SCCF policy team gets drone to document water quality changes
Two weeks ago, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Research and Policy Associate Leah Reidenbach collected the first images of water quality conditions in the San Carlos Bay from a drone recently purchased with grant funding provided by the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership.
By documenting water quality and ecological conditions, SCCF scientists are now able to track water quality visually over time, officials reported. Policy staff will be able to utilize the images to make a compelling argument for protection and restoration of the coastal ecosystems in the Charlotte Harbor.
“Our new drone will provide high-resolution still and video images, which will be used by our scientists and policy staff to document water quality, inform the public about water conditions and support our advocacy efforts,” SCCF Environmental Policy Director James Evans said.
Images collected with the drone will be incorporated into the Caloosahatchee & Estuary Conditions Report, a weekly report published in conjunction with the J.N. “Ding” National Wildlife Refuge, city of Sanibel, city of Cape Coral, and Lee County. The report provides updates on water quality and ecological conditions within the Caloosahatchee estuary and coastal waters of Lee County. To view the report, visit http://www.sccf.org/water-quality/caloosahatchee-condition-reports.
Reports are provided to water managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District to inform their recommendations on water management issues related to Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee.
“While our data are scientifically valuable, the photos we take with our new drone will serve as a powerful visual aid that can have a stronger impact on the public and policymakers than water quality data alone,” Reidenbach said.
Images collected using the drone will be posted to the SCCF’s Website at http://www.sccf.org/ — providing an ongoing record of conditions that advocates, scientists, resource managers and policymakers can use in their efforts to protect and restore the coastal ecosystems.