Red River Watershed Management Board Updating New LiDAR Imagery

Fargo, ND — Aviation crews from the Sanborn Mapping company have been flying overhead in recent weeks throughout the Red River Valley collecting new imagery that will provide new and accurate mapping data for the Red River Water Management Board and area watersheds. The pilots are using LiDAR imagery to accurately collect detailed information on the elevation of the ground surface for predicting flood inundation from rivers. While LiDAR is already available, Red River Water Management Board Director Rob Sip says this latest data collection will be significantly more accurate and detailed.

While flood management is the driving force behind the updated LiDAR mapping for the Red River Management Board and area watersheds, Sip says the new imagery will also be of benefit to natural resource entities and agriculture.

The cost of the new LiDAR data acquisition and processing is approximately $2.3 million and is being funded by the Red River Water Management Board as a service to its member districts, which include the Bois de Sioux, Joe River, Middle-Snack-Tamarac Rivers, Red Lake, Roseau River, Two Rivers, and Wild Rice River Watershed District. The Sand Hill River and Buffalo Red River Watersheds are also participating in the project along with Big Stone, Clearwater, Grant, Otter Tail, Stevens, and Traverse counties. The mapping should be completed soon, but the data will likely not be available until sometime next year.