Aquatechnex is starting a busy summer with one man down -- torn ACL -- but we’ll get through it. This article will highlight four new tools we are bringing into the aquatics market to support clients’ needs. 

Fisheries Mapping Tool: Understanding your fishery is increasingly important to a number of our clients.  Traditionally the only way to really get a handle on what is happening with your fishery is to do electroshocking. While we use this technology, a new hydroacoustic system provides a whole new level of understanding. Our mapping vessels can now generate a bathymetry map, an aquatic plant biovolume map, and a sediment composition map. Our new algorithm processes the same sonar data and counts fish, sizes the population, and provides both a vertical and horizontal distribution report. For more information, visit this page on our site: Fisheries Management – AquaTechnex 

Drone Application Technology: Application technology has also advanced. Aquatechnex is now an FAA-certified drone application business. We have trained and licensed pilots and are registered with the Washington Department of Agriculture as aerial applicators. Our drone fleet includes multi-spectral imaging drones that can map chlorophyll, aquatic plants, and other conditions with centimeter accuracy. Our application drones can access and treat problem aquatic and emergent noxious weed populations in hard-to-reach areas. To learn more about this aspect of our business, visit:  Drone Services – AquaTechnex.

Invasive Mussel Treatment: Aquatechnex biologists have been at the forefront of protecting the Columbia River Basin from the threat of invasive mussels. For the past three years, our teams have been treating the Snake River in Idaho to target a small quagga mussel infestation under Idaho’s Rapid Response Program. Our California teams have started to target the threat golden mussels pose to the water delivery systems in that state. One of our key tools in this work is Natrix, a EPA-registered product that has performed well in this role. To learn more about this challenge, visit: Invasive Mussels – AquaTechnex 

AIM Monitoring for Small Ponds and Lakes: Several of our offices manage a significant number of ponds and smaller lakes, which we generally visit two to three times a month. Things can blow up between visits, though, and we have now implemented AIM monitoring technology. This system uses Plant Lab low-earth-orbit satellites that image every place in the US daily. AIM has algorithms that measure Chlorophyll A and aquatic vegetation presence. This means our service teams can review hundreds of water bodies every morning and send the troops where they are most needed. The system uses AI and five previous years of data to build a baseline; we get alerts when either of these parameters goes above the thresholds we set. We have also implemented this on larger lake projects. 

Aquatechnex Supports Students and Honors Dave Lamb: Lastly, our company has been pleased to support students by matching the Dave Lamb Scholarship WALPA offers each year. Dave was a valued Aquatechnex employee before he left to work for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. He remained a good friend and really enjoyed the opportunity the Tribe gave him to get back to mostly straight limnology. This year’s Dave Lamb scholarship recipient will receive our match soon.   

For more information on any of these topics, contact us at Contact Us – AquaTechnex.