FY24 3DEP Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA) Selected Projects

AL - 2024 Alabama 19 County Lidar Acquisition

The 2024 Alabama 19 County lidar Project will reacquire lidar data for counties that were previously collected during the 2016-2018 timeframe. This reacquisition of lidar data is an update for these areas and will ensure that it meets the current 3DEP Base lidar Specifications. The project addresses several mission-critical functions defined in the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment and supports the efforts of contributing partners as well as other agencies within the state. This data will be used for flood risk management planning and response, forest management, transportation planning, geologic investigations, natural resource conservation, agriculture and precision farming, and other uses across various levels of federal, state, and local government.

• Project Partner: Alabama Department of Transportation 
• Project Size (mi²): 13,610 
• Quality Level: 2 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

The State of Indiana is updating its lidar dataset for the central part of the State in 2025 with QL1; the last collections were performed at QL2 in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, with most county lidar datasets being 7 to 8 years old and requiring updating. The State has a rotating 4-year program for imagery, with the next cycle starting in 2025. To meet the request of Indiana's partners, the State is collecting imagery and Lidar data in parallel for use by state and local government agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources, which uses it for flood modeling, and the Department of Transportation, which uses it for planning and design. The State plans to collect QL1 lidar data for the eastern and western parts of Indiana in 2026 and 2027, respectively, thereby updating the State's elevation data in three years

• Project Partner: State of Indiana Office of Technology  
• Project Size (mi2): 12,336  
• Quality Level: 1  
• Project Approach: Financial Assistance 

MA - Western Massachusetts Lidar 

We propose to acquire QL1 lidar for all of Massachusetts UTM Zone 18. The last lidar collection for this project area was completed in 2015 and was collected as QL2. For the purposes of elevation enforced hydrography, and to match the recently (2021) acquired QL1 lidar for Massachusetts UTM Zone 19, we need to update and upgrade the UTM 18 lidar. This data will be critical for many other purposes, including flood mitigation planning, improvement of building heights for application of Z values from 911 calls, drinking water protection, fish habitat conservation, wetlands delineation, and much more. 

• Project Partner: MassGIS, Executive Office of Technology Services & Security 
• Project Size (mi²): 3,557 
• Quality Level: 1 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

ME - Maine Recapture of 3DEP Compliant 2016 Lidar 

This project collects data that was last provided in 2016. The area requested is exactly the same as the area covered in 2016 and needs to be updated. Changes on the ground over time, as reflected in the 2020 Census, show a steady outmigration from these areas. Maine DOT continues to maintain and improve roads there. Extreme weather events continue to change the landscape. We believe that enough significant change has taken place to warrant 3DEP Compliant Lidar recollection. These data will be used by Maine State agencies to support ongoing operations in Maine. 

• Project Partner: Maine Library of Geographic Information 
• Project Size (mi²): 5,070 
• Quality Level: 2 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

MO - Southeast Missouri Lidar Collection 

This project aims to collect QL1 Lidar data for 11 counties in Southeast Missouri. This data will be used to support the variety of local, state and, federal initiatives. By utilizing advanced technologies, the project focuses on collecting data that will assist with detailed analysis and monitoring of various ecological aspects, including streams/rivers, wetlands, forests, grasslands, agriculture, natural communities, invasive species, and other applications. 

• Project Partner: Missouri Department of Natural Resources 
• Project Size (mi²): 7,314 
• Quality Level: 1 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

NJ - NJ 4-County QL1 Lidar Collection, 2024 

This project is to collect QL1 level Lidar for 4 central New Jersey counties in the spring of 2024. covering approximately 1,629 sq. mi. Collection is to be leaf-off, with tidally affected areas to be collected within +/- 2 hrs of MLW. Data for these counties was last collected in 2015 following superstorm Sandy, so they will be 9 years old at the time of the proposed spring 2024 collection window. Since 2015, New Jersey has experienced several additional significant storm events that impacted these counties. In addition, these 4 counties have also undergone a significant amount of new urban development since 2015 with concomitant increases in population. All of these changes, both natural and man-made, modify the elevation profiles of the counties. The Lidar derived elevation data are the foundation for the state DEM that in turn is used to develop inundation models reflecting both existing conditions and sea level rise predictions. Along with other data such as those on land use/land cover changes in New Jersey, these various elevation-based models support many types of New Jersey resiliency and flood hazard planning initiatives. As the aim of these planning initiatives is the protection of both the natural and human resources of the state, having elevation data that is accurate, detailed and reflective of existing conditions is critical. In addition to developing the elevation-based models, Lidar data are also being increasingly used by the NJDEP for developing other data sets such as building footprints, impervious surface maps, solar potential estimates, tidally referenced shorelines, and marsh migration and carbon sequestration models among others. The increases in detail and accuracy going from the standard QL2 collection in 2015 level to a QL1 level proposed for this collection not only will support the development of better elevation models, it will also better support these other data initiatives. The QL1 level will match a collection that is now underway for 6 adjacent counties, and will also be targeted for future re-collections planned for 11 additional counties in the next several years. The aim is to acquire consistent QL1 level data for the entire state over the next several years that can then be used to develop consistent quality, highly accurate and detailed statewide data models and data sets. As the most densely populated state, and a state with 35-40% of its area tidally influenced, including the densely populated portions of these 4 counties, having consistent quality current data is critical to ensuring the safety of all of the resources of the state. 

• Project Partner: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection 
• Project Size (mi²): 1,629 
• Quality Level: 1 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

NY - Long Island, NY 

This project continues New York State's efforts to update statewide elevation data via Lidar collection in coordination with Federal efforts. The planned project will cover all of two counties (Nassau and Suffolk) in NY along the Atlantic Ocean, replacing an older Lidar-derived dataset. All new collections will meet at a minimum Quality Level 2 specifications, and are planned to begin in Spring 2024. The current collection covers Nassau and Suffolk counties and is from 2014 and has a point spacing of 0.7 meters. The proposed extents have significant overlap with existing data to provide sufficient data for checking and adjusting spatial alignment. We have selected the project areas following discussions with FEMA, USDA-NRCS and USGS about in-progress and planned Federal Lidar collections. Planning has been completed with input and support from NYS Agencies, as well as counties and regional organizations 

• Project Partner: New York Office of Information Technology Services 
• Project Size (mi²): 1,606 
• Quality Level: 2 
• Project Approach: Financial Assistance  

OR -  Oregon Metro QL1 Lidar 2024

On behalf of the Regional Aerial Photo Consortium, Metro would like to collect 833 square miles of Quality Level 1 3DEP lidar in the metropolitan region of Portland, Oregon. This project will provide updated lidar data for Oregon’s largest metropolitan area in tandem with neighboring USGS acquisition efforts taking place in 2024. The lidar data collected in 2024 will be used to conduct detailed change analysis from previous lidar collections. Additionally, the new QL1 data will be used to create a new canopy layer, improve hydrologic modeling, and support land use planning in the Portland region.

• Project Partner: Metro
• Project Size (mi2): 833
• Quality Level: 1
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

TX - Houston Metro Lidar Elevation Program 2024 

The Houston Metropolitan Area is experiencing rapid and expansive growth while remaining vulnerable to impacts from natural disasters, in particular flooding and inundation from (tropical) storm systems. The current lidar data covering the area of interest was collected in 2018 at a point density of 4 pls/m2 (QL 2). The project aligns with our understanding of two important goals of USGS’ vision for Next Generation 3DEP. It both updates lidar data that is greater than 5 years old and meets the goal of improving the quality level of 3DEP data to Quality Level 1 specification in an area of significant temporal change. The updated and higher resolution elevation data will play a pivotal role for the region in the proper planning of urban infrastructure development, flood prevention and mitigation measures, emergency preparedness and response, and environmental sustainability and conservation. 

• Project Partner: Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) 
• Project Size (mi²): 11,553 
• Quality Level: 1 
• Project Approach: Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC) 

WA - Washington Six Counties Re-collection Project  

As Washington State approaches full baseline lidar coverage, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) is transitioning to a re-collection plan. This application proposes the collection of 7,770 square miles and complete coverage of six counties. The collection of these counties supports the WA DNR recollection goals as well as 3DEP objectives. From 2016, WA DNR has worked with 3DEP on seven lidar collection projects. Along with support from USGS, NRCS, and FEMA projects, WA is nearing complete 3DEP lidar coverage at the state standard of QL1. This is a huge achievement, and our user community is already looking forward to updates and what it can do for their maintenance, management, and monitoring initiatives.  County-wide collections allow for temporal and quality consistency and are easier to plan and collect by a lidar vendor. The multi-regional approach addresses environmental and timing complexities that exist in a topographically diverse and vegetation-varied state, opening multiple collection windows within a season while also providing collection equity. All projects will be collected and processed in accordance to 3DEP Lidar Base Specifications. ( For this opportunity, WA DNR proposes to collect Whitman, Franklin, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Grays Harbor and Mason counties. Collecting these areas aligns with WADNR’s strategy and builds off WA DNR’s current projects that have started in 2023 . This collection would expand updated coverage in two regions, which would help address regional planning and hydrology work through 3DHP, and update Whitman County from QL2 coverage to QL1 to be consistent with the state standard. These areas also align with 3DEP objectives. All six counties fall into coverage that will be five years or older by Fall 2024, and there are several areas in the coastal counties that do not yet have 3DEP coverage. Of the locations in Washington that do not have public 3DEP lidar data or are not being collected by other current projects, this proposal would cover 62% of the remaining area. The remaining 38% would be prioritized for following collection seasons and WA DNR remains committed to collaborating with 3DEP to meet mutual collection goals.