MoreMerrick & Company, a provider of LiDAR, digital ortho imaging, photogrammetry and GIS mapping, completed the Precision Topographic and Bathymetric Mapping project for the Yellowstone River Conservation District Council. "The mapping data is the basis for a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the cumulative effects of natural and human activity on the main stem of the Yellowstone River," explains Stan Danielsen, Project Coordinator for the Council. "The precision mapping provided by Merrick is supporting hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphologic studies," continues Danielsen.
Merrick delivered true color orthophotos, compressed orthophoto mosaics (MrSID), a digital terrain model, and planimetric data including roads, buildings, waterlines, and topographic contours on CDs to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).
According to Jim Robinson, Geologist for DNRC, "The data has been transferred to the Montana State Library for distribution by its electronic data clearinghouse, Natural Resource Information System." (nris.state.mt.us) Robinson continues, "Currently, the data is being used as a positional base for mapping geomorphic features of the Yellowstone River floodplain. Ultimately, it will be used to produce flood hazard maps for the three floodplain counties of Stillwater, Yellowstone, and Dawson."
The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform a cumulative effect study of the Yellowstone River to address the geological, biological, and socio-economic cumulative impacts of human activity on the River. The study will be used to develop best management practices for managing the river, both by individual property owners, and larger entities, such as businesses, railroads, and highway departments.
Source: Merrick, July 8, 2005
