​Session Coordinator: Eric Ettlinger, Marin Water

 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (AUVs) have great potential to collect high-quality, quantitative salmonid habitat data but most fisheries managers and restorationists are unfamiliar with recent advances in the technology, data collection protocols, and emerging applications. Areas where this technology could be applied include:

 

- Salmonid habitat typing surveys

- Streambed facies mapping

- Wood loading estimates

- Vegetation mapping

- Pre- and post-enhancement photo monitoring

- Elevation surveys, including water-penetrating LiDAR

- Redd surveys

 

Practitioners will discuss their experiences using UAVs and the pros and cons of this technology compared with traditional survey methods.