ROBINSON, ND ( KXNET ) — This week, you may notice a helicopter in the air east of Bismarck cruising over miles of farmland.

That’s because researchers want a more detailed look at the water beneath our feet.

The helicopter is part of an aerial electromagnetic survey by the State Department of Water Resources.

The state hired the company Aqua Geo Frameworks, which uses a large antenna that is suspended beneath the helicopter and covers nearly 1,500 square miles.

The data will give water department staff a more detailed look at underground aquifers, as well as minerals beneath the surface — which could be clay, sand, or rock.

“They have a good drilling database,” explained Aqua Geo Frameworks representative Jared Abraham, “but you don’t have a drill foot every hundred feet. That’s impossible — it makes no sense. But by combining the airborne geophysics with the drill holes, they get a much more refined vision of what’s in the earth. Part of our goal here is to sustainably manage our groundwater resources, and also effectively put as much water to beneficial use as we can, so this is just an additional tool that will further advance our ability to do that.”

The research project is happening in parts of Kidder and Stutsman Counties.

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