Author: Katelyn Wood, Marketing Coordinator
Introduction
With the increased need for real-time results in today’s world, on-foot inspection is not always the best approach for collecting site characterization data. This particular project involves a very dense area with lots of aerial cover, making it hard to traverse on-foot with varying drop off points. ARE acquired the drone service provider AirShark in January 2018. ARE is working alongside Stone Environmental, Friends of the Winooski River, and the Town of Plainfield to complete a hydrologic study and evaluate alternatives to reduce stormwater runoff, erosion, and road damage from a complex drainage area using UAS (drones). The study site involves steep drainage that extends from above Lower Road down to the Winooski River in Plainfield, Vermont with small pockets of development, dense forest, an abandoned railbed, a gravel road, and a riparian wetland. The goal of the project, funded by an Ecosystem Restoration Grant from Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Clean Water Initiative Program, is to develop concept designs to address sources of runoff within the 80-acre drainage area causing extensive erosion and damage to Recreation Field Road, as well as significant sediment loading to a riparian wetland area and river.