Helicopters Survey Michigan Groundwater in Southwest Region to Map Aquifers, Protect Water

Low-Flying Helicopters Will Scan Michigan Groundwater This Summer

Residents across West Michigan may soon spot helicopters flying at low altitude with unusual equipment hanging from their undersides. The sight is not unusual — it is science in action.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced on April 3 that it will begin another round of airborne electromagnetic surveys in collaboration with the US Geological Survey. Flights are set to start the second week of April and continue through the summer.

To complete the work, EGLE groundwater data unit supervisor Sydney Ruhala said a helicopter tows a large hoop that maps underground geology. The hoop frame has instruments to measure differences in Earth's electrical properties and magnetic field created by different rock types.

"It's really important for us as a resource to understand where our groundwater is, how much of it's available, and how it's being used so that we can protect that resource moving into the future," Ruhala said.

Survey Flights Cover 16 West Michigan Counties

The helicopter will fly at about 200 feet with the hoop suspended roughly 100 feet above the ground. Flights are slated to cover 16 counties in West and Central Michigan: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties.

As for what the flights will look like, Ruhala said the helicopter will make an effort to try to avoid flying directly over people or houses. The technology is safe. It poses no risk to humans or animals or plants. It is simply just collecting electrical data.

"The 3-D models and maps are important for improving our understanding of water resources," said Burke Minsley, the USGS research geophysicist in charge of the airborne survey. "This type of airborne survey allows us to cover large areas very effectively."

Denser Data Over Tribal Lands and River Corridors

Denser data will be collected over the Dowagiac River watershed and around the tribal lands of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi. The river corridors of the Kalamazoo, Thornapple, St. Joseph, Paw Paw, and Rocky rivers will also be overflown to improve understanding of connections to subsurface geology along these corridors.

The pilot program also includes the City of Kalamazoo conducting a groundwater survey, with residents who may see the helicopter equipped with a hexagon-shaped antenna.

Southwest Michigan Faces Groundwater Challenges

Southwest Michigan was selected as the survey area due to the number of large-quantity water withdrawals, fast population growth, and groundwater availability issues that have been identified in that part of the state.

"We also have some some counties in the southwest part of Michigan that have had some groundwater availability issues where they struggle to find available groundwater for drinking water or other uses," Ruhala said.

EGLE says much of Michigan's drinking water comes from groundwater systems, which is comparable to a sixth Great Lake: huge, but not limitless. The department hopes mapping groundwater can help reduce aquifer depletion.

"The data from the survey will be used to improve groundwater management across the region," Ruhala said. "We also have some some counties in the southwest part of Michigan that have had some groundwater availability issues where they struggle to find available groundwater for drinking water or other uses."

Flight Tracker Available to Track Progress

You can learn more about the survey and find a flight tracker to map the daily progress of the study. The daylight-only flights are completed by specially trained pilots who follow all FAA regulations.

The pilot program is a collaboration between the USGS and EGLE to study groundwater in several counties. EGLE Groundwater Data Unit Supervisor Sydney Ruhala tells us the helicopters will be towing the large hexagonal sensor hoops to scan the terrain.

The survey addresses groundwater concerns including high-volume water withdrawals, rapid population growth, and groundwater availability issues. Data will be publicly available on USGS ScienceBase after processing.

What Residents Will See

Residents who see a low-flying helicopter with equipment hanging from it are witnessing a scientific study about Michigan's groundwater and geology. The equipment hanging from the helicopter will create a 3-D map of Michigan's aquifers to get a better understanding of the amount and movement of groundwater.

The pilot program is between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. It will map Michigan's aquifers and geology to better understand and protect them.

The Importance of Groundwater Protection

EGLE says much of Michigan's drinking water comes from groundwater systems, which is comparable to a sixth Great Lake: huge, but not limitless. Southwest Michigan was chosen for the survey as it has large-quantity water withdrawals, fast population growth and groundwater availability issues.

The survey flights will continue through the summer. The helicopter will be flying at about 200 feet and will be piloted by specially trained pilots. They will be avoiding densely populated areas and will not pass over buildings at low altitude.