (ORC) has purchased three autonomous water gauging boats, which will be used throughout Central and coastal Otago.

The council will demonstrate the boats on the Taieri River near Outram today (Wednesday August 30).

ORC environmental monitoring manager Eve Bruhns said the remote-controlled Surfbee boats increased safety for staff and would save field staff time, compared with using other types of in-situ rigs for water flow gauging in rivers and streams.

“The autonomous boat allows environmental monitoring staff to gauge flows which are above median levels without having to use static lines, a flying fox or A-frames,” she said. 

“It’s also a lot safer for staff as they don’t have to go into rivers when there are higher flows.”

The boats are easier to transport than kayaks, and after being set up are ready to be deployed immediately on arrival, which means that multiple sites can be visited in one day, instead of just one or two, Eve said.

The environmental monitoring team has an annual budget allocated for investment in new technology which improves the quality of environmental data routinely being collected. The initial investment for a Surfbee autonomous gauging boat is about $33,000 per unit.

The demonstration will take place today from 11am - 1pm upstream from the Outram bridge. From the car park below the bridge, follow the track upstream for about 400 metres to the gravel beach.