ADAPTING PROVEN LIDAR TECHNOLOGY TO COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR 1-FOOT CONTOURS WITH THE FLI-MAP FX

FLI-MAP Fx - The use of LiDAR in support of surface water hydrology studies has become a common practice in recent years with published guidelines such as FEMA that recognize this technology. The Cache la Poudre River is a tributary of the South Platte River with its headwaters in the Colorado Front Range. The study area is located in the foothills upstream to the rivers’ emergence north of the city of Fort Collins. With numerous bends, steep-walled canyons and high topographic relief, the area presents a challenge to cost effective LiDAR data acquisition that meets accuracy standards for a 1-foot contour interval. Using the technological developments of the FLI-MAP system and its advantages with respect to corridor mapping along with lower associated operating costs of a fixed-wing platform led to the synthesis of the FLI-MAP Fx system. By simultaneously collecting imagery and LiDAR data at three different angles, a high relief surface can be accurately covered with fewer flight lines and also achieve a greater probability of vegetation penetration. While the TALON system is not a replacement for traditional FLI-MAP corridor mapping nor for large area projects where higher altitude sensors are best suited, this study does indicate that an integrated system designed for medium altitude and a point density sufficient for 1-foot contours can meet the requirements for hydrological and other uses at a lower cost than what could be achieved otherwise.