Photograph at top of page: Haleakala National Park, Hi.

National Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office

Who We are

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Project Office leads the implementation of UAS technology in the Department of the Interior (DOI). Our mission is to support the transition of UAS 

into DOI as a new cost-effective tool for collecting remote-sensing data to monitor environmental conditions, respond 

to natural hazards, recognize the consequences and benefits of land and climate change and conduct wildlife inventories. 

The USGS is teaming with all DOI agencies and academia as well as local, State, and Tribal governments with guidance 

from the Federal Aviation Administration and the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS) to lead the safe, efficient, costeffective and leading-edge adoption of UAS technology into the scientific research and operational activities of the DOI.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 

imagery over Glines Canyon Dam, 

Olympic National Park, Wash.

River flow and sediment transport after 

dam removal, Olympic National Park, 

Wash.

UAS ground operations at Glines Canyon 

Dam, Olympic National Park, Wash.

The USGS, Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Park Service explored the potential use of UAS technology 

at Lake Aldwell along the Elwha River in Olympic National Park, Washington, to monitor fish, river sediment, 

and vegetation changes during one of the largest dam removals and controlled sediment releases in North American history.

What We Provide

• Supply geospatial products for use in geographic and scientific analysis

• Guide coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration and the 

OAS for approval to collect data while operating in the U.S. National 

Airspace 

• Support UAS flight operations 

• Recommend project-specific sensor types and UAS platform selections 

• Assist efficient UAS flight planning and logistical support 

• Assist data processing using a variety of cutting-edge software tools 

• Develop new geospatial products that meet the needs of DOI scientists

Unmanned Aircraft Systems operator 

hand launching Raven A.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2015–3013

March 2015
Derived Data Products We Produce

The USGS National UAS Project Office provides geospatial data products and support for cooperators that require 

assistance with deriving useful products from UAS data acquisitions. The UAS Project Office uses state-of-the-art computer vision three-dimensional (3D) modeling techniques and traditional geospatial product-creation methods to provide 

new ways of rapidly creating geospatially accurate data. 

• Point Cloud generation

• Digital Surface Models (DSM)

• Color infrared orthophotography

• Keyhole Markup Language (KML)

• 3D modeling

• Contour map generation

• Volumetric measurements

• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

• Feature extraction

• Orthophotography

Point Cloud 3D model of the DeBeque 

Canyon landslide, western Colo.

Digital Surface Model of Platte River, 

central Nebr.

Color infrared image of Havasu National 

Wildlife Refuge, Ariz.

3D model of a coal mine headwall, 

central W. Va. 

3-foot contour map of mining stockpiles, 

eastern Ky. 

Volumetric calculations of mining area, 

western Colo.

Color Infrared of Normalized Difference 

Vegetation Index over open coal mining 

area, central W. Va. 

Feature extraction of nesting White 

Pelicans at Chase Lake National Wildlife 

Refuge, N. Dak.

Infrared thermal imagery of Sandhill 

Crane roost at Monte Vista National 

Wildlife Refuge, Colo.

All images courtesy of the National Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office. 

Learn more about the USGS UAS Project Office online: http://uas.usgs.gov

Denver Federal Center, Building 25, Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153013