A University of Wyoming student from Cody is using free satellite images to help scrutinize the effects of heavy rain that washed away dry beans years ago.

An extraordinarily large downpour on May 31, 2018, created a mess for a dry bean field just across Wyoming’s northern border into Montana. The water flowed off a feedlot and burst over drainage ditches, flowing into the field and washing away a portion of the crop, leaving manure and pollutants in its wake.

UW agroecology major Jordan Jochems wanted to use satellite images to determine if the field had changed over time and whether this had been a problem in the past.

“Was this something that had been building up,” the Cody resident recalled wondering, “because if so, we should try to prevent it.”

Using skills gained in a remote sensing class, Jochems obtained 20 Landsat images from 2016, 2019 and 2021. The images showed the difference in infrared light reflected from healthy and unhealthy plants. With infrared light, along with information collected in red and green, areas of high growth appear bright red, medium growth appear in darker red, and low to no growth appear blue.

“Drastic changes in color are what you are looking for,” Jochems said.

There was no evidence such an event had happened before.

Jochems was able to compare images year-to-year to see if the overflow still affected production. Edible beans, sugar beets, barley and corn are normally rotated through the field.

The images helped her determine a little over 29 acres was affected. Millet was planted after the event, and Jochems determined about 21 acres was regained with the crop.

Jochems was able to compare images to see if the overflow still affected production. The field has appeared to heal, she said.

Jochems has an ag business degree minor and was unsure whether to pursue a career in that area.

“I decided to take the remote sensing class here this fall, and it just blew my mind. It is so fascinating,” she said. “It just seemed so interesting to me just to think about how we can use satellites to look at agriculture — two things that if you asked me a semester ago, I would not have pieced together to have any connections to each other.”

In addition to what she’s learned, Jochems will earn a certificate in remote sensing, offered by UW’s Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WYGISC). The course is taught by Ramesh Sivanpillai, research scientist at WYGISC.