Fire Mitigation and Planning
Accurate Mapping of Daily and Sub-Daily Wildfire Growth Using Satellite Observations
Fire research and management applications, such as fire behavior analysis and emissions modeling, require consistent, highly resolved spatiotemporal information on the progression of wildfire growth. Sonoma Technology developed a new fire mapping method that uses quality-assured sub-daily active fire/thermal anomaly satellite retrievals (2003-2020 MODIS and 2012-2020 VIIRS data) to develop a high-resolution wildfire growth dataset. This dataset includes growth areas, perimeters, and cross-referenced fire information from agency reports. Satellite fire detections were buffered using a historical pixel-to-fire size relationship, then grouped spatiotemporally into individual fire events. Sub-daily and daily growth areas and perimeters were calculated for each fire event. After assembly, fire event characteristics, including location, size, and date, were merged with agency records to create a cross-referenced dataset. Our satellite-based total fire size shows excellent agreement with agency records for MODIS (R2 = 0.95) and VIIRS (R2 = 0.97). VIIRS-based estimates show an improvement over MODIS for fires with areas less than 4,047 hectares (10,000 acres).
The novel spatiotemporal resolution and methodological consistency of our dataset enables advances in applications related to historical fire-weather analysis, fire-weather modeling, characterizing wildfire growth potential, historical/future smoke modeling, and near-real-time fire monitoring. We are currently incorporating fire detection data from geostationary satellites in the method to derive hourly fire growth information. This work is published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.
Smoke Transport and Fire Weather Climatology Dashboard
Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools to reduce the buildup of hazardous fuels (vegetation) that are contributing to severe wildfires in the western U.S. In the coming years, California is expected to significantly increase the use of prescribed fires. Any vegetation burning emits smoke and harmful air pollutants; however, prescribed fires can minimize smoke impacts on downwind air quality, especially in comparison to uncontrolled wildfires. To conduct prescribed fires effectively, land and air quality managers need information and tools to support smoke management.
In this project, funded by CAL FIRE, Sonoma Technology has partnered with the Desert Research Institute to develop a turnkey decision support tool for prescribed fire planning and wildfire response. The tool will allow users to specify a time window and location for a planned prescribed fire or current wildfire, and instantaneously view the probability of downwind smoke impacts and smoke weather statistics based on 20 years of climatological data.
Tool development involves hourly air parcel trajectory modeling at a fine spatial scale for California and Nevada using high-resolution (2 km) meteorological data from 2001 through 2020. Modeling results will determine the probability of air parcel transport from any location within California for multiple time scales (e.g., week, month). A geospatial risk score will be generated by integrating air parcel transport probabilities with population data and other relevant information (e.g., school and hospital locations). Historical statistics of weather parameters relevant to fire and smoke conditions (e.g., relative humidity, temperature, mixing height) will be developed from the climatology for any given location in the domain. The trajectory modeling and climatological analysis outcomes will be implemented into a simple and interactive online dashboard. Air and land managers can use the dashboard to plan prescribed fires, which will allow for more timely public messaging regarding potential smoke impacts and proactive mitigation efforts to assist at-risk populations.
Public Health Impact of Prescribed Fire (PHIRE) Study
Wildfires in California are threatening public security, health, and safety. Prescribed fires can help mitigate the risks of wildfires, and CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service plan to significantly increase the use of prescribed fires. This project aimed to address an important question: in a future of growing wildfires, how does the increased use of prescribed fires impact air quality and public health?
This research investigated smoke (fine particulate matter, PM2.5) from prescribed fires and wildfires to understand their public health impacts and estimated potential impacts under a future target scenario of increased prescribed fires. The study also characterized emissions of greenhouse gases from prescribed fires and wildfires, including carbon dioxide and methane. The Sonoma Technology team was responsible for exposure modeling, and used emissions estimates for these burn scenarios in a dispersion model to predict PM2.5 concentrations. Our results are published in the journal Atmospheric Environment.
The health analysis team at the California Department of Public Health and U.S. EPA investigated the public impacts and health burdens of ambient air pollution, as well as smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires, using information on hospital and emergency department visits.
To build a more wholistic picture of the health impacts, the project conducted community engagement activities in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas, including listening sessions in El Dorado and Nevada counties and a survey of medically vulnerable persons in Mariposa County. These activities gathered input directly from local residents about their knowledge, health concerns, and communication needs regarding prescribed fires, and their recommendations for improving community resilience to wildfire and prescribed fire smoke. Community engagement results can be found in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and in the report published by the California Department of Public Health.
The project was conducted in an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers with expertise in air pollution, wildland fire smoke modeling, epidemiology, and forestry, and included experts from the California Department of Public Health, Sonoma Technology, U.S. EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, the Michigan Technological University, and the Sequoia Foundation.
Stakeholder Engagement
Response to a Rapidly Transforming Transportation Field
From rapid motorization in developing countries to the increased use of ride-hailing services and electric vehicles in the United States, the transportation-air quality field is undergoing rapid transformation. Sonoma Technology’s Dr. Doug Eisinger, past Chair of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Air Quality Committee, co-authored Response to a Rapidly Transforming Field: The Transportation and Air Quality Committee’s Strategic Plan, which was published in the May-June 2019 issue of TR News magazine.
The article discusses the committee’s response to these rapid changes in the transportation-related air pollution arena. Dr. Eisinger oversaw the committee’s strategic planning efforts in 2018, which involved considering the information needs of transportation and air quality agencies, identifying under-studied transportation-air quality issues, and planning the committee’s work for the next three to five years. Dr. Eisinger has chaired the committee from 2017 to 2023. TRB is one of the seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The article is available at this link; TR News is copyright, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; posted with permission of the Transportation Research Board.
Aquatic Resource Surveys
EPA NARS 3 Technical Support Contract
EcoAnalysts was one of three firms awarded a contract to provide technical support for the USEPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) program. Under this program, the USEPA Office of Water evaluates the condition of our nation’s rivers,
streams, lakes, wetlands, and coasts on a five-year rotation. Each year, physical, chemical, and biological data are collected at approximately 1,000 sites in partnership with states, tribes, and other collaborators, and a final report is submitted to US Congress annually. This contract gives EcoAnalysts the opportunity to pursue ecological field sampling, taxonomic identification services, harmful algae bloom analyses, ecotoxicity testing, and a variety of related services for NARS
Miscellaneous Environmental Services and Sediment Sampling and Analysis in Various Northwest States Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC)
EcoAnalysts was one of three firms selected as a prime contractor under the USACE Seattle District Miscellaneous Environmental Services and Sediment Sampling Analysis (MATOC). The scope of services can include task orders for environmental services such as Special Studies/Analysis- Environmental Assessments and Special Studies/Analysis- Soil. The services often involve dredged material characterization, sediment sampling and analysis, and environmental monitoring of aquatic species in streams and waterways. The EcoAnalysts Team had the opportunity to support the Seattle District on seven task orders under this contract. These ranged from archaeological surveys, sediment profile imaging surveys, and multiple sediment characterization projects. EcoAnalysts has a long history and contract relationship
with USACE Seattle District and anticipates future contract awards from this client.
Permitting
Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority Watershed
Since 2010, LRE Water has served as CCBWQA’s Watershed Consultant. In this role, we work with the Board, Technical Advisory Committee, watershed management agencies and other stakeholder to protect the beneficial uses of Cherry Creek Reservoir. Recent efforts involved assisting the management team to develop a strategic plan that maps out the CCBWQA mission, vision, goals, objectives and associated strategies, metrics and measures that CCBWQA is employing to achieve its goals.
In addition, LRE Water developed and manages the CCBWQA water quality data portal—a repository for 20+ years of basin water quality data that stakeholders can access through a variety of compelling and interactive “story boards” that illustrate a specific aspect of watershed health in the basin. LRE Water integrates these storyboards and other CCBWQA accomplishments and activities into web-based Annual Reports that are used to communicate to stakeholders ranging from the public to the water quality control commission.
Other watershed technical services provided to CCBWQA include: water quality standard development, evaluation of options to control pollutants, development of technical guidance, and participation in rulemaking hearings.
Ecotoxicology & Taxonomy Laboratory Services
Alabama Power Mobile and Coosa River NPDES Taxonomy Support
EcoAnalysts was hired to help Alabama Power complete a large biological monitoring program in conjunction with their NPDES permit. The project involved taxonomic processing for over 1,200 Hester-Dendy samples collected from the Mobile and Coosa Rivers in Alabama in 2022, and the same number of samples was again collected in 2023. This was one of the largest macroinvertebrate sampling programs (by number of samples collected) in the nation, and EcoAnalysts received the project because no other laboratory was able to handle the work in the timeframe needed for compliance purposes.
Smithsonian Saint Louis Bay Minnesota Taxonomy Support
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) provides science-based knowledge to meet critical environmental challenges. SERC leads objective research on coastal ecosystems—where land meets the sea—to inform real-world decisions for wise policies, best business practices, and a sustainable planet. SERC explores the most pressing issues affecting the environment, including toxic chemicals, water quality, invasive species, land use, fisheries, and global change. In 2022, EcoAnalysts was hired by SERC to provide on-call taxonomy laboratory support for one of its research programs. EcoAnalysts has processed several hundred macroinvertebrate samples thus far, with additional potential work in the future. Thus far we have processed samples that have been collected from the Saint Louis Bay Estuary in Lake Superior during the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 collection seasons.
NEON Macroinvertebrate, Algae, and Zooplankton Taxonomy and Chlorophyll Analysis
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and managed by Battelle Ecology, Inc. (BEI). The mission of the NEON project is to design, implement, and operate continental-scale research infrastructure to open new horizons in ecological science and education and enable ecological analyses and forecasts for the benefit of society. There are 81 field sites across 20 eco-climactic domains. Since 2014, EcoAnalysts has provided benthic macroinvertebrate and zooplankton taxonomic identification services for the NEON project. In 2017, we were awarded
contracts for chlorophyll analysis, and in 2019, we began providing algae taxonomy services. Annual sample numbers have increased each year as the project was being implemented.
EcoAnalysts worked in close coordination with members of the NEON team to develop appropriate laboratory and data delivery procedures designed to meet the objectives of the project. Once standard operating procedures were approved, they were
implemented for the project. Annual audits were conducted for each taxonomic analysis (benthic invertebrate, zooplankton, periphyton, phytoplankton, chlorophyll). All audits were passed, and results are available upon request.
Seattle City Light Skagit River Hydroelectic Relicensing Aquatic Ecological Support
Seattle City Light is in the process of relicensing the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. The project is a series of three dams that provide 20% of City Light’s power, and it is licensed under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The current
license expires in 2025. An important part of getting a new license is studying the impacts of the hydroelectric dams of the Skagit Project. EcoAnalysts assisted HDR with aquatic resource studies that characterized the lower trophic levels of the Skagit River system. EcoAnalysts consulted with the client during
the study design and advised on sampling methods, site selection, and potential biological endpoints to consider. We provided taxonomic analyses for phytoplankton, periphyton, zooplankton, and benthic macroinvertebrate communities throughout the project area. Additionally, we provided chlorophyll and biomass analysis. In total, we processed over 640 samples for this project.
Ecological Impact Assessments
Integra Delamar Mine Baseline Aquatic Resource Surveys
Integra Resources purchased the Delamar Mine from Kinross Gold Corporation in 2017 and began development plans to reopen this historic gold and silver mine under more favorable economic conditions. EcoAnalysts has been conducting biological monitoring at the mine since 1994 during the care and maintenance phase of the project, and we were the logical choice to conduct baseline aquatic resource surveys (fish, macroinvertebrates, habitat, and water quality) in the proposed
project area. EcoAnalysts co-wrote the Aquatic Resources Sampling Plan, consulted with agency stakeholders, executed the field sampling, conducted taxonomic laboratory analysis, analyzed all data, and prepared the Aquatic Resources Baseline Report and annual updates. We are currently on contract to provide additional permitting support to the client on an as-needed basis