NUSO Research Missions
NUSO research missions support UAS platform evaluation, sensor integration, and provide the data needed for accuracy assessments, data specification documentation and standards development.
Costs associated with completed research missions has also helped establish the baseline operational costs needed to compare UAS data collection against more traditional methods. For instance in-house UAS missions performed in 2016 cost 41% less than utilizing end-product contracts, approximately 32% less than traditional manned aircraft collection, and was seven times faster and roughly 1/10th the cost of ground-based collection.
Data Disclaimer and Usage: All DOI and USGS policies apply.
UAS lidar for topographic analysis and historical preservation
National Military Park near Vicksburg, Mississippi
The National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO), along with USGS landslide researchers, undertook topographic analysis of slide-prone areas of the National Park Service Vicksburg National Military Park near Vicksburg, Mississippi - December 2022.
Project Cooperators: National Park Service Vicksburg National Military Park; Charles Beightol, Natural Resources Program Manager; Rachel Davidson, Chief of Law Enforcement and Resource Management; and Carrie Mardorf, Park Superintendent
UAS Radiometric and Geometric Cal/Val
Denver, Colorado
Calibration (converting remote sensing data values into useful units) and validation (assessing the quality and utility of remote sensing data) are essential steps of producing science-grade remote sensing data products. The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Cal/Val Center of Excellence (ECCOE) is developing and evaluating best practices for radiometric and geometric cal/val of UAS-derived imagery. In support of ECCOE cal/val research, the USGS NUSO collected UAS hyperspectral, multispectral, lidar, and natural color data in conjunction with ground-based spectral and structural measurements at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, CO – November 2022.
Study Point of Contact: Joe Adams (jdadams@usgs.gov), IT Specialist & Remote Pilot, National Uncrewed Systems Office, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC)
Smoke Plume Monitoring in Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
In response to oil spills, the controlled burning of spilled oil known as in-situ burning can help reduce negative impacts on water quality and marine habitats. In-situ oil burns on the water at Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) near Fairbanks, Alaska were performed to collect data for improving plume dispersion modeling. NUSO flew the Kolibri, a smoke particle sampling payload being developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The smoke plume concentrations and videos capturing smoke plume behavior will serve as input data for dispersion modeling by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – August 2022.
Project Cooperators: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), EPA Office of Research and Development, EPA Office of Emergency Management, EPA Region 10 On-Scene Coordinator, NOAA, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Pacific Strike Team, Alaska Clean Seas, University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center (UAF IARC), PFRR
Measuring natural methane emissions from bogs
Fairbanks, Alaska
Permafrost is ground that has been frozen for at least two years. With the warming climate, permafrost across Alaska is thawing and greenhouse gases such as methane are released as a result. Ecologist Kristen Manies of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center is studying methane emissions as permafrost forests transition to bogs or wetlands. At the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest in Fairbanks, Alaska, the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office (NUSO) flew an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) equipped with a methane-sensing payload at various altitudes over a bog in support of Manies’ research - August 2022.
Project Cooperator: University of Alaska Fairbanks Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Site (BNZ LTER)
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Remote Sensing Field Campaign
Leetown, West Virginia
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are rapid growths of algae in bodies of water with associated toxins that can affect water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and even threaten the health of nearby humans and animals. In support of studying algae life cycles, environmental triggers, and growth patterns, an interdisciplinary collection of USGS scientists from across the country gathered to participate in a proof-of-concept project to evaluate remote sensing of HABs. The USGS NUSO collected UAS hyperspectral, multispectral, lidar, natural color, and video data as an intermediate scale of observations between satellite overpasses and microscopic analyses - July 2022.
Project Cooperator: National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Post-wildfire soil and vegetation monitoring
Santa Rosa, California
NUSO provided UAS data collection support for ongoing post-wildfire studies in northern California led by researchers at the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, California Water Science Center, and in partnership with the National Innovation Center. Repeat UAS flights and field data collection enable researchers to assess levels of burn severity and resulting soil and vegetation conditions over time - April 2022.
Mapping snowpack with lidar point cloud data
Winter Park and Berthoud Pass, Colorado
NUSO teamed with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area to develop and verify a process for generating snow depth measurements from UAS-collected lidar data. This ability to calculate centimeter-level snow depth measurements from remotely-sensed data also contributes to the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) goal of remotely sensed mapping of snow conditions to better forecast snowmelt runoff in Colorado watersheds – March and April 2022, April and February 2021, and September 2020.
Biocrust Remote Sensing
Moab, Utah
Researchers from USGS NUSO, USGS Canyonlands Research Center, USGS Western Geographic Science Center, and the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment teamed up for a biocrust remote sensing and field data campaign near Moab, Utah. NUSO collected a series of true-color, thermal, multispectral, and hyperspectral UAS data to enable cross-scale observations of biocrust presence, composition, and behavior changes in response to climate change – February 2022.
Project Cooperator: University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment
Sediment accumulation and volume evaluation
Arrow Canyon in Nevada
NUSO and the Nevada Water Science Center, in cooperation with the BLM, carried out a preliminary evaluation of sediment age and depositional rates to better understand the timing of historical sediment buildup within the Arrow Canyon in Clark County, NV. The Arrow Canyon Flood Control Dam is an approximate 35-foot-tall masonry structure built in an ephemeral wash northwest of Arrow Canyon. Since its construction in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps to impound periodic flood waters in Pahranagat Wash, floodwaters have deposited fine-grained sediments on the upstream side of the dam to near its crest to a depth of approximately 25 feet. The wash is home to several Native American petroglyph sites which, in time may be potentially threatened by the rising of sediment. For this project, NUSO utilized UAS-mounted sensors to collect natural color imagery and lidar point cloud data to support the generation of the DEM and contour maps needed to evaluate the total extent and volume of sediment accumulation in the study area – January 2022
Project Cooperator: Bureau of Land Management
Study Point of Contact: Jon Wilson (jwilson@usgs.gov), Hydrologist, Nevada Water Science Center
Collecting UAS Derived Lidar for Slackwater Harbor Assessment
Dardanelle, Arkansas
USGS NUSO, USGS Central Midwest Water Science Center and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District conducted a lidar topographic and bathymetry survey for development of a future slackwater harbor along the Arkansas River near Dardanelle, Arkansas. NUSO remote pilots collected lidar and photogrammetric-derived data products from a UAS platform to support the analysis - October 2021.
Project Cooperator: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District
Radiometric Calibration Comparisons
Table Mountain outside of Boulder, Colorado
Collaborative project between NUSO and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) aimed to provide coincident data sets for calibration comparisons between airborne remote sensing, UAS remote sensing, and field-based spectral ground truth measurements - October 2021.
Project Cooperator: National Ecological Observatory Network
Spectroradiometer Testing and Multispectral Mapping of Invasive Coastal Grasses
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
In collaboration with the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM) team, NUSO performed a spectroradiometer testing project at Cape Cod, MA. The primary goal of this effort was to improve our ground truthing capabilities to calibrate and validate UAS-collected multispectral and hyperspectral data for coastal natural hazard and invasive species mapping applications - October 2021.
Photogrammetric Data Collection Techniques for 3D Modeling of a Vertical Canyon Feature
Cimarron Canyon in New Mexico
NUSO researchers worked with USGS geologists to establish and test unique photogrammetric data collection techniques utilizing UAS along the Paleocene Poison Canyon Formation in the Cimarron Canyon - September 2021.
Particle Sampling at Grassland Burning
Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS), Manhattan, Kansas
In support of wildfire smoke emission research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), Joe Adams of NUSO flew a UAS carrying a gas and particle sampling payload during annual grassland burns at Konza Prairie Biological Station in the Flint Hills grasslands of Kansas - April and September 2021.
Project Cooperator: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Mapping Harmful Algal Blooms
North Santiam River, Mill City, Oregon
The Oregon Water Science Center teamed up with NUSO to explore bathymetric and remote sensing techniques to detect periphyton - a complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, and microbes in freshwater ecosystems. Accurate mapping of these harmful algal blooms (HABs), persistent environmental hazards that can sicken or kill people and animals, is becoming increasingly important. NUSO collected RGB imagery and tested a Headwall Nano hyperspectral sensor during UAS flights at the Fishermen’s Bend Recreation Area in Mill City, Oregon. Field measurements were collected during the flights to help relate the remotely sensed images to algae presence in the North Santiam River and above- and below- water spectra and photos were collected to capture periphyton conditions. Spectral ground truth measurements of calibration tarps and a white reference panel were also collected to support image calibration - August 2021.
Study Point of Contact: Brandon Overstreet (boverstreet@usgs.gov), Hydrologist, Oregon Water Science Center
Post-Wildfire Mapping of the East Troublesome Fire Burn Area
Granby, Colorado
The Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Wildland Fire (OWF), in partnership with NUSO, is conducting evaluations to determine best practices and methodology for data collection of post-fire events utilizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Previous efforts have successfully utilized UAS technology to estimate canopy characteristics, interpret fuel model types, and calculate fire behavior - June 2021.
Project Cooperator: DOI Office of Wildland Fire
Multiscale Spectroscopy of Intertidal Biofilm
San Francisco Bay, California
In a partnership with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, the USGS Western Geographic Science Center, the USGS Spectroscopy Lab, and California State University Monterey Bay, NUSO collected true-color, multispectral, and hyperspectral UAS data as part of a multi-scale spectroscopy project to map intertidal mudflat biofilms in San Francisco Bay - May 2021.
Project Cooperator: California State University Monterey Bay
Missouri River Dye Study
Huntsdale, Missouri
NUSO, Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Missouri University of Science and Technology researchers conducted a dye-trace assessment in the Missouri River to support natural hazards research of high river flow events and associated effects on endangered species. Red dye was released upstream while a team of scientists on the ground and in boats on the river recorded dye concentration, depth, velocity measurements with traditional flow meters and spectral measurements of the water surface. The non-toxic dye used in the Missouri River experiment had a very visible red color that dissipated as the water flowed downstream. NUSO researchers used the Parrot Anafi UAS to collect video along the river from bank to bank to support water velocity and flow monitoring. A manned aircraft also flew overhead at 3,500 ft collecting additional aerial imagery - May 2021.
Project Cooperators: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Missouri University of Science and Technology
Study Point of Contact: Robert Jacobson (rjacobson@usgs.gov), Supervisory Research Hydrologist, Columbia Environmental Research Center
No missions were performed by NUSO.
Sea Level Rise Preparedness
Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii
NUSO teamed with the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS) to collect UAS LIDAR and UAS imagery for developing an updated terrain model to address potential climate change impacts of water-level variability and identify flood hazard inundation zones. A Yellowscan Surveyor sensor mounted on a DJI Matrice was used to collect the LiDAR data and a high-resolution photogrammetric survey was acquired using a Sony A-6000 camera, also mounted on a DJI Matrice 600 - August 2019.
Project Cooperator: National Park Service
Urban Forest Assessments
City Park in Denver Colorado
NUSO researchers evaluated the viability of using various UAS platforms and data collection sensors to characterize and evaluate an urban forest. Flights were conducted monthly during the of summer 2019 at City Park just east of downtown Denver. A 3DR Solo quadcopter equipped with a MicaSense M multispectral camera was flown over the study area during the June flights. A DJI Matrice 600 Pro hexacopter equipped with a Sony A-6000 visible spectrum camera and a Yellowscan Surveyor LiDAR unit was flown during the July data collect. And the DJI Matrice 600 Pro was flown again in September, however the payload used during these flights was a MicaSense Altum multispectral camera - June, July and September 2019.
Geomorphic Monitoring to Track Degradation, Aggradation, and Surface Changes
Fountain Creek, Colorado
Study to compare UAS collected data versus traditionally manually collected data for supporting geomorphic surface monitoring - April 2019, February 2016, January and March 2017.
Archeological Site Management
Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona
NUSO, at the request of the National Park Service (NPS), flew data collection missions over five archeological sites within the park in October of 2018. Natural color imagery was acquired from the Ricoh GR II mounted on the 3DR Solo and the Sony RX1R II mounted on the FireFLY6 PRO. This high resolution imagery was then processed and used to produce highly accurate, high resolution 3D point clouds, orthomosaics, and digital elevation models for each site - October 2018.
Project Cooperator: National Park Service
Paleontological Surveys
Corral Bluffs near Colorado Springs, Colorado
NUSO researchers working with Denver Museum of Nature & Science flew UAS to collect imagery covering the Corral Bluffs study area. The acquired high-resolution imagery was used to create a photogrammetric surface model supporting the extraction of centimeter level elevation data for the hundreds of paleontological fossil locations. Accurate surface elevation data is crucial when back dating fossils using stratigraphy, it places a record in their relationship in the geological time scale - September 2018.
Project Cooperator: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Geologic Hazard Analysis and Rockfall Mitigation
Dinosaur Ridge in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark in Colorado
Jefferson County Open Space and the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge collaborated with the NUSO to collect high-resolution UAS data for use in constructing 3D photogrammetric terrain models of potential landslide areas. Dinosaur Ridge is in a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located near Morrison, Colorado. A core component of the recent Dinosaur Ridge planning project is geologic hazard analysis and rockfall mitigation of the Dinosaur Ridge Park. This analysis and mitigation plan is particularly important since nearly all the site’s exhibits lie at the bottom of an unstable slope which requires continuous monitoring to protect both visitors and natural park resources. During this UAS mission imagery data was collected using a Ricoh GR II mounted on a 3DR Solo. The high-resolution imagery was used to generate photogrammetric models for the ridge, the dinosaur track site, and other areas of interest - September 2018.
Study Point of Contact: Guthrie Alexander, Geographer, Jefferson County Open Space
River Discharge Computations
Confluence of the Blue and Colorado Rivers near Kremmling, CO
USGS hydrologists, with help from the NUSO, planned to evaluate the value of UAS data collected over the confluence of the Blue and Colorado rivers for river discharge calculations and velocity rate evaluation. Pulse Vapor 55 helicopter flights were to be performed over the river confluence using the YellowScan Surveyor to collect LiDAR and the Nano-Hyperspec to collect hyperspectral data. However, during one of the early programmed flights, the Pulse Vapor 55 had unexpected system issues resulting in an emergency landing into the river. After recovering the Pulse from the 2-3 feet of water it had landed in further flights were cancelled - August 2018.
Study Point of Contact: Paul J. Kinzel (pjkinzel@usgs.gov), Hydrologist, USGS Integrated Modeling and Prediction Division
Rapid Response: Volcano Monitoring
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
On May 17th 2018 NUSO researchers were deployed to the site of the Kilauea Volcanic eruptions to provide UAS data acquisition and processing support. Near 24/7 monitoring of the volcanic activity was provided utilizing UAS mounted natural color, thermal and gas sensors. This near real-time monitoring of the volcano and crater lasted for several months and provided scientific measurements and modeling that should help better predict future activity - May thru September 2018.
Marshland Restoration Monitoring
Hart Mine Marsh in California
NUSO collaborated with the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collect data using the Sony A7r and the YellowScan Surveyor flown on the Pulse Vapor 55 to generate digital models to aid in monitoring the overall health of the rehabilitated marsh - March 2018.
Project Cooperators: Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bald Earth Digital Terrain Modeling
Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming
National Uncrewed Systems Office researchers flew the YellowScan LiDAR sensor mounted on the Pulse Vapor 55 to collect high-density LiDAR point cloud data to generate a bald earth digital terrain model to be used in additional flood analysis for the park. A quality control check was implemented with a stand-alone survey for research accuracy comparisons - October 2017.
Project Cooperator: National Park Service
Groundwater Discharge Identification
East River in Gunnison National Forest, Colorado
The USGS Water Mission Area Office of Groundwater Branch of Geophysics, with help from the NUSO, tested the value of UAS collected video, multispectral, and thermal infrared data collection to support integrated analysis of hydrologic data for a larger groundwater/surface-water exchange study - August 2017.
Talus and Microclimate Mapping to Identify Mechanisms of Mammalian Distribution
Bitterroot National Forest in Montana
The Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, with help from NUSO, evaluated the use of UAS in high elevation areas of Montana over Talus slopes to collect the thermal imagery needed to map unique habitats for montane species in the changing ecosystems. Talus provides unique and essential habitat for several montane species but is inadequately mapped to support studies of ecosystem dynamics. This study was designed to use new technology to model talus, microclimate, and vegetative characteristics with sensors aboard a UAS for comparison to measures from airborne LiDAR and the ground. This project also assessed data requirements and efficiency of alternative data sources for development of GIS layers that describe habitat characteristics important to montane fauna - July 2017.
Study Points of Contact: Aaron Johnston (ajohnston@usgs.gov) Ph.D., Research Wildlife Biologist and Todd Preston (tmpreston@usgs.gov), Geologist, USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Leaf Off and Leaf On for Vegetation Analysis and Inventory
Colorado State University Arboretum in Fort Collins
NUSO researchers, in collaboration with the CSU College of Agricultural Sciences, flew the 3DR Solos with MicaSense RedEdge 3 and Ricoh GR sensors over the Colorado State Arboretum during both leaf off and leaf on conditions to collect imagery and generate high resolution orthomosaics, digital elevations models (DEM), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to support vegetation inventories - March and September 2017.
Project Cooperator: Colorado State University College of Agricultural Sciences
Rapid Response: Flood Monitoring
Pemigewasset River near Plymouth, New Hampshire
The National Uncrewed Systems Office, at the request of the USGS State Liaison and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, successfully performed a rapid response mission by providing UAS acquired high-resolution data over a four-mile stretch of the Pemigewasset River impacted by flooding caused by an ice dam - February 2017.
Project Cooperator: Media Wing LLC AirShark
Reservoir Bathymetry During Drawdowns
Fall Creek Lake in Oregon
USGS researchers evaluated the effectiveness of data collected by UAS to support the high-resolution requirements needed to generate DEMs with detailed reservoir bathymetry - November 2016.
Project Cooperator: Frontier Precision Inc.
Utilizing UAS for Data Collection at Remote Sites
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
The USGS worked with the Palmyra Atoll cooperating scientists to evaluate the effectiveness of UAS data collection activities to support science related to lagoon flows, marine animal studies, vegetation, bird nesting areas, and underwater areas of interest - November 2016.
Project Cooperator: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
3D Modeling
Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming
The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, utilized a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) at Devils Tower National Monument located in northeastern Wyoming. The UAS flights collected high resolution imagery to reconstruct a detailed 3D model of the monument - October 2016.
Project Cooperator: National Park Service
Examining Harmful Algal Blooms
Lake Milford near Manhattan, Kansas
USGS hydrologists and members of the National Uncrewed Systems Office conducted data acquisition flights at Lake Milford in Kansas to map extents of harmful algal blooms within and around the lake - September 2016.
Evaluate Bottomland Restoration Efforts
Northeastern Indiana
USGS researchers fly UAS platforms to collect natural color and multispectral data to support the evaluation of bottomland restoration efforts in northeastern Indiana - September 2016.
Evaluate land use impacts on sediment, salinity, and selenium distribution
Stinking Water Gulch near Rangley, Colorado
USGS and the BLM use UAS to collect high-resolution data over several basins located in Mancos Shale landscapes and then generate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to support sediment volume calculations - September 2016.
Project Cooperator: Bureau of Land Management
Wildlife and Vegetation Surveys
Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota
USGS and NPS worked together to evaluate the applicability of UAS data collection to help address specific park resource management needs and also provide a basis for future integration of UAS to help manage other NPS resources - July 2016.
Project Cooperator: National Park Service
Earthquake Fault Surveys
Borah Peak in Idaho
USGS scientists utilized UAS data collection methods to generate structure-from-motion derived point clouds of the Borah Peak earthquake rupture as a tool to help with understanding the fault rupture process which is important for modeling the energy release of future earthquakes - May 2016.
Monitoring Land Surface Change
West Fork Lead Mine near Bunker, Missouri
USGS researchers utilize UAS collection of high-resolution images for the generation of elevation models to monitor land surface changes caused by a partial roof collapse at the underground lead-zinc West Fork mine - April 2016.
Project Cooperator: 417 Drone Imaging
Rapid Response: Mapping Coastal Change
Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts
The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program use proof-of-concept UAS flights to collect high-resolution imagery of Coast Guard Beach at Cape Cod National Seashore - March 2016.
Project Cooperator: Raptor Maps, Inc.
Paleowetland Deposit Study
Mojave Desert in Southern California
NUSO tested high-resolution imagery collected from UAS to assist in the investigation of paleowetland deposits at numerous sites in the southwestern United States. Geologic deposits associated with springs and wetlands in arid environments provide critical information regarding the hydrologic response of small desert watersheds to climate change. Wetland deposits are often associated with faults or other substructural impediments to ground-water flow, which may be expressed at the surface by subtle features that are difficult to trace when on the outcrop. NUSO utilized UAS technology to collect high-resolution imagery in Piute Valley, Mesquite Spring, and Valley Wells, all of which are located on public lands in the Mojave Desert of southern California. The use of high-resolution imagery, particularly from low-altitude and highly maneuverable UAS, can provide critical information regarding surface and, potentially, subsurface features that will aid in interpreting the deposits - January 2016.
Study Point of Contact: Jeff Pigati (jpigati@usgs.gov), Research Geologist, USGS Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Census of Ground-nesting Colonial Waterbirds
Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada
USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, conduct population surveys of nesting American White Pelicans at the Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge, NV - May 2015.
Project Cooperators: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Humboldt State University, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Waterfowl Surveys
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma
NUSO and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluated the use of UAS data collection to improve waterfowl survey accuracy and eliminate pilot/passenger safety risks associated with manned aircraft data collection. The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, fixed transect wintering waterfowl surveys have occurred since 2012. However, aerial transect surveys have many shortcomings, due to species identification errors associated with poor visibility and plane speed, errors associated with observer count estimates, and concerns associated with pilot and passenger safety during low-altitude winter flights. If transect surveys using UASs are successful at Sequoyah NWR, then this approach may be employed at other refuges with similar waterfowl monitoring objectives - February 2015.
Study Points of Contact: Paige M. Schmidt (paige_schmidt@fws.gov), Zone Biologist and Dustin Taylor (dustin_taylor@fws.gov), Refuge Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Stream Temperature Dynamics Study
Tribal Youth Program in Klamath Basin, Oregon
USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Klamath Basin Tribal Youth Program utilize UAS technology to study stream temperature dynamics on the river systems within the Upper Klamath Basin - July 2014.
Project Cooperator: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Census of Ground-nesting Pelicans
Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota
UAS prove to be more economical, less obtrusive, safer, and a more efficient and versatile means to survey American White Pelicans and other ground-nesting waterbirds - June and August 2014.
Project Cooperator: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Elk and Vegetation Surveys
Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve in California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) worked with NUSO to assess the value of UAS for vegetation mapping and tule elk population estimates at the 23,000 acres of tule elk habitat in and adjacent to its Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve. NUSO performed several UAS flights over the difficult terrain within the reserve to collect imagery and then evaluated the data for its ability to provide accurate vegetative mapping, including structural attributes. The data was also tested as a potential replacement for manned aerial surveys used to assess the tule elk population - May 2014.
Study Points of Contact: Joe Hobbs (Joe.Hobbs@wildlife.ca.gov), Statewide Elk and Antelope Coordinator, Diana Hickson (Diana.Hickson@wildlife.ca.gov), Vegetation Mapping and Rosie Yacoub (Roasalie.Yacoub@wildlife.ca.gov), GIS Analyst, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Stillaguamish Indian Tribe North Cascades Elk Population Surveys
Skagit Valley in Washington
NUSO worked with the Western Washington University (WWU) to investigate the feasibility of conducting elk population surveys in dense, forested areas of the Skagit Valley of Washington using UAS technology. USGS, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Western Washington University are partnering on the Stillaguamish Indian Tribe North Cascades Elk Population Survey Project. The purpose of this project is to investigate the feasibility of conducting elk population surveys in dense, forested areas of the Skagit Valley of Washington using the color and infrared (thermal) sensors on the Raven A and T-Hawk UASs. Elk population surveys in this area have historically been conducted from manned helicopters. UAS data collection would dramatically reduce the risk and expense of these surveys. Cost reductions would permit more frequent and complete surveys which would lead to more effective management of this population - April 2014.
Study Point of Contact: David O. Wallin, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University, david.wallin@wwu.edu
Publication:Professor, students use UAVs to track elk herds, Western Washington University Western Today - April 17, 2014
Paleontological Pleistocene Tracks Survey
White Sands National Monument in New Mexico
Working with the Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense and in coordination with the National Park Service, NUSO performed a proof-of-concept UAS mission to document the presence of exposed dinosaur tracks at the paleontological track site at White Sands National Monument. This pilot study prototyped the methodologies for an aerial survey for photogrammetric documentation of extremely fragile and ephemeral fossilized footprints from the late Pleistocene time period. The area of study included a portion of a Late Pleistocene megatracksite within and around White Sands National Monument. Thousands of "Ice Age" fossil vertebrate tracks and track ways which date to approximately 20,000 years ago have been documented within the White Sands megatracksite - January 2014.
Waterfowl Census and Species Determination Surveys
Tomales Bay, California
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex partnered with NUSO to test the use of UAS technology for surveying waterbird abundance and distribution. The National Wildlife Refuge System has a legal mandate to monitor the status and trends of fish, wildlife, and plant populations on refuges. Current population surveys rely on trained observers who must count and identify large flocks of wintering waterfowl in the span of a few seconds from a fixed-wing aircraft. After low-altitude UAS missions were flown at Tomales Bay, the collected imagery was evaluated as a potential source for performing waterbird surveys as well as its ability to provide the detail needed to differentiate species - December 2013.
Study Point of Contact: Orien Richmond, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist, Refuges Inventory & Monitoring Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, orien_richmond@fws.gov
Publications:Drones to test bird surveys at Tomales Bay - Point Reyes Light (ptreyeslight.com), December 5, 2013.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Waterbird Surveys - Cambridge Journals (http://journals.cambridge.org), September 2015.
Waterfowl Census and Species Determination Surveys
Kern and Pixley National Wildlife Refuge Complex in California
NUSO, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tested the feasibility of using UAS for waterbird surveys, waterbird species differentiation, and night-time thermal imagery collection at the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge. Crane roosting surveys have traditionally involved surveyors stationed along the outside perimeter of the block of wetlands at the refuge to count cranes flying into the roosting area. Imagery collected by Raven UAS over the Kern and Pixley NWR Complex was used to conduct sample waterfowl population counts as well as species determination. Raven night flights, which caused minimal disturbance to the roosting cranes, were used to collect thermal imagery over the crane’s locations. This imagery not only supported crane counts, but it also provided crane locations within the managed wetland areas related to specific habitat features, data to help inform management decisions needed to maintain suitable crane roosting habitat – December 2013.
Study Point of Contact: Laura Shaskey, Wildlife Biologist, Kern National Wildlife Refuge Complex, laura_shaskey@fws.gov
Publication:ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Waterbird Surveys - Cambridge Journals (http://journals.cambridge.org), September 2015.
Waterfowl and Habitat Surveys
Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada
Proof-of-concept missions over Ruby Lake NWR in an attempt to conduct sample waterfowl population census counts and to see if individual species could be distinguished from the data collected from the low-altitude UAS - November 2013.
Project Cooperators: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Map Emergent Sandbar Habitats
Central Platte River Valley in Nebraska
Utilize the gMAV (T-Hawk) UAS system equipped with a high resolution digital camera to map the spatial extent and elevation of emergent sandbars along two reaches of the Platte River - July 2013.
Monitor Breeding Greater Sage-grouse
Grand County, Colorado
Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, NUSO performed a proof-of-concept mission to determine if UAS data collection was suitable for detecting and counting greater sage-grouse on lek sites. The Greater sage-grouse is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a species warranted but precluded for Endangered and Threatened Species status. To best manage Greater sage-grouse, accurate numbers of birds displaying at leks (breeding sites) are needed. Locating new sage-grouse leks involves hours of searching mostly on foot, with limited vantage pointsto view large expanses of the landscape. This study assessed the ability of the Raven sUAS thermal and visible wavelength sensors to detect Greater sage-grouse utilizing leks and observed their reaction to these flights near four leks in Middle Park, Colorado – April 2013.
Publications:Evaluation of the Raven sUAS to Detect and Monitor Greater Sage-Grouse Leks within the Middle Park Population - USGS Open-File Report 2014-1205
Over Grand County Drones Are Bird Watching, Not People Watching - NPR for Northern Colorado, April 24, 2013
Identify Abandoned Materials
Mojave National Preserve in California
The USGS, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS) Mojave National Preserve, flew proof of concept sUAS missions to locate and survey abandoned solid waste for historical assessment potential and cleanup.
Project Cooperators: National Park Service
Monitor River Impacts During Dam Removal of Elwha and Glines Dams
Olympic National Park in Washington
Conduct repeated sUAS surveys to help monitor river impacts and provide much-needed data about the rates and patterns of change that occurred during the removal of Elwha and Glines dams - June, September 2012.
Project Cooperators: Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service
Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Inspections
Coal Basin Mine in Pitkin County Colorado
Prototype mission using video from sUAS to identify and map abandoned mine land features such as portals and other dangerous openings, from a safe distance - September 2012.
Project Cooperators: Office of Surface Mining, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology
Park Boundary Fence Inspections
Haleakala National Park in Kula, Hawaii
The Haleakala Resource Management Division is responsible for the preservation and restoration of the resources in the Haleakala National Park. As a result, work crews can spend hours in rough terrain trying to find the location of invasive plants and inspecting a 50-mile barrier fence for holes, damage, and maintenance issues. To potentially mitigate staff safety issues, NUSO worked with the National Park Service to test UAS’ ability to map invasive plants and inspect fence lines in these remote inaccessible areas. During test flights use of the Ravens full motion video allowed fence line inspection to occur in real-time and provided the GPS coordinates needed to easily identify areas that required repair or further inspection. Operation of the Raven was also shown to pose little risk to native birds and emitted much less noise than a typical manned aircraft, which limited disruptions to wildlife – May 2012.
Study Point of Contact: Matt Brown, Chief of Resources Management, Haleakala National Park, Matt_Brown@nps.gov
Coal Mine Inspections
Contour Surface Coal Mines in West Virginia
Three separate sUAS missions were performed by the USGS NUSO, in coordination with the Office of Surface Mining, at the Powellton Surface Mine during the 2011-2013 timeframe. The Powellton Surface Mine is a contour surface mine that has several miles of installed drainage/sediment ditches and two known underground mine fires, which made it an ideal location to test the utility of the sUAS sensors for supporting coal mining inspection and oversight. The first mission occurred in November 2011 using the Raven sensors to inspect the area, but the later missions, in 2012 and 2013, used the T-Hawk, which was the first operational use of this new technology - November 2011, 2012, 2013.
Project Cooperator: Office of Surface Mining
Raven Mission Poster - November 2011
THawk Mission Poster - November 2012
Monitor Shoreline Erosion
Missouri River on the Lower Brule Reservation in South Dakota
To better evaluate the impacts of erosion the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (LBST) Environmental Protection Office in South Dakota implemented a two year monitoring program of a study site that includes a 7-mile stretch of the Missouri River's shoreline that has experienced a high rate of bank loss, and the LBST rural water plant's intake location. However, direct shoreline access in this study area is hampered by the lack of roads, crumbling riverbanks and shallow water unsuitable for motorboat traffic. In an effort to potentially address accessibility concerns, the LBST Environmental Protection Office asked the USGS NUSO to determine if the Raven sensors could help monitor this shoreline - August 2011, 2012.
Project Cooperator: Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Ground Water Discharge Monitoring
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana
In August 2011, USGS performed a sUAS mission to determine if the thermal sensors on a Raven could be used to identify areas of ground water discharge. Even though these thermal sensors are not calibrated, they could still be useful by showing relative temperature differences adequate for mapping the extents of the discharge areas within the lake water bodies or near the shoreline. This was based on the premise that since all discharge water is about 15 degrees C colder than the shallow lake water during mid to late summer, thermal IR imagery should be able to detect this temperature contrast. This would allow areas of focused groundwater discharge to be identified, after which detailed measurements of rates of discharge can be made, which will allow quantification of this focused groundwater discharge - August 2011.
Pygmy Rabbit Habitat Study
Desert between Shoshone and Hailey, Idaho
In June and July 2011, the USGS NUSO partnered with Boise State University and the University of Idaho to determine if sUAS technology could help gather data on the landscape habitat of pygmy rabbits. Pygmy rabbits dig extensive burrow systems in areas with large sagebrush, particularly mature stands, and loss of habitat is a direct threat to the species. These rabbits are also an important food source for the many other animals in the area, with birds and other mammals being primary predators. However, the rabbit's habitat has become increasingly fragmented by development, agriculture, fire and rangeland "improvements", e.g. projects that replace big sagebrush with bunchgrasses - July 2011.
Project Cooperators: Boise State University, University of Idaho
Sandhill Crane Population Estimates
Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado
The first NUSO mission was performed in March 2011 at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), to study the feasibility of UAS for surveying Sandhill Crane populations. Successful completion of this first mission resulted in being given approval from the FAA to perform night flights during later Raven missions. Additional flights, including night flights, were performed in November 2011, March 2012, and March 2013. Final results from all of these missions were used to establish that UAS acquired imagery provides acceptable population counts without disruption to the cranes, especially when flown at night when the cranes are at rest in the roosting areas - March 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016.
Project Cooperator: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Monitor Prescribed Wildfire Burns
Eglin Airforce Base in Florida
NUSO, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, conducted the first UAS flights in the United States during a prescribed burn at the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiment (RxCADRE) event. Since this prescribed burn was at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida all UAS operations occurred within military air space which meant that no additional flight approvals were required. The Raven, one of the three UAS platforms flown, successfully demonstrated its ability to stream live thermal IR and natural color video to the fire command center to support fire management and operations - February 2011.