See a helicopter with a big hoop flying over SLO County? Here’s what it’s doing
San Luis Obispo County residents may see a helicopter flying about 200 feet above the ground and towing a large hoop over some cities next week.
The helicopter is scheduled by the California Department of Water Resources to conduct surveys of the groundwater aquifers under San Luis Obispo, Edna Valley, Los Osos, the Five Cities area and Santa Maria on Nov. 18, 19 and 20.
The airborne electromagnetic surveys, or AEM surveys, create continuous images of underground geology to help the state better understand where there are thick layers of gravel, sand silt and clay. That way the state can identify the boundaries of underground aquifers.
The helicopter’s equipment sends silent electromagnetic signals into the ground to understand the underground geology.
“This project does not pose a risk to health or safety,” a news release from the city of San Luis Obispo said Tuesday. “The weak magnetic field from the equipment is about the same as if you stood one foot away from a toaster.”
The helicopter is expected to avoid urban areas and fly in lines several miles apart from each other.
The last time the Department of Water Resources conducted AEM surveys in San Luis Obispo County was August 2021.
During those surveys, the electromagnetic equipment was flown by helicopter over the groundwater basins beneath the Paso Robles, Atascadero, Adelaida, Cuyama Valley and Monterey County areas.
