Skytec Launches Dynamic Study to Monitor Water Quality in the Sequatchie Valley

Skytec is constantly uncovering dynamic and valuable applications for its acquisition tools, including high-resolution satellite imagery, that have the potential to positively impact the environment.

The team recently started a project in the Sequatchie Valley, outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to better understand the potential land use disturbances and potential correlations to increased flooding and water quality in communities there.

Through a partnership with the Southeastern Tennessee Development District (SETD), Skytec will begin to pair satellite monitoring with water quality testing for natural resource and environmental studies in the Sequatchie Valley. The initiative targets areas of concern in the lower section of the Sequatchie River watershed, Cumberland Plateau, and the western escarpment of Walrden’s Ridge.

Surrounding towns in the valley, including South Pittsburgh, Orme, Jasper, Whitwell, and Powell’s Crossroads, have been increasingly affected by flash flooding events since 2015. As Skytec team member Ongeleigh Underwood says, the resulting grant and opportunity to do this work demonstrates the potential and power of data Skytec can aquire.

“In addition to our grant through SETD and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, we have an accompanying Microsoft AI grant that will enable us to complete this case study,” Underwood says.

Acquisition + Evaluation

Through this grant, Skytec will evaluate water quality of streams along the Sequatchie River watershed within the areas of concern. Several coves have streams coming in from upper elevations in an area that has historically been used for rock harvesting, agriculture, and clear cutting practices.

Using hydrologic and sediment analyses, the team will determine runoff volume, peak runoff, and sediment loading rate for pre- and post-disturbance conditions. They will also evaluate data captured from high-res satellite images and pair it with land use data to quantify changes in land use.

Working in tandem with an engineering firm that focuses on geomorphology, Skytec will use computer modeling that evaluates multiple variables — slope, elevation, land use, vegetation loss — to better understand the correlation between the environmental impacts and flooding events.

“This project is unique in that it combines hydrographic and geospatial studies,” Underwood says. “We’ll not only predict sediment load on these streambeds, but also look through satellite monitoring for confirmation of our findings. These studies will provide extremely accurate and specific data, down to levels we’ve never been able to provide. We hope this information has the potential to drive future environmental policy.”
 

After completion of the year-long study, Skytec will share results with local planning entities through meetings with Sequatchie County leaders and associated groups.
 

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