LiDAR and Multispectral Sensing for Monitoring SMPs: A Review of Current Applications and Future Opportunities

Abstract

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and multispectral images are rapidly emerging technologies that hold a great deal of promise for the field of civil engineering, particularly stormwater management. Stormwater management practices (SMPs) have increasingly been used in urban environments to provide water quality and quantity benefits to municipalities. While these systems are effective and efficient at helping to meet federal water regulations, they are often associated with high maintenance and monitoring costs required to ensure long-term performance and infrastructure sustainability. Current maintenance guides usually suggest or regulate frequencies for specified tasks, but these requirements are not typically tailored to the needs of specific SMPs due to a lack of data. Sensors, such as LiDAR and multispectral imaging, have the potential to revolutionize SMP management while lowering maintenance costs and providing high-resolution temporal and spatial data. The use of LiDAR and multispectral imaging allows for the creation of highly accurate site models at a fraction of the time used by traditional surveying techniques. Further, these technologies have the potential to quantify previously qualitative metrics of site inspections, including plant health and sediment erosion or deposition. This manuscript describes the state-of-the-art sensor technology and its status and potential for application for SMP management.