MOOSE, Wyo. — Jackson Hole residents should not be alarmed or call dispatch if they see a drone flying over the Snake River on Monday, May 20, beginning at 10:00 a.m. between the areas of Moose and Zenith, near the Jackson Hole Airport.
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS and Teton County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with Teton County Road and Levee, will be performing an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flight above portions of the Snake River to evaluate potential river obstructions and identify possible infrastructure maintenance to the levee.
According to Teton County, pilots will be able to maneuver the drone to capture detailed videos and photos of a channel on the Snake River, which will help Teton County Road and Levee staff determine if any levee mitigation needs to occur. The use of UAS makes it easier for staff to review areas that are hard to reach or otherwise inaccessible.
“Without the use of a drone, it would be a lot more difficult and time consuming for us to gather the information needed to make informed decisions about potential levee mitigation needs,” Teton County Road and Levee Manager Dave Gustafson said via press release.
The UAS program was established in 2019 and is used for both emergency and post-emergency events, including hazardous materials incidents, wildland fire, structure fire, damage assessments, missing persons, search and rescue events and hostile events.
“It’s a great opportunity to follow our UAS program procedures and to integrate new UAS pilots into our program,” Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Interim Assistant Fire Chief Brian Coe said in the announcement.
