Know Exactly How Much Is in the Water — and How Much Came Out
Reservoir ownersIrrigation & water storage
Dredging contractorsMining & aggregates
Oil & gasEngineering firms
±5–10 cm
Typical vertical accuracy
USV
Unmanned survey vessel
LiDAR
Shoreline & dry areas
CAD / GIS
Ready deliverables
Storage capacity and dredge quantities are only as good as the surface behind them. We survey the bottom with an unmanned survey vessel and single-beam echo sounder, tie it to site control, and map the shoreline and exposed areas so the above- and below-water surfaces join into one model. From that model we report capacity, change between surveys and dredge volumes — with the QA to back the numbers up.
Using an unmanned vessel keeps people off the water on industrial sites, tailings facilities and steep-sided pits, and the portable setup can be launched at many sites without a ramp, subject to safe access.
What We Survey
Reservoir capacity
- Capacity-elevation tables and curves
- Storage change between surveys
- Inflow, outlet and intake areas
Pre- & post-dredge surveys
- Bottom surface before and after dredging
- Dredged volume and progress tracking
- Reporting for contractor payment
Pits, dugouts & water storage
- Borrow and mine pits, dugouts
- Industrial water and process ponds
- Tailings ponds — see our tailings deliverable
Comparison to design
- Bottom vs. design or target elevation
- Cut/fill maps and cross-sections
- Areas still above design grade
How It Works
- Scope — outline of the water body, required accuracy, design or previous surveys to compare against, and the deliverables you need.
- Control — tie into your site control or establish GNSS control so repeat surveys line up.
- Bathymetry — unmanned survey vessel with a single-beam echo sounder and RTK positioning runs planned survey lines.
- Shoreline & dry areas — mapped by UAV LiDAR or GNSS and merged with the bathymetry on the same datum.
- Processing & volumes — surface model, capacity at elevation increments, and cut/fill against design or a previous survey.
- QA & delivery — check statistics, a QA summary and CAD/GIS deliverables.
Deliverables
Volumes & capacity
- Capacity-elevation table and curve (CSV/PDF)
- Dredge and cut/fill volume report
- Change between survey dates
Surfaces & drawings
- Bottom and merged surface (LandXML, GeoTIFF)
- Contours and cross-sections
- CAD drawings (DWG/DXF)
Data & QA
- Soundings and point data
- GIS layers (SHP/GDB)
- QA summary with accuracy statistics
What Affects the Cost of a Reservoir or Dredge Survey?
Every project is quoted on its own scope. These are the factors that drive it, so you can tell us what matters before we price it.
Water body size & depth
- Surface area or river reach length
- Depth range and required line spacing
Access & safety
- Launch points and site access
- Industrial or tailings-site safety requirements
Accuracy & control
- Required vertical accuracy and datum
- Tie-in to existing site control
Shorelines & dry areas
- Whether banks and exposed areas also need mapping
- Merging above- and below-water surfaces
Deliverables
- Surfaces, contours, sections, capacity curves, volumes
- CAD/GIS formats and reporting needs
Repeat surveys
- One-off capture or scheduled monitoring
- Comparison with previous surveys or design
Frequently Asked Questions
A pre-dredge survey maps the bottom before dredging starts; a post-dredge survey repeats it afterwards on the same control and datum. Comparing the two surfaces gives the volume of material removed, used for planning, progress tracking and contractor payment.
We build a bottom surface from the soundings and compare it with a design surface, a previous survey or a target elevation. The difference is reported as cut and fill volumes, with maps and cross-sections showing where the change occurred.
Yes. From the bathymetric surface and the surrounding topography we calculate storage volume at set elevation increments and deliver it as a table and curve, together with the surface model used to produce it.
Typical vertical accuracy for our single-beam surveys is in the range of ±5–10 cm, depending on water conditions, bottom material and control. Each survey includes a QA summary documenting the achieved accuracy.
Reservoirs, dugouts, borrow and mine pits, industrial water storage, tailings ponds and river reaches across Alberta. Our survey vessel is portable, so it can be launched at many sites without a boat ramp, subject to safe access.
It depends on the size and depth of the water body, access and safety requirements, the accuracy needed, whether shorelines also need mapping, and the deliverables. Send us the location and what you need delivered, and we’ll prepare a quote for your project.
Planning a dredge or need a capacity curve?
Send us the location, an outline of the water body and what you need delivered, and we’ll come back to you with a scoped quote.
Request a Quote