Owl Ridge staff designed and executed aquatic stream and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys at the former Beatson Mine site located on Latouche Island in the Gulf of Alaska. The goal of the stream surveys was to describe and evaluate the freshwater aquatic invertebrate communities, fish, and aquatic and riparian habitats within the former mine site and surrounding streams.

Findings established ecological baseline information used to asses impacts of previous mining activity. Owl Ridge’s experienced UAV pilots conducted aerial surveys of otherwise inaccessible areas to map and characterize landscape features and hydrological connectivity to support reclamation design and planning efforts. Sampling efforts required extensive coordination, collaboration, and planning given the remote location of the project.