Drone photogrammetry builds a dense point cloud from overlapping aerial photos, then measures cut, fill, and stockpile volumes by comparing surfaces. Here is how accurate it is, what FAA Part 107 requires, and the two Colorado-specific wrinkles — federal-aid hardware restrictions and land surveyor licensure — that decide how the data can be used.

Colorado's infrastructure still grades a C-, but the money moving through the State Revolving Funds and Water Plan grants has widened considerably. Here is what that funding looks like on the ground in 2026 — from Montrose's $33.6 million plant expansion to 11 miles of new gravity mains in Colorado Springs — and what those jobs demand from the contractors building them.

The 2026 Southern Colorado Construction Career Days lands Thursday, September 10 at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs. Here's how the day runs, the permission forms schools have to sort out in advance, the volunteer roles contractors can fill, and the workforce numbers behind why the industry keeps showing up.