LOCSS: Lake Water Level Observations from Citizen Scientists

Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists & Satellites (LOCSS) Level 1 data provides water level readings for small to medium lakes across seven countries. The dataset comprises two CSV files: one listing gauge locations and attributes, and another containing time-series readings submitted via text message by local volunteers. This project, managed by NASA, focuses on lakes with an average surface area under 100 square kilometers.

Use Cases

• Monitoring lake water level trends over time based on the time-series readings.
• Analyzing spatial distribution of monitored lakes based on gauge coordinates and country.
• Assessing data collection methods for remote locations based on the dual submission (text message and manual upload) process.
• Calibrating satellite-derived water level estimates using ground-truth measurements from the gauge readings.

Strengths

• Data is collected via a structured citizen science network, providing ground-based observations.
• Covers lakes in seven countries: Bangladesh, India, Canada, the United States, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Explicitly targets small to medium lakes (average surface area < 100 km²), filling a specific monitoring gap.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing: row counts, file sizes, and specific column names are not provided.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates across platforms (2026-03-12, 2026-04-09, 2022-05 29) create uncertainty about data freshness.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), LOCSS project.

Collection Method

Citizen scientists read installed lake gauges and submit water level data via text message or manual web upload.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04 09 (most recent date listed, though conflict exists)

Geography

Lakes in Bangladesh, India, Canada, the United States, Pakistan, and Nepal.