UAV-Based Soil Erosion Monitoring for the Removal of Ward’s Mill Dam, NC

Keywords: UAV, DEM, Dam removal, soil erosion
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 67

Abstract

In the past decade, dams have been removed in the U.S. due to inefficiencies or safety reasons. Dam removal causes a release of water and sediments that can change the topography of the downstream banks and potentially lead to soil erosion. This study focuses on the removal of the Ward’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River, NC, USA. This dam was 40 m long and 6 m high and was created in 1890. It was removed on May 12 - 14, 2021. By taking aerial photos with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) this study monitors the topography of the river banks before and after the dam removal. The UAV was flown prior to the removal and every month afterwards. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were created for each date. The change in elevation was calculated using the change in the DEMs. The results successfully show the change of the banks downstream of the removed dam. In addition to monitoring the topography, this study also investigates the accuracy of drone monitoring by comparing its results with in-situ monitoring results collected by a total station which is currently the standard for this type of surveying. By proving the accuracy of drone monitoring compared to in-situ monitoring, there is great potential for reducing the amount of time this work requires.