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The purpose of this manual is to support use of satellite-based remote sensing for statewide lake water-quality monitoring in Maine. The authors describe step-by-step methods that combine Landsat and MODIS satellite data with field-collected Secchi disk data for statewide assessment of lake water clarity. Landsat can be simultaneously used to assess more than Maine 1,000 lakes ≥ 8 ha, whereas MODIS can be used to assess a maximum of 364 lakes ≥ 100 ha (250-m image resolution) or 83 lakes ≥ 400 ha (500-m image resolution). Although the methods were specifically developed for Maine, other states or non-Maine agencies may find these methods as useful starting points in developing their own protocols for regional remote lake monitoring.
Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station
remote sensing, Landsat satellite data, MODIS satellite data, lake clarity, water clarity
Environmental Chemistry | Environmental Monitoring | Fresh Water Studies | Water Resource Management
McCullough, I.M., C.S. Loftin, and S. Sader. 2013. A manual for remote sensing of Maine lake clarity. Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 207.