Tides Are a Major Consideration
So, we were talking about doing some breakline work to make sure water flows and is connected in a coastal DEM and the effort required to do so. Yeah, picture heads-up digitizing 10 ft wide streams – a difficult proposal to submit. It can be much more cost-effective to work with nature (as is often the case) and take advantage of the tides to make this an automated process. Lidar flown at low tide is, or can be, a huge advantage. It pays dividends and in many areas can increase the amount of data you get and thus actually decrease the cost you pay per square mile. Take a look at this example and you will see the difference.