Environmental Department Leads the Way on Drone Applications
What better way to explore what lies beneath the surface of our local waterways than to deploy a remotely operated underwater vehicle to gain an up-close look?
In May 2023, Team Members from five NHBP departments (Environmental, Information Technology (IT), Tribal Police, DPW and Communications) convened at Gigo {Fish} Pond for the deployment of QYSEA FIFISH V6, a remotely operated underwater vehicle, purchased by the Environmental Department with grant-funded resources in 2022.
“To our understanding, we are the first Great Lakes Tribe to conduct underwater imaging,” said NHBP Environmental Director John Rodwan. This technology is essentially “our eyes in the water,” according to Rodwan. Gigo Pond is man-made, with a depth of approximately seven feet. It was dug from an old gravel pit as part of a former gravel mining operation. The pond is on a Tribally owned parcel of land on M-60 that runs along Spencer Creek and Lehr Lake in Sherwood Township.
This parcel of land is one of several parcels owned by NHBP on Lehr Lake, for which the Environmental Department has additional habitat restoration projects planned.
The pond is home to a variety of fish, such as bass {Shëgën}, crappie {Mskigwé} and multiple species of bluegill {Kwedashi}, including hybrid bluegill. The hybrid bluegill are stocked and furnished by Tribal Member Jack Pelton’s Fish Farm, and the stocking is funded by the NHBP Tribal Environmental Advisory Committee (TEAC).
Drones can be used for many water-related applications and in environmental research. This particular drone delivers expansive, vivid imagery from depths as great as 328 feet. Capable of swimming in any direction while shooting 4K video or 12MP photo, it’s equipped with a detachable robotic arm that includes a claw extension that can be utilized to pick up items located underwater. Another useful feature is the virtual reality headset that can be connected to the drone, which can then be used to intuitively control the ROV’s movements by turning your head.
For this demonstration deployment, drone technology was utilized to explore the bed of Gigo Pond.
The IT Department was on hand and played a significant role in this collaboration, as they are knowledgeable in operating unmanned aquatic vehicles. They also provided useful technical expertise for the Environmental Department to learn from.
The initial investment in the drone was an effort to expand NHBP’s Mnomen {Wild Rice} monitoring program. Annually the Environmental Department conducts aerial and on-the-water investigations. With the addition of this underwater drone technology, they are able to conduct subsurface aquatic monitoring.
“I like to think that we are bridging the gap between traditional ecological knowledge and conventional science. This hasn’t been seen before; there isn’t a lot of literature on Wild River Rice, and this is all brand new to us,” said Rodwan.
Findings from the drone footage are used as an educational tool that allows the Environmental Department to remain dedicated to its mission of restoring the critical components of our traditional Native lifeways.
“Conventional scientific inquiry into Wild River Rice (Zizania Aquatica) is sparse. Therefore, our ongoing monitoring practices will enable us to broaden our understanding of Wild Rice’s ecology, allowing NHBP to better restore and protect this critical Tribal resource,” said Rodwan.
This exercise was just one of the many that the Environmental Department is looking to collaborate on as they continually strive to find innovative ways to learn more about restoring and accessing our natural resources.
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