Tag: streams

USGS, scientists test drone-based river analysis

2019 Aquatic Airshow participants at Androscoggin River in Auburn, Maine, on May 1. (Photo: Mario Martin-Alciati, USGS)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and independent scientists gathered this month in Auburn, Maine, to evaluate the use of sensor-mounted unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to gauge stream stage, velocity, bathymetry and discharge.

The technology is being evaluated and modeled to determine whether it will support the fast, accurate and safe measurement of rivers, especially when they are flooded or contain floating trees, ice or other debris.

Close to two dozen hydrologic, geospatial and scientific experts gathered in what has been dubbed the “2019 Aquatic Airshow” to assess the technology. They were led by John Fulton of the USGS Colorado Water Science Center, Jack Eggleston of the USGS Water Mission Area Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch, and Joe Adams and Sandy Brosnahan of the USGS National UAS Project Office.

The USGS Water Mission Area works with partners to monitor, assess, research and report on a wide range of water resources and conditions, including streamflow, groundwater, water quality, water use and water availability.

The testing involved equipping drones with noncontact sensors, including ground-penetrating radar for measuring river depths, doppler velocity radar and cameras with velocimetric analysis for measuring water surface velocities and calculating mean-channel velocities; and high-resolution cameras for photogrammetric mapping of surface topography and vegetation structure.

All the evaluated sensors were equipped with GNSS receivers; some with RTK correction capability. Most of the drones used were equipped with a low-grade inertial measurement units (IMUs) for navigation.

Team members from the USGS Water Science Centers in Colorado, New England and Virginia collected ground-truth river monitoring data with acoustic doppler current profilers deployed from a boat and multiple other surveying techniques to verify the accuracy of the drone-based stream data.

Woolpert Chief Scientist Qassim Abdullah was one of two scientists from the private sector asked to participate in the airshow. Abdullah has more than 40 years of experience in analytical photogrammetry, digital remote sensing, and civil and surveying engineering.

For the event, Abdullah devised a process in which the data collected by the drones underwent Pix4D triangular adjustment to produce three-dimensional models of the water surface and river edges to assist the modeling of river velocity using the drone-based doppler velocity radar and large-scale particle image velocimetry.

USGS scientists are in the process of evaluating the data and modeling produced by this testing to conclude whether this technology will prove beneficial.

Abdullah said the airshow was a success due to the varied contributions from each member of the team, their diverse backgrounds and their shared focus on water research.

“This was a great example of how a public-private partnership can work together to activate and elevate necessary, groundbreaking technologies to address worldwide issues,” Abdullah said. “Airshow team members brought different perspectives, processes and applications to the testing, which not only proved essential for this project but will help with many others moving forward. I love working with this group and look forward to continuing to help advance these vital technologies.

June 4, 2019
Satlab Offers Hydrographic Echo Sounder for GNSS Rover

Swedish-based Survey and GIS equipment maker Satlab Geosolutions AB has announced the availability of its SLD-100 GNSS Rover accessory to facilitate Hydrographic measurement in bodies of water up to 100 meters in depth. It is designed for those who find themselves needing to survey into bodies of water, streams and rivers.

With survey-grade accuracy, the Satlab SLD-100 can be added to any brand GNSS RTK Rover to allow for position and depth measurements to be made simultaneously. With a built-in 10-hour lithium battery and transmitter unit with Bluetooth connectivity, the SLD-100 provides standard depth data streams in several industry standard NMEA formats at 1Hz, 4800 bps, providing compatibility with any hydrographic surveying software package.

“Our new SLD-100 survey receiver is extremely easy to use with position and depth information externally logged on a computer or controller,” said Birol Güçlüer”, CTO and partner of Satlab. “With the included transom mounting hardware, installation is quick and easy.”

The SLD-100 is available now for a suggested retail price of US$2995.

October 9, 2015
Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer
Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.” MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:
- A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
- You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
- Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
- Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
- Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
- Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
- A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
- Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.
In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer. For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
April 16, 2014
Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer
Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.” MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:
- A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
- You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
- Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
- Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
- Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
- Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
- A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
- Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.
In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer. For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
April 16, 2014