Publicly available lidar data in Hawaii, existing and planned. USGS.
Why elevation data
High-resolution elevation data serve forestry, wildlife, national security, recreation and more. In Hawaii they are critical for infrastructure and construction, flood risk, geologic hazards, conservation, coastal zone management and business. Lidar is now the main source. Federal, State, Tribal, territorial and local agencies work together to replace old data and fill gaps, aiming for consistent statewide coverage.
The 3D Elevation Program
- The assessment: the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA, 2011) found the best benefit/cost came from quality level 2 lidar for the conterminous United States, Hawaii and territories, and quality level 5 radar (IfSAR) for Alaska, refreshed every 6 to 10 years. 3DEP chose an 8-year cycle.
- The program: managed by the USGS, lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, 3DEP aims for complete U.S. coverage by the end of 2023, depending on funding and partnerships — conservatively $1.2 billion a year in new benefits nationally, potentially $13 billion.
| Quality level | Pulse spacing (meters) | Vertical error (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.35 | 10 |
| 2 | 0.7 | 10 |
| 3 | 1.4 | 20 |
| 4 | — | 139 |
| 5 | — | 185 |
Benefits for Hawaii
Hawaii's NEEA respondents estimated at least $2.95 million a year in new benefits. A program would cost about $4.3 million: a 1.5-year payback and a 5.5 to 1 benefit/cost ratio over 8 years — and real benefits are likely higher, since not all were given a dollar value.
| Rank | Business use | Annual benefits ($ millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infrastructure and construction management | 1.77 |
| 2 | Flood risk management | 0.28 |
| 3 | Geologic resource assessment and hazard mitigation | 0.27 |
| 4 | Natural resources conservation | 0.24 |
| 5 | Coastal zone management | 0.15 |
| 6 | Sea level rise and subsidence | 0.14 |
| 7 | Education, K-12 and beyond | 0.06 |
| 8 | Forest resources management | 0.03 |
| 9 | Aviation navigation and safety | 0.01 |
| 10 | Homeland security, law enforcement, disaster response | 0.00 |
| Total | 2.95 |
About 87 percent of the identified needs fall in the top four uses.
Examples
- Construction and energy: ready lidar reduces the need for land surveys, speeding planning; it supports broadband and renewable energy — wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel and hydropower — and regulatory compliance and site selection.
- Beaches: sand is a pressing concern in Hawaii's littoral cells. Better elevation data would show beach shape and sand-volume change, identify declining sand budgets that threaten infrastructure and lives, and help set coastal setbacks for an eroding shoreline.
Benefits of a funded national program
- Economy of scale: covering larger areas cuts costs by 25 percent.
- A systematic plan: collecting higher-quality data up front avoids the cost of "buying up" later.
- Consistency across State, Tribal, territorial and watershed boundaries.
- More Federal contribution, reducing partners' shares.
- Ready contracts and published specifications.
Sources
Based on The 3D Elevation Program: Summary for Hawaii, by William J. Carswell, Jr., USGS Fact Sheet 2014–3079 (version 1.1), U.S. Geological Survey (DOI), citing Dewberry (2011) and Snyder (2012); a work of the United States government in the public domain. The map and tables come from the fact sheet's PDF; a photograph from the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is left out. More: 3DEP.
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