Amongst their other expertise, Landform Surveys are Hydrographic Surveyors – providing bathymetric surveys across the North East.
What is a bathymetric survey?
Bathymetric surveys collect data on water bodies including the depth and land beneath the water.
Our hydrographic surveyors use up-to-date equipment to collect data of water bodies such as rivers, lakes and estuaries. We study the beds of the water and illustrate the land that lies beneath to inform flood assessments or project developments.
Why are water body surveys important?
Monitoring water depth and the beds of water bodies are important for a variety of reasons. They are helpful for land development projects such as bridge building, housing and urban planning. Fully understanding the water depth and the land beneath can enable project managers to ensure the plans run smoothly. Understanding what lies beneath a harbour for example also means that ships and vessels can plan their navigation in and out of the bay.
What’s involved?
In rivers lakes and lagoons, we have used a remote control survey boat to obtain bed depths. Fitted with an echo sounder, depths are taken and the positions are recorded using GPS or total station. The advantages of this are great accuracy, full coverage, and not least, means that a surveyor does not need to enter the water, with the associated health and safety risks. Data is processed using our conventional survey software, with the echo sounder depths easily obtainable.
We have used this method to obtain cross sections over wide, deep rivers, for depths of lagoons in quarries, and to map depths over large mud flats. Where large areas are exposed at low tide, a drone can also be utilised to obtain point cloud data and level information. We recently used this technique for a survey of the Wansbeck Estuary in Northumberland.
If you’re looking for a bathymetric survey or want to talk through the best survey for you, get in touch.
