Simulation of Coastal Inundation Instigated by Storm Surge and River Discharge in the Chesapeake Bay Using Sub-grid Modeling Coupled with Lidar Data

Sub-grid modeling is a novel method by which water level elevations on the sub-grid level can be obtained through the combination of water levels and velocities efficiently calculated at the coarse computational grid, the discretized bathymetric depths, and local friction parameters without resorting to solve the full set of equations. Sub-grid technology essentially allows velocity to be determined rationally and efficiently at the sub-grid level. This salient feature enables coastal flooding to be addressed in a single cross-scale model from the ocean to the upstream river channel without overly refining the grid resolution. To this end, high-resolution DEMs will be developed using GIS from Lidar-derived topography for incorporation into a sub-grid model, for research into two case studies related to inundation: (1) The Great Flood of 1936 was utilized as a test for sub-grid modeling in Washington, DC. It demonstrated that the sub-grid model can achieve accurate results upon comparison with NOAA observation data and replicate the results of a likewise-resolution true grid model, indicating that there is minimal loss of quantitative accuracy in the sub-grid approach (R 2 = 99.98). (2) Spatial comparison of GPS wrack line data with model results for 2011 Hurricane Irene demonstrated that sub-grid model results accurately predicted the water level observed at Langley Research Center

Towards Predicting Street-Level Inundation: using Operational Forecast Modeling Techniques during 2011 Hurricane Irene

Storm surge-induced coastal inundation poses numerous personal, commercial, industrial, and sociopolitical challenges for society. Flooding can be caused by the combination of storm surge and river-induced inland flooding in many locations throughout the coastal plain. The cross-disciplinary nature of the hydrodynamics involved (hydraulics, oceanography, and hydrology), coupled with the complexity of the atmospheric forcing, makes a numerical model the best approach for a comprehensive study of the dynamics of coastal inundation. This study builds upon the lessons learned from forecast modeling experiences during 2011 Hurricane Irene in Tidewater Virginia, to ascertain the most effective way to approach predicting street-level inundation. During the storm event, a large-scale ocean model (SCHISM) was provided atmospheric forcing from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System, updated every 6 hours to simulate 9 separate 30-hour simulations, which were provided to emergency managers and the National Weather Service in Wakefield, VA. Forecast water level predictions were evaluated at 5 stations near the Hampton Roads region in the Lower Chesapeake Bay to yield an aggregate RMSE=19.9 cm. To accurately predict street-level inundation, water elevations at key points near the mouths of vulnerable tributaries can be used to drive a separate street-level high-resolution sub-grid model (UnTRIM) to simulate localized flooding events on the scale of 5-meter resolution. To this end, high-resolution Digital Elevation Models including building and roadway infrastructure were developed from Lidar-derived topography for the Hampton Roads Region of Virginia, and used to accurately predict flooding in low-lying areas of the Cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake along the Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers. Additionally, grids were prepared for the City of Virginia Beach along the Lynnhaven River, and along Hampton, York, and Poquoson along the Back River. Tropical storm surge flood heights were validated via temporal comparison with water level observations from NOAA, the USGS, and NASA; aggregated to an average RMSE=0.18 cm. Spatial extent of flooding was evaluated using USGS data retrieved from high water marks and from rapid deployment overland water level gauges during Hurricane Irene to reveal favorable agreement with the model’s inundation predictions

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments

Management of Wintering Short-Eared Owls at Airports in the Lower Great Lakes Region

USDA Wildlife Services airport wildlife biologists have been tasked with reducing the hazards that raptors (including owls) pose to safe aircraft operations at airports and military airfields throughout the USA. A review of available wildlife strike information suggests short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are frequently struck by aircraft during the winter months at numerous airports within the Lower Great Lakes Region of the United States. Further, this species is listed as ‘endangered’ by state fish and wildlife agencies in many states, although not at the federal level. Consequently, there is particular interest in developing non-lethal management tools for reducing the hazards posed by this species. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of managing the hazards to aviation posed by short-eared owls, we developed methods to live-capture, mark with USGS aluminum leg bands, and translocate short-eared owls from airport environments (i.e., airfield areas) as part of the overall programs to reduce wildlife hazards to safe aircraft operations at airports. During 2012−2015, a total of 32 short-eared owls was live-captured, banded, and translocated to release sites approximately 64 to 80 km (40 to 50 miles) away from the airports. Only 1 short-eared owl (3%) was resighted and this bird was found on a different airport from where it had been translocated from. Future research in needed to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wintering short-eared owls from airport environments