Description

Levees, essential for flood control in the United States, span over 24,000 miles and protect over 23 million individuals. However, the American Society of Civil Engineers has consistently assigned them a grade of “D,” reflecting significant degradation and a heightened risk of failure. The deficiencies in levee performance are largely attributed to the existing inspection practices, which rely mainly on visual evaluations, lack uniform standards, and are insufficiently frequent to ensure system integrity. To address these issues, a new monitoring framework has been developed, employing UAV-enabled sensors and geophysical techniques to gather comprehensive surface and subsurface health data. Fieldwork conducted along the Grand Island levee system utilized UAV-enabled optical, thermal, and LIDAR imagery, alongside the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) methods for subsurface analysis. This new approach incorporates remote sensing change detection techniques, enabling a real-time assessment of levee health and the identification of potential problem zones through hazard mapping. Such innovative monitoring could enhance decision-making related to levee maintenance and development, ensuring better protection against flood risks.