The Water Science Institute (WSI) maps, monitors and identifies sites for various environmental purposes including:

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Restoration

Erosion control

BMP installation

Load verification

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We enable users to pinpoint precisely where erosion is taking place along a stream and to quantify the volume of erosion that has occurred at a site over time.

 

We can estimate suspended sediment loads in streams that result from bank erosion, as well as the volume of legacy sediment stored at a site and the height and density of the vegetative canopy.

 

We consider key elements such as a site’s proximity to a historic dam, the abundance or absence of legacy sediment, canopy development, and other factors in order to identify priority sites conducive to wetland restoration, riparian buffers, or other BMP’s.

 

Our licensed UAV pilots use state-of-the-art drones and software to conduct photogrammetric surveys of sites to map change with high precision. These surveys can be done at regular intervals to analyze how a site changes from weeks to years after restoration.

 

By acquiring and analyzing data in innovative ways, we produce verifiable information that is not available through conventional modeling. We advise a range of municipal, non-profit, corporate, and government agencies using our data products and services, which include:

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• Legacy sediment terrace mapping
• Stream bank erosion mapping
• Canopy height and density mapping
• Mapping historic dams, mills, and mill pond locations
• Fine-scale (cm) photogrammetric DEMs and repeat drone surveys
• Triage mapping / BMP targeting
• Specialized site comparisons and assessments
• Verification of practice effectiveness

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