In May 2025, Elevate was contracted to assist with the ongoing environmental restoration of the retired Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears located near Dutch Harbor, Alaska. This historic area was the site of The Battle of Dutch Harbor during World War II. On June 3 and 4, 1942 Imperial Japanese forces conducted the first aerial attack on the continent of America.
Learn more about The Battle of Dutch Harbor from The National Parks Service.
Since the decommissioning of the base, Stantec and the City of Unalaska, with funds from the EPA, have been working to restore the site, preserving both its historical significance and natural beauty.
Google Earth image of modern Dutch Harbor, the site of the decommissioned base and the current project.
Elevate’s contribution to the project consisted of drone-based remote sensing surveys across six different locations in Unalaska totaling approximately 400 acres. Of the six areas surveyed, four were located on the site of the military installations while the other two were Unalaska Lake and Ilulaq Lake. At all six locations both LiDAR and high-resolution RGB imagery would be collected. Multispectral Imaging was collected at the four land-based sites to help the Client understand surface and vegetation conditions. For the lakes, magnetometry and bathymetric data was collected to investigate potential dumping of refuse that occurred during the base’s operation. Little documented information about the lakes existed. Locals guessed that the depths ranged anywhere from 30 to 200 feet, but there had never been any formal measurements.
Due to the sensitive nature of the site, the remote location, and the numerous payloads needed to collect the requested data, Elevate opted to field its Harris Aerial H6 sUAS. This aircraft allowed for increased flight time and payload capacity, reducing our time onsite (and overall cost of the project). While collecting data from the lase-based sites was straightforward, collection from the lakes was a challenge. For lake depth mapping, Elevate utilized SPH Engineering’s dual frequency echo sounder EchoLogger integrated to the Harris H6. This project marks the first use of this integrated system in the field. The power of the H6 sUAS allowed for easy towing of the tethered sounder through the water while maintaining a flight altitude of just 5.5 feet above the surface.
Unalaska’s weather conditions posed a significant operational challenge. Located within the Aleutian Island chain, the area is known for rapid weather shifts, including high winds, heavy rain, and occasional snow. Despite these unpredictable elements, our team remained on schedule, completed all planned surveys, and delivered a full, high-quality dataset.
Data was delivered to the Client and shared with the stakeholders. The client found the digital surface map (DSM) useful for identifying features not readily visible in standard color imagery or in the field. These features include possible impact craters from the battle or artillery training, or structural foundations from when the base was active. Multi-spectral image analysis allows for the determination of vegetation health and target areas that might be in need of further chemical analysis.
High-resolution orthophoto of a portion of the site collected with a sUAS.
Digital surface model (DSM) derived from ground classified LiDAR data.
Multi-spectral data in color infrared composite (CIR) format.
The DSM is useful in identifying features, such as possible ordnance impact locations and demolished building foundations, that are not visible in standard imagery or in the field.
CIR multi-spectral data can be used to determine vegetation health and soil type. This analysis, making use of the near infrared to green bands of the energy spectrum, is just one way to use multi-spectral data for site exploration.
Using both the bathymetric and geophysical data, Elevate was able to “virtually explore” the bottoms of the lakes. The presence of a known man-made object (a large pump from an abandoned barge) submerged in one of the lakes provided a proof of concept for the geophysical data methods. One of the lakes did exhibit geophysical variation that could indicate possible submerged materials. This data will be used to guide limited underwater exploration by divers.
High-resolution orthophoto of Unalaska Lake collected with a sUAS. Note that this mosaic does not include images from the center of the lake, the edges of the lake were the focus.
DSM of Unalaska Lake and it surrounding shoreline created from sUAS bathymetric data combined with sUAS LiDAR data.
Geophysical field variation of Unalaska Lake collected using sUAS.
This project exemplifies the kind of work Elevate is committed to—delivering reliable, real-world solutions in complex environments and supporting long-term environmental recovery through accurate, actionable data. We are honored to be included in this project to restore Alaskan lands, as well as preserve our history by providing a framework for virtual archaeology. Please stay tuned to our “News” page for more information as this project continues.