Factsheets

Stormwater Management:
Remotely Sensing Impervious Surfaces

A Faster, More Accurate Watershed Assessment

Stormwater management requires an accurate assessment of land cover and impervious surfaces. Remote sensing is a new way to facilitate the assessment effort by rapidly documenting watershed characteristics through processing of digital satellite imagery. Relative to traditional methods, remote sensing is more:

  • Cost effective
  • Easily repeated
  • Accurate
  • Timely
  • Easily updated through digital processing
As a result of these advantages, many urban areas have adopted remote sensing as a means of updating their stormwater programs quickly and effectively.
IKONOS image by Space Imaging
Credit: Space Imaging
Impervious Surface & Land Cover Classification
Accurate impervious surface and land cover classification maps are excellent sources of information for effectively modeling water quantity and quality. When coupled with digital data such as soils, water quality, and digital elevation models (DEMs), this information can be used to estimate flow volume and associated water quality.

Applied Analysis consults to government agencies and other organizations that must fulfill the NPDES Permit requirements set forth under the Clean Water Act.

IKONOS image by Space Imaging

Applied Analysis Inc. generated this land cover classification using IKONOS 4 meter resolution multispectral imagery.
 
To find out more about remote sensing applications or Applied Analysis Inc., please contact us at
(978) 663-6828 or via e-mail.

IKONOS image by Space Imaging
Driveway and rooftop detections (above)
highlight the level of detail achievable.