Pasco County Is Now Using a "Hydrone" to Map Local Waterways — And It Could Help Solve Flooding Problems

PASCO COUNTY / WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — Pasco County's Survey Division has quietly added a remarkable new piece of technology to its toolkit, and it's already being put to work on local waterways. It's called a hydrone — a lightweight, remote-controlled craft that glides across the surface of water, collecting underwater data using real-time sonar and GPS.

Think of it as a drone, but for water. Instead of flying through the air and capturing aerial imagery, the hydrone skims across the surface of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water — using sonar technology to map what's hidden underneath without anyone having to get wet.

How It Works 

"You just walk over there, drop it in the water and it goes," said Alex Parnes, county surveyor for Pasco County. "In the era of drones and unmanned vehicles, they have now a hydrographic drone. It's called a USV, or unmanned surface vehicle, and you could do almost everything that you can do in any other type of hydrographic surveying with an unmanned vehicle."

What looks like a yellow remote-controlled boat is actually a sophisticated piece of survey equipment — capable of producing precise underwater topographical maps that were previously only achievable through expensive manned boat operations or by sending surveyors into the water directly.

What It's Already Done 

There are a few projects Parnes says they have already completed with the new hydrone, including the Perin Ranch Road Bridge and the Grand Boulevard Bridge over the Cotee River. Both projects required detailed underwater mapping to assess the condition of bridge infrastructure — exactly the kind of work the hydrone handles faster, safer, and more affordably than traditional methods.

Why It Matters for Wesley Chapel 

Pasco County's rapid growth has placed significant demands on its stormwater and drainage infrastructure — particularly in fast-developing communities like Wesley Chapel where retention ponds, waterways, and drainage systems are critical to managing Florida's heavy seasonal rainfall. Better underwater mapping means better data for engineers designing and maintaining the systems that keep neighborhoods dry. Parnes says they hope to get another hydrone in the near future — a sign the technology is proving its value quickly.