The coastal areas of the Yukon and Kuskokwim River Deltas (YKD) are among the most productive in Alaska. The fish, wildlife, and plant resources have been an integral part of communities in this region for thousands of years. Some of the same traits that make it so productive also make it a challenging place to live and work. To better understand and plan for coastal erosion and storm surges, or plan for roads and trails, information about elevation patterns on the YKD are needed. Current topographic maps have limited value given the flatness of the area. A group of partners worked together with USGS to collect elevation information and create a map that will reveal a portion of the delta’s topography. Kodiak Mapping (subcontracted to Woolpert Inc) flew an airplane instrumented with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors to collect the elevation data. The data is now available. The Western Alaska LCC is one of many partners are collaborating to support this project and served as the partner coordinator, with USGS being the lead support agency. Additional support for this project is from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alaska Ocean Observing System, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Service.
