ARS | Publication request: High resolution aerial monitoring of aquatic and riparian habitat in selected reaches of Wyoming's Powder River

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 30, 2008
Publication Date: March 10, 2008
Citation: Booth, D.T., Cox, S.E., Bobo, M., Meyer, G. 2008. High resolution aerial monitoring of aquatic and riparian habitat in selected reaches of Wyoming's Powder River. In: 12th Biennial USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications. Abstract, page 17. CDROM.

Technical Abstract: Coalbed Methane (CBM) development produces saline and sodic discharge water at 5-15 gallons/minute/well. Current permits allow 51,000 wells in the Powder River Basin by 2010, giving a potential discharge of 1.1 billion gallons/day. To monitor the effect of the increasing CBM outflow on the aquatic and riparian habitat of the Powder River, we acquired 22 mm GSD stereo, aerial imagery during June, July, and August, 2007, by completing 30 aerial transects perpendicular to the river’s flow at each of 3 increasingly-affected reaches. From this we determined wetted width and measured aquatic habitat as a percentage of the June wetted area. Wetted width was highest in June and lowest in July, when the water surface width had shrunk by 8 m. Emergent features comprised 1.6% of wetted width in June, and 7.5% in July. Stereo-based image modeling will be used to increase the change-detection capability available from repeated imagery acquisitions.