Nature Conservancy launches smart-pond pilot to test AI-coordinated stormwater control in the Indian River Lagoon

The Nature Conservancy on Feb. 14 outlined a five‑year pilot in the Indian River Lagoon that would link automated “smart” stormwater ponds into a network using real‑time sensors, weather forecasting and machine‑learning models to optimize detention, improve water clarity and reduce nutrient pulses into the lagoon.

The presentation, led by James Byrne and Valerie Strasburg of The Nature Conservancy, described a hypothesis that retrofitting ponds with continuous monitoring and adaptive control (CMAC) valves and connecting them in a “digital twin” could increase detention time across a watershed and improve both water quality and flood protection.

The proposal would begin with a modeling phase to scan the lagoon’s nearly 14,000 ponds, prioritize locations with the largest potential uplift and then deploy pilot installations in the northern lagoon. The Nature Conservancy said it has identified roughly a dozen candidate locations and assembled a technical team including Arup, Jones Edmonds, Opti…