Sidescan Image Mosaics of select Rock Outcrops of the St. Croix River, May 2021

Publication Date

2022-11-08

Time Period

2021-05-03

Time Period

2021-05-11

Time Period

2021-05-12

Hanson, J.L., Strange, J.M., Sattler, S.R., Hoy, E.E., and Newton, T.J., 2022, Hydroacoustic mapping of physical habitat for imperiled freshwater mussels in the St. Croix River: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9EUMCSF.

Data were collected to quantify water depth, flow, and rock configuration (e.g., spatial arrangement, size, shape) associated with habitat (e.g., bedrock, rock outcrops, etc.) occupied by imperiled mussels Spectaclecase (Margaritifera monodonta) and Salamander (Simpsonaias ambigua). Combining these types of information with measures of slope, roughness, and backscatter may provide more information to qualitatively and quantitatively describe these rock habitats. Information on habitat associations can be used by managers to identify and characterize existing occupied habitats, identify potential reintroduction areas, and implement restoration programs. Some multibeam sonar systems record sidescan data, which are processed into sidescan image mosaics, which can assist in identifying riverbed types and morphology. Sidescan is the intensity of the intensity of the acoustic reflection and is a commonly used tool to detect debris items and other obstructions. The resulting image is made up of light and dark areas, where hard objects of the bottom send a strong echo displaying lighter color values and soft bottoms like mud send a weaker echo displaying dark color values. The sidescan mosaics are intended to be used to quantitatively and qualitatively describe rock structure among the different rock sites and determine whether associations exist among the rock habitats and mussels.

ScienceBase WMS

ScienceBase WCS

• Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC)

Data source

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