The Jefferson Project at Lake George—a collaboration between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, IBM Research, and The FUND for Lake George—is an unprecedented technological approach to studying fresh water so we can understand impacts of human activities and how to mitigate those effects. The Jefferson Project combines Internet-of-Things technology and powerful analytics with lake and atmospheric science to create a new model for environmental monitoring and prediction. We collect and analyze data from a network of sensors that track water quality and movement. We also conduct cutting-edge experiments to examine the separate and combined effects of different human impacts. Scientific insights and technology created for the project are helping to manage and protect the Queen of American Lakes, while also creating a blueprint to preserve important lakes, rivers, and other water bodies around the globe.