University of Canberra researchers have taken a new approach to restoring and monitoring sections of the Murrumbidgee River by taking advantage of surveillance drones.

As part of a greater $20.26 million Restoring the Upper Murrumbidgee River Program devised by the ACT and NSW governments, the researchers are using the drones to map 25 sites across the riparian zones (areas where the river’s wet landscape meets dry landscapes) of the upper Murrumbidgee.

The drones are used to identify areas where trees can be planted or weeds can be removed, and the width and canopy cover of riparian zones, by using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) imaging and RGB sensors.

The idea is to restore the riparian zones to create better vegetation and water flow while also improving water quality and washing away any sediment, ultimately restoring those areas of the river.

Dr Will Higgisson, one of the lead researchers in the early stages of the program, said the drone mapping was only the first stage of a multi-year restoration project.

“In the first year of the program, we are establishing our 25 sites,” he said.

“We’re flying drones over them and collecting some field-based data. Then, in the first half of next year, we’ll be building a computational model, using things like deep machine learning to analyse and interpret the imagery.

“Hopefully by halfway through next year, we will have a range of different ways we can interpret the imagery and provide useful data to show the condition of the riparian area.

“In the last few years of the program, we will resurvey these sites and use this model to show how they’ve responded and improved in relation to riparian restoration actions.”

Dr Higgison said drones were able to survey larger areas more thoroughly while also providing more accurate information.

“With traditional field-based methods, you would run transects out to cover a small subset of the site where you would have to estimate canopy cover, tree height and ground cover,” he said.

“With drones, we can cover a larger sampling area quickly and accurately. This also includes places we normally wouldn’t be able to reach, including places with high vegetation cover or areas with water present.”

Last week the university invited members of the public to a special field showcase of the program at Tharwa Sandwash. The showcase was held to demonstrate the importance of the project and how drones are being utilised.

Dr Higgison said it was vital for interested participants and landholders to understand why the restoration works were important and how they were executed.

“We had about 30 people come out to the event. It went really well with lots of questions and interest about the program,” he said.

“We demonstrated how we fly over a site, how we set the flight path and how we collect field data.

“It’s important to have a positive buy-in from people. It’s critical because we can then work closely with landowners, especially to work on specific areas and convey why the work we do is so important.”

The Restoring the Upper Murrumbidgee River Program will move into its next stages in early 2027.

To learn more about the project, visit the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.