The Town of Saugeen Shores is collaborating with Georgian College and the University of Waterloo to improve beach safety.
The town is taking part in the Smart Beach applied research project.
A research buoy has been deployed roughly a kilometre off the Saugeen Shores coastline to collect information on wave height, direction, water temperature, and other factors to water safety.
The project is focused on gaining a better understanding of how offshore conditions impact beach safety by providing real-time, location specific information.
Georgian College students will be analyzing the data and creating a mobile app that uses the information to keep residents and visitors safe.
This isn’t the first time Smart Beach research has been conducted on Lake Huron – previously, it was deployed near Kincardine, and Parks Canada had done research near Fathom Five Marine National Park.
Community members and visitors can help shape the project by participating in a beach safety survey open this summer until Aug. 31. University of Waterloo students will be on local beaches throughout the summer encouraging participation. The survey is also available online.
The Smart Beach project is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through a College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grant.
The Smart Beach project reflects ongoing collaboration between Georgian, the University of Waterloo, Saugeen Shores and other Bruce County communities to advance freshwater safety innovation and provide students with meaningful, real-world research experience.
