CLEVELAND, Ohio — With Lake Erie temperatures nearing their summer peak, it’s the perfect time for swimming, boating — and texting a buoy to check the water conditions.

Thanks to a network of smart buoys stationed across Lake Erie, anyone with a cell phone can get real-time updates on water temperature, air temperature, wind speed, wave height, pH levels, toxins and dissolved oxygen — just by sending a text.

“Lake Erie is now the largest digitally connected freshwater body in the world,” said Samantha Martin, director of communications and engagement with the Cleveland Water Alliance, which works to revolutionize the Great Lakes’ water economy through innovation, technology and collaboration.

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