Dr. Barry White summarizes what Alberta's work in getting LiDAR imagery and wet areas mapping has achieved and what is coming next, wet areas mapping in Alberta's energy sector.
The wet areas mapping shows where you would find water 2 weeks after a heavy rain in Alberta's boreal forest. It predicts where the surface water table is. In some cases the wet areas mapping leads to identifying hydrological features that are difficult to find on the ground. There are also cases where sphagnum bogs and areas with lots of stumps result in the LiDAR satellite imagery predicting higher elevations than actual elevation. However, wet area buffers are now proofed in the field rather than being identified and mapped in the field, a significant labour saving while accuracy is improved. More LiDAR mapping is planned for both NW Alberta and NE Alberta. The data is now available to industry in Alberta. Mapping wet area boundaries and wet area connectivity are new areas of study.
Dr. Barry White is a Forest Management Specialist with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. His presentation was the introductory presentation at the Wet Areas Mapping Workshop, Calgary Alberta, Feb. 11, 2013.
