Pilot project to acquire and process terrestrial lidar and multibeam bathymetry to determine feasibility as a tool for US Army Corps of Engineers Habitat Restoration Enhancement Project (HREP) embankment assessment - McGregor Island
This project is an adaptive management and monitoring plan that encompasses technical assistance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (UW-L), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Water Science Center and the USGS -Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (USGS -UMESC).
A Baseline Geomorphic Assessment was conducted by UW-L and the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center in summer of 2019. A traditional topographic survey of brank transects was collected with total stations and/or survey-grade GPS.
The second part of the baseline topographic survey to be conducted by the USGS - UMESC will be a boat-mounted seamless terrestrial lidar/bathymetry data collection for the perimeter of the island (see figure 1).

The ideal approach would be to overlap the traditional topographic survey with the terrestrial lidar/bathymetry application. Deliverables from this project will be raw and processed digital files (suitable and formatted for GIS use) of traditional transect topographic survey data. The second GIS deliverable will be a raw and processed digital file of topobathy from the terrestrial lidar/bathymetry survey. A baseline finding repot will be written and presented to help the USACE in the decision-making on prioritizing bank stabilization; which is based on estimated bank erosion rates, potential causes for the erosion, and effects on immediate vegetation.
This project is an adaptive management and monitoring plan that encompasses technical assistance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (UW-L), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Water Science Center and the USGS -Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (USGS -UMESC).
A Baseline Geomorphic Assessment was conducted by UW-L and the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center in summer of 2019. A traditional topographic survey of brank transects was collected with total stations and/or survey-grade GPS.
The second part of the baseline topographic survey to be conducted by the USGS - UMESC will be a boat-mounted seamless terrestrial lidar/bathymetry data collection for the perimeter of the island (see figure 1).

The ideal approach would be to overlap the traditional topographic survey with the terrestrial lidar/bathymetry application. Deliverables from this project will be raw and processed digital files (suitable and formatted for GIS use) of traditional transect topographic survey data. The second GIS deliverable will be a raw and processed digital file of topobathy from the terrestrial lidar/bathymetry survey. A baseline finding repot will be written and presented to help the USACE in the decision-making on prioritizing bank stabilization; which is based on estimated bank erosion rates, potential causes for the erosion, and effects on immediate vegetation.