EVALUATION OF CALIFORNIA CONDOR (GYMNOGYPS CALIFORNIANUS) GPS TELEMETRY DATA IN RELATION TO THE ELECTRICAL GRID USING GIS AND RISK SCORING METHODS
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| Andrea Henke; PG&E; AIH2@PGE.com; Mike Best, Eszter Tompos, Laura Burkholder, Michele Barlow, Glen Lubcke, Joe Burnett, Mike Stake |
| Endangered California
Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) are often tracked with satellite (Argos)
and cellular-based (GSM) GPS telemetry in California, Baja,
Utah, and Arizona. Although poisoning from ingested lead shot is considered the
leading mortality factor in wild populations, condors are also at risk from
powerline interactions including utility line collisions or electrocution
events. Analysis of GPS telemetry data from a preliminary subset of 32
condors showed some movement patterns in proximity to utility right-of-ways.
Telemetry data collected from 2003 to 2017 from 104 free-flying condors in
Central and Southern California was evaluated and compared with electrical
infrastructure (grid maps) to identify fine-scale condor distribution and
landscape use patterns in relation to powerline corridors. Geographic
Information System (GIS) analysis of the data and multiple factor scoring of
the GIS results enabled prioritization of specific utility facilities for
avian-safe retrofits. A Google Earth risk assessment tool was created that can
display snapshots of these analyses. Findings are relevant for condor recovery
and electrical infrastructure management in California, and similar approaches
throughout the condor's reintroduced range could be implemented based on these
methods. |
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