Lessons from the Cache La Poudre: Using Drones and GIS to Advance River Restoration Monitoring
Ben Sellers
The increasing adoption of drone mapping technology, combined with GIS analysis, is rapidly transforming how restoration practitioners monitor and communicate river restoration outcomes. Across Colorado, watershed organizations, researchers, consultants, and restoration managers are using repeat aerial mapping and photography to track physical and ecological change, adaptively manage their projects to maximize effectiveness, and share compelling visual stories of restoration success. Drawing from collaborative work in the Cache La Poudre watershed focused on monitoring Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) projects, as well as examples from other efforts across the Colorado Front Range and beyond, this presentation will highlight the utility of drone data in quantifying changes in channel morphology, riparian vegetation, in-stream structures and other key indicators of restoration performance. Drone-based monitoring provides a cost-effective, scalable, and communicative toolset that strengthens restoration outcomes and builds a more connected statewide restoration community. Attendees will gain practical strategies for integrating drones into monitoring programs through multiple case studies and insights into how aerial data can improve both scientific understanding and public engagement.