2019 Eastern Iowa Topographic Lidar Validation – USGS Field Survey Data

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists conducted field data collection efforts between October 25th and 31st, 2020 at several sites in eastern Iowa using high accuracy surveying technologies. The work was initiated as an effort to validate commercially acquired topographic light detection and ranging (lidar) data that was collected between December 7th, 2019 and November 19th, 2020 using wide area mapping lidar systems for the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). The goal was to compare and validate the airborne lidar data to topographic, structural, and infrastructural data collected through more traditional means (e.g., Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) surveying). Evaluating these data will provide valuable information on the performance of wide area topographic lidar mapping capabilities that are becoming more widely used in 3DEP. The airborne lidar was collected to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) High Resolution Elevation Enterprise Program and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Iowa Flood Plain Program, in addition to the 3DEP mission. The data contained within this particular release are comprised of conventional survey (i.e. total station and GNSS) and ground based lidar data.