ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
8.	CONSIDER APPROVING MPWMD STAFF TO WORK WITH UCSC CITRIS INITATIVE AND CSUMB DRONE CAMP TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO PURCHASE UNMANNED DRONES AND ESTABLISH A VEGETATION MONITORING PROGRAM FOR THE CARMEL RIVER LAGOON TO COMPLY WITH THE ALLOCATION EIR MITIGATION PROGRAM
Meeting Date:			July 18, 2022	Budgeted:	Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt	Program/	Hydrologic Monitoring
			General Manager	Line Item:	2-5-3-B.8
Prepared By:			Jonathan Lear	Cost Estimate:	$10,000
General Counsel Review:  N/A
Committee Recommendation:  The Finance and Administration Committee reviewed this item on July 11, 2022 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance:   This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.

SUMMARY:  In June 2022, District Staff attended the CSUMB Drone Camp to learn about the use of unmanned drones for monitoring changing land use and conditions. The UCSC CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research was a sponsor of the Drone Camp and a number of the CITRIS members and Directors were in attendance. District Staff learned how drones are used to map changing land conditions including vegetation. In discussions with Professors, District Staff learned how the current industry standards for using drones to map vegetation could be adapted to support the MPWMD Carmel Lagoon vegetation monitoring program. Migrating from monitoring the historic transects and quadrants to drone monitoring will increase the active monitoring area to the entire Carmel Lagoon rather than the focused transects. For example, over the past 15 years the approach to Carmel Lagoon management has changed where more water is held in the Lagoon for longer periods of the year. While the new management practices are better for the Lagoon and aquatic species, the increased water in the Lagoon has largely inundated the historic transects which were originally established to be at the interface of wetland species and species requiring drying of root zones. Changing to a drone monitoring approach toward the Lagoon would provide a data set that is flexible to changes in future management practices that could affect the location of the transition zone between wetland and upland vegetation.

The MPWMD approved FY 2022-2023 Budget includes $10,000 for the establishment of a MPWMD Drone Monitoring Program. Discussions with CSUMB and UCSC faculty has verified that it is possible for MPWMD to procure two drones, active GPS control points, take the required Drone Pilot License tests, purchase the required data processing software, and establish a Drone Monitoring Program for MPWMD within the budgeted $10,000. District Staff seeks to purchase two DJI Mavic Air 2 Drones, Propeller AeroPoint active GPS Control Points, and related control and data analysis software to establish the MPWMD Drone Monitoring Program. This investment will allow District staff to complete areal land surveys of field areas with an accuracy down to a centimeter and produce orthorectified aerial photography for spatial analysis. Drone photography of the Carmel Lagoon will be used to focus field verification of differences in vegetation cover. After field verification, the imagery will be used to quantify the variability and percent cover of vegetation at the Carmel Lagoon. CSUMB and UCSC have open office hours for Drone Camp Alumni to support establishment of Drone Programs throughout the Monterey Bay Area should District Staff need guidance past the training received at Drone Camp.

RECOMMENDATION:  The Finance and Administration Committee recommends that the Board of Directors authorize District Staff to procure in an amount not to exceed $10,000.

BACKGROUND:  The 1990 Allocation EIR established a number of mitigation programs required to produce water from the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer. The District has carried out these programs for the last 30 years. One of the programs requires monitoring of Carmel River Lagoon vegetation for spatial extent and species variation. Historically, MPWMD Staff has used a number of transects and quadrants to identify different species and spatial variability. With the increased use of unmanned drones to monitor changes in land conditions and complete remote site inspections, District Staff attended the CSUMB Drone Camp to explore the viability of using drones to monitor vegetation at the Carmel River Lagoon.

EXHIBITS:

None

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