The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently announced that this month, the agency will recommence low-level helicopter mineral mapping flights over seven counties in central Colorado. As the attached illustration indicates, the area to be surveyed includes sections of Huerfano, Fremont, Pueblo, Chaffee, and Teller counties as well. The flights will continue into the fall, and if necessary, will take to the air again in the spring of 2026.
The USGS press release explains, “The Colorado flights are part of a national effort to map the mineral resources needed to drive the U.S. economy and protect national security, searching below ground and in tailings from old mines. As directed by the Energy Act of 2020, the USGS has identified 50 critical minerals essential to the U.S. economy and national security, with a supply chain vulnerable to disruption.”
The geologic mapping developed as a result of the surface penetrating measuring instruments will indicate variations in magnetic fields and natural, low-level radiation from a variety of rock formations. Secondary evaluations include surveying water resources, preparation for natural hazards such as earthquakes and radon emission, and the examination of “legacy mining areas.”
The scientific instruments that are contained in the helicopter cabin are fed through sensors in an elongated boom that extends from the front of the aircraft. The USGS statement states, “These scientific instruments are completely passive with no emissions that pose a risk to humans, animals, or plant life. No photography or video data will be collected. The data collected will be made freely available to the public on ScienceBase once complete.”
The flights themselves, piloted by especially trained and experienced personnel, will all be conducted during daylight hours, along pre-planned paths fairly low to the ground at about 300 feet. The flights will mostly originate from the Fremont County Airport and are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration.
USGS has contracted with NV5. Edcon-PRJ, and Precision GeoSurveys to collect the data, which the agency says, “fits into a broader effort by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, the Colorado Geological Survey, and other partners, to modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources. Funding by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has facilitated coverage of such a large area.”
The full USGS statement is available at usgs.gov, July 15, 2025, “Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over parts of Southern Colorado.”
W.A. Ewing
