Topographic and Sediment Size Data from Fountain Creek between Colorado Springs and the Confluence with the Arkansas River, Colorado, 2019

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with Colorado Springs Utilities selected 10 study areas along Fountain Creek between Colorado Springs, Colorado and the confluence of Fountain Creek with the Arkansas River for annual geomorphic monitoring. The purpose of this data release is to present topographic survey data, rasters , and sediment size data collected in 2019 as part of that monitoring effort. Topographic survey points were collected using real-time kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (RTK-GNSS). These point data were interpolated to generate digital elevation maps (2015 and 2019) and elevation-change maps (from 2015 to 2019) at each study area . In 2019, two types of Unmanned Aerial Survey (UAS) datasets were also collected and processed at one of the study areas (study area three): (1) a UAS Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud collected using the Yellowscan Surveyor payload (Velodyne VLP16 puck and Applanix Inertial Measurement Unit [IMU]) flown at 150 feet (ft) above ground level using the DJI Matrice 600 UAS aircraft, and (2) a photogrammetric survey taken with the Sony a6000 camera at 200 ft above ground level with the DJI Matrice 600 UAS aircraft, which produced an ortho image, a point cloud, and raster surface model (DSM). The USGS is investigating the use of UAS for traditional river surveys of topography. Traditionally, ground-surveying procedures are required to get the level of accuracy and data needed for the annual reporting. The use of UAS could have substantial time and cost savings to supplement the procedures currently used to complete the monitoring. In addition to topographic surveys, pebble-count data were collected in the Spring of 2019 to characterize the size of streambed sediment. Pebble-count surveys included four measurements of grain size at each of 25 equally spaced sampling stations along four separate cross sections across the active channel of each study area. Annual topographic and sediment size data are used to asses geomorphic changes at each study area.