Kent County, Delaware. The county is covered by USGS Quality Level 2 (QL2) LiDAR collected in 2013 and detailed statewide wetland data published by Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). The wetland data were produced using interpretation of aerial imagery from 1992, 2007, and 2017. This site was chosen as it supports Chesapeake Conservancy’s ongoing efforts to improve habitat, water quality, natural, and cultural resources in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The county is covered by 2011 LiDAR with point spacing of 1.5 points/square meter (USGS QL2 requires 2 points/square meter) and some of the most detailed and accurate wetland reference data in the country. This wetland dataset, an update to NWI, was produced in 2015-2018 by Ducks Unlimited with oversight by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources using expert knowledge paired with GIS technologies including LiDAR and high-resolution aerial imagery. An EPRI member company operates in this area.

St. Lawrence County, New York. The study area is covered by USGS QL2 LiDAR from 2016. Wetland data were available from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, however these data were not suitable for input to the U-Net model. Instead, NWI wetland data were used as training data for this area. While NWI data may not be as detailed or accurate as local or regional data, it is a valuable effort to assess the utility of NWI as training data because NWI is available nation-wide and could help enable automated wetland detection using the U-Net approach at impressive scales. An EPRI member company operates in this area.