USING THE PERSONAL COMPUTER FOR WATER TABLE MANAGEMENT DATA ACQUISITION

A 13.8 ha (34.1 ac) research site was instrumented to measure subsurface and surface drainage and subirrigation. A total of 21 monitoring wells, installed in three well nests, were equipped with well head devices to measure water levels. Data from the potentiometer and flow meter monitoring devices at this site were recorded and underwent preliminary analysis on two personal computers. Drainage, surface runoff and subirrigation volumes as well as water levels in the monitoring wells were continuously collected, reduced and stored on diskettes. A third personal computer was used to interface between the two data collection computers, a Campbell weather station and a modem connected to the telephone line. Data was downloaded from the field to the laboratory on demand using the telephone connection