Recent GPS, GIS, sensor and video technologies have provided the opportunity to map river systems foot by foot for complete georeferenced management. A kayak-based videomapping system utilizes above and below water video, GPS, river depth and width sensors to acquire georeferenced mechanical and biological attributes of river conditions.

1. Kayak-based Videomapping River Systems
Paul Ayers, Kelsey Hensley, Daniel Wade, Ken Swinson, Brett Connell,
Bryan McConkey, J. R. Candlish, Chanci King, Alex Shpik,
Will Barbour, Matt Ellison
Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
University of Tennessee
Steve Bakaletz , Rebecca Schapansky, Matt Kulp
National Park Service (BISO, OBRI, GRSM)
Jim Herrig, USFS (Cherokee NF)
Mike Peterkin, Hugh Westbury
(US Army Corps of Engineers)
Scott Brooks
(Oak Ridge National Labs)

2. Project Objectives
• Use canoe and kayak-mounted underwater
videomapping system to acquire georeferenced river
attributes
• Develop habitat maps for river systems
• Determine optimum habitat locations for endangered
aquatic species
• Determine fish population distribution using
georeferenced snorkel video
• Identify coal sediment distribution
• Streambank erosion mapping
• Thalweg depth and cross section mapping
• Virtual video access opportunities

4. GPS-Instrumented Kayak
Acquires Georeferenced above and
below water video and depth sonar

5. VIDEO CAMERAS
LASERS
SONAR TRANSDUCER
WATERPROOF CASE

7. Georeferenced Above Water Image

8. GIS Attributes Defined
• GPS Position (sinuosity)
• Thalweg Depth (rugosity)
• Substrate (modified Wentworth scale)
• River Characteristic (pool, riffle, run)
• Embeddedness (EPA bioassessment)
• River Width and Cross Section Depth
• Streambank Height, Angle, Vegetation and
Cover

9. Kayaking Clear Creek

10. Canoeing with Drop-down Camera

11. Riffle
Run
Pool
River Characteristics

13. Substrate Classification

14. Modified Wentworth Scale
Substrate Description
Bedrock Unbroken Rock Surface
Fines/Sand Particles < 0.25 cm (0.1 inch)
Small Gravel Rocks 0.25—1.0 cm (0.1—0.4 inch)
Large Gravel Rocks 1.0—10 cm (0.4—4 inch)
Cobble Rocks 10—30 cm (4—12 inch)
Small Boulder Rocks 30—60 cm (12—24 inch)
Large Boulder Rocks > 60 cm (24 inch)

15. Sand Small Gravel Cobble
Small Boulder Large Boulder Bedrock
Some Substrate Types

16. Embeddedness
EPA RBP 3
50-75% surrounded
by fine sediment.
EPA RBP 1
< 25% surrounded
by fine sediment.

17. River Depth
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1 115 229 343 457 571 685 799 913 1027 1141 1255 1369 1483 1597 1711 1825 1939 2053 2167 2281 2395 2509 2623
Distance
Depth(ft)

18. Sonar Depth Map

20. Obed Wild and Scenic River

22. Tennessee Rivers Mapped
NPS
• Big South Fork Cumberland
• New River
• Clear Fork
• White Oak Creek
• North White Oak Creek
• Obed River
• Clear Creek
• Daddy’s Creek
• Abrams Creek
Other
• Hiwassee River
• Citico Creek
• Beaver Creek
• Conasauga River
• Tennessee River
• Clinch River
• Little River
Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana

23. Endangered Species Habitat Maps
• Spotfin Chub
• Duskytail Darter (Citico Darter)
• Cumberland Elktoe
• Cumberland Bean
• Cumberlandian Combshell
• Tan Riffleshell
• Littlewing Pearlymussel

25. GPS-based Snorkelmapping System
Liquid Image Video Mask and Garmin 60csx GPS
Receiver

26. Acquiring Georeferenced Snorkel
Video

31. GIS of Snorkel Survey
Synchronize Video Time (VTR) and GPS Tracklog

32. Snorkel mapping effort and fish
identification
• Thalweg survey
– 480 meters in 40 minutes (12 m/min)
– 375 total fish, 10 species
• Area survey (Search and Identify)
– 500 sq meter in 22 minutes ( 27 sq m/min)
– 184 total fish, 11 species

33. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Greenside Darter 4
Redline Darter 16
Green Sunfish 3
Norther Hogsucker 2
Blotchside Log Perch 5
Tennessee Shiner 60
Smallmouth Bass 5
River Chub 2
Whitetail Shiner 1
Stone Roller 85
Banded Sculpin 1
Search and Identify Study

34. 85.6
6.6
4.5
3.3
0.4
Search %
Move %
Orientation %
Record %
Equipment Maintanance %
Snorkel Activity

35. Georeferenced manual
underwater recording video
for observing under rocks

38. Georeference Coal Beds in the BISO

39. Coal beds in the Big South Fork

40. GIS Map of Underwater Coal Bed Locations

41. River Cross Sections and other
Hydraulic Features
• River and Thalweg Sinuosity (RC)
• Thalweg Depth Profile
• Thalweg Rugosity
• Cross Sections
• Maximum Cross Section Depth
• River Width
• Wetted Perimeter
• Cross Section Area
• Average Velocity

42. Driftwood River
• 18 miles
• 38,503 Sample
Points
• Avg. Thalweg
Depth of 0.96 m
• Maximum Depth
of 6.52 m

43. 450 cross-sections in 2 days

44. • First 275 cross-
sections
• Avg. river width:
41 m
• Avg. cross-sectional
area: 36.5 m2
• Avg. velocity:
0.40 m/s
River Maps

47. Bank Erosion Hazard Index (EPA)

48. Bank Erosion Susceptibility Index (BESI)
(modified BEHI, using non-invasive video)
• Bank Angle
• Bank Height (Bank Height/Bankfull Height)
• Surface Protection
• Riparian Diversity

49. Bank
Angle
(deg)
Bank
Height
(ft)
Surface
Protect
(Avg. %)
Riparian
Diversity
0 - 60
=2.45
61 - 80
=4.95
81 - 90
=6.95
> 91
=9 0-1ft 1ft-3ft 3ft - 6ft 6ft-9ft 9ft-12ft 12ft-18ft >18ft
100-56
=2.45
55-30
=4.95
29-15
=6.95
< 14
=9
Optimal
=2.45
Sub Opt
=4.95
Marginal
=6.95
Poor
=9
Bank Angle = 6.95, Bank Height = 7.5, Surface Protection = 9, Riparian Diversity =
9
BESI Score = 32.45
Rating = Extreme

51. Rating BESI Score
Low < 14.4
Moderate 14.5 - 21.6
High 21.7 - 28.8
Extreme 28.9 - 36
Bank Erosion Susceptibility Index (BESI)
Score Guide
BESI = BA + BH/BFH + SP + RD

52. Video Investigation

55. Radius of Curvature / River Width

56. EPA - Watershed Assessment of River
Stability & Sediment Supply (WARSSS)
• Bank Assessment for Non-point source
Consequences of Sediment (BANCS) model
• BANCS – predicts annual streambank rescission
(in/yr)
• BANCS = f (BESI, NBS)
• NBS- Near-Bank Stress = f(RC/W, cross section
depth ratio, gradient)
• Possible to estimate site-specific total daily
streambank erosion (tons/feet of streambank)

57. Streambank Videomapping
• Cover large reaches (10 miles/day) - continuous
• Non-intrusive, no access required
• Determine erodibility and erosivity
• Identify areas of stream restoration needs
• Apply EPA – BANCS model
• Estimate site-specific total daily streambank
erosion
• Permanent video database

58. Interactive ArcGIS Video Access

59. Virtual Tour – Zoom to
desired reach

65. Kayak-based Videomapping River Systems
(Conclusions)
• Underwater substrate, habitat, and HSI mapping
• Streambank erosion potential mapping (BESI, NBS, BANCS)
• Predicting site-specific and total daily streambank erosion
• Identify areas of streambank mitigation
• River mechanics - thalweg depth, river width, and sinuosity
• Virtual video access opportunities
• Georeferenced video to provide historical reference

66. Questions
Paul Ayers, University of Tennessee, ayers@utk.edu