Mike Shillenn, Quantum Spatial vice president, describes how bathymetric lidar in combination with hyperspectral imagery is providing a variety of new information in shallow water environments in a piece published by Lidar Magazine. The article specifically discusses how a topobathy project on the Kootenai River in Idaho is leading to improved river ecology management practices.
Excerpt:
Local natural resource and planning managers of the Kootenai River watershed were able to gain a valuable understanding of flood risk and management strategies, as well as erosion and sedimentation patterns. High-resolution flood maps from bathymetric data are improving insights into the impact of floods, flood risk, and inundation patterns to improve community preparedness and resiliency for the Kootenai River watershed, a USGS Water Mission Area priority area under the Flood Inundation Mapping Program. Suan Ireland, fish and wildlife department director for the Kootenai Tribe, also noted how the work will support their existing habitat restoration projects and could be useful for future restoration project design, implementation and biological assessment.