In the arid high desert of the Southwest minimally regulated closed municipal solid waste landfills continue to pose threats to human health, environment, and groundwater even after more than 50 years of closure. The City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department has been overseeing and managing closed landfills for over 25 years. Many aspects of these landfills are a mystery that has been lost to the past. Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, GIS visualization, modeling, and other innovative technologies they strive to better understand the condition of their various closed landfills. These technologies and techniques have helped the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department protect the public and the environment and prepare one closed landfill for annual use as a key part of The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.