As part of the deepening of the Kill Van Kull the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is mitigating or restoring wetlands in Woodbridge, NJ. Rogers Surveying was tasked to provide aerial mapping, hydrographic and topographic surveys of the wetlands. After Rogers set the aerial targets our consultant, Geomaps obtained the aerial photos, mapped the photos and provided Rogers with a digital base map.

The seventy (70) acre site consisted of deep creeks and very tall and dense vegetation (phragmities). To effectively evaluate this site Rogers Surveying down loaded these base maps into a notebook computer, mounted on our small amphibious all terrain vehicle. This allowed Rogers to view (in real-time) the areas in which additional data was needed. To address the deep creeks a small boat was utilized with a shallow water echo sounder to survey the irregular creeks.

Once the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers evaluated the data Rogers collected, Rogers was tasked to provide boundary surveys and legal descriptions of this Woodbridge site. Recently two (2) staff members attended a six (6) day training program at Rutgers University on Wetland Delineation, preparing Rogers personnel to define wetland areas in addition to performing the survey.

Photogrammetric, Cross Section, Utility Survey. The scope of work for this work included aerial photography, topographic mapping, utility mapping, and cross sections (channel, bridge, and weir/dam) for the Rahway River Basin Flood Control Study.  The intent of acquiring this survey data is to assist in providing flood damage reduction for the Township of Cranford, NJ.

A 1,900 acre topographic survey, a 500 acre utility survey (storm sewers 12” or greater), 72 river cross sections, 11 bridges, and 3 dams were to be surveyed as part of this effort. Due to the fast approaching “green up or leaf out” of the vegetation along the river bank multiple crews were assigned to this work order. Much of the river was not walkable and needed to be swam. This was accomplished with a fisherman’s fishing tube.

The completion of this work order demonstrated our ability to provide a full range of surveying services, our ability to establish second order class II horizontal and vertical control, our ability to staff this project and to supply crews with the equipment to complete the work order. All CAD work was completed with Microstation and Inroads V8.

March 9, 2009. ROGERS SURVEYING, PLLC was contracted by Castlerock Risk Services to locate a 15,000lb anchor reportedly lost off a ship in Stapleton Anchorage, New York; creating a hazard to navigation in the area. Upon receiving an approximate location of the vessels position at the time loss, Rogers Surveying dispatched a hydrographic survey crew to the site from our office in Staten Island aboard the Red Rogers; a 36 foot catamaran survey vessel.  

The initial task upon arriving on site was to create a search pattern of lines at the last known reported location and bearing of the ship that lost the anchor. Sidescan was deployed immediately and range was set to provide an optimum coverage to resolution ratio given the size of the object and bottom type. The sidescan survey commenced at 11:39 and at 12:01 we located an object resembling the description. The target was then run out at a smaller range and deeper tow to give us the best resolution to determine the type and size of the anchor. It was then confirmed as the correct anchor size and type. Our multibeam system was then used to find the precise depth of and around the anchor. Multibeam data was tide corrected using real-time RTK during the survey. Data was transferred to the office for final processing and submitted to the client.

The client determined that an extraction would occur on March 14th. The survey vessel Red Rogers once again transited to the site where a buoy was deployed to mark the anchor location. A spud barge was placed along side the buoy for extraction. Divers descended the buoy and were guided to the precise location by real-time sidescan provided by Rogers. The anchor was attached to the crane barge via a steel cable and was safely removed from the bottom.

Rogers Surveying was tasked to survey almost 20 miles of the Passaic River, from its mouth to the Dundee Dam. The purpose of this survey was to collect enough hydrographic data to ensure the success of restoring this part of the Passaic River to its original bathymetry. The water depth of the project area ranged from 30’ to 0’, so to meet all the specifications of this assignment, Rogers Surveying utilized three (3) survey vessels.

The “Fin Kennedy” a 25‘catamaran supported the data collection from the mouth to mile 15. From mile 15 to mile 18 the “ M Rogers” a 17’ Boston Whaler was used and from mile 18 to Dundee Dam a 13’ aluminum “game fisher” brought us to within a mile of completion.

The last mile of the survey was the most difficult, as the depth ran from 4’ to 0’. This portion of the survey was completed by walking the river with “hip waders” and collecting data with a robotic total station. To ensure a successful restoration of the river a significant amount of data was collected “shoreline to shoreline”.  At completion, Rogers Surveying, P.L.L.C. proudly provided the data accuracy; timely scheduling and cost effectiveness the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been promised.

An ecosystem restoration project is being proposed for 3 sites (250 acres) within the Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ. The goal of the project is to create intertidal habitat by re-grading the banks of creeks, removing Phragmites, and creating new graded tidal creeks. Upland scrub/shrub habitat will be created / restored in the locations where the cut fill will be placed. A hydraulic analysis will be done to aid in the design of the re-grading plan.  The analysis needed recent, detailed, geographic information to determine the water movement and potential sediment scouring/deposition in the study area. This will be achieved by developing topographic/bathymetric mapping, by surveying the marsh and open channel cross sections of the existing creek channels and comparing this existing condition mapping to the proposed re-grading plans.

This type of survey is extremely challenging. It requires many disciplines of surveying, including but not limited to aerial, topographic, hydrographic. The vegetation is so dense that even with our small amphibious vehicles which are used to transit the sites and collect data there is a constant risk. Geo referenced aerial photographs are loaded into the onboard data collection computer. This allows the operator to “see” in real time when he may be approaching a creek or pond. These surveys require bio bench mark locations, creek cross sections, and photography. This is accomplished using a wide variety of tools from amphibious vehicles, Jon boat, tubes, ladders, mud shoes, waders etc.

In December of 2001, Rogers Surveying began to perform single beam hydrographic surveys and volume computations of the New Jersey Marine Terminal in Port Newark for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under an “On Call” contract. The initial assignment was to perform a hydrographic survey for sixty-two (62) berths, twice a year with dredge templates created and volumes calculated.

Using differential GPS for positioning and single beam sounding technology, our surveying vessel was mobilized and ready to survey within an hour of a call by the Port Authority.  Being a very busy commercial docking facility, the berths were surveyed as they became vacant, subsequently many visits to the site were necessary and onboard editing and quality control checks maximize turnaround of the hydrographic data.  Initial goal was to complete five berths a day.

After our acquisition of multibeam our productivity and turn around time increased greatly, the multibeam survey would not only provide more accurate data but also in minimizing the time the berth would be unavailable due to surveying. The state of art navigation system onboard the RED ROGERS allows surveying beneath the large overhead gantry cranes possible.

Today, Rogers Surveying performs multibeam and sidescan sonar surveys for sixty-two (62) berths, twice a year with volumes calculated

As part of a beach fill project Rogers Surveying was tasked to survey numerous groins along the New Jersey shoreline in the vicinity of Lang Branch, New Jersey. These types of survey are very demanding. They are very dangerous and are not for the weak of heart. The surveys require upland and bathymetric survey work. The upland is accomplished by simply topo’ing the portion of the groin that can be reached by long prism poles all the while walking over slime covered boulders, and swimming around them while being smashed against the rocks by incoming waves.

After surveying a few of these groins we decided it best to “armor” the rod men. The rod men were equipped with dry suits, life jackets, jetty shoes, and off the shelf ice hockey gear. The gear included helmets, knee, shin, and forearm and elbow guards.

The bathymetric portion proved a separate challenge all onto itself; This required launching a small Zodiac into the surf, trying to time it between waves as not to swap the boat. Once the boat was past the surf zone it was always in danger of being tossed upon the very sharp boulders of the groin. This was probably some of the most exciting and tiring survey work there is.

Lake Montauk is a very dynamic and constantly changing inlet. The entrance to Lake Montauk inlet, located on the Eastern tip of Long Island, is heavily travelled and constantly shoaling. The harbor is home to a large fleet of commercial fishing vessels and the United States Coast Guard. It is imperative it remain open and safe.

While the survey is fairly straight forward the weather is always an important factor in planning for data collection. A large shoal area on the Eastern side of the inlet almost always presents a challenge. To get the required data in this shoal area requires performing a hydrographic survey at high tide and a topographic survey at low tide.
All survey data is collected and processed using Hypack hydrographic survey software.

Once data is collected and processed volume calculations are always performed and a survey report prepared.

In September 1997, the USEPA de-designated and terminated the use of the Mud Dump Site and simultaneously  re-designated the site and surrounding areas that had been used historically as disposal sites for dredged materials as the HARS.  The HARS is managed to reduce impacts of historical disposal activities at the site to acceptable levels. The need to remediate the HARS is supported by the presence of toxic effects, dioxin bioaccumulation exceeding Category 1 levels in worm tissue, as well as TCDD/PCB contamination in area lobster stocks. Although individual elements of those data do not establish that sediments within the HARS are imminent hazards to the New York Bight Apex ecosystem, living resources, or human health, the collective evidence presents cause for concern, and justifies the need for remediation.

Rogers Surveying was tasked to survey the 15 square miles utilizing multibeam technology. The offshore survey was run around the clock weather and fuel permitting. Sound velocity profiles were collected at a maximum of 3 hours.

Surveys at the HARS site require use of a seabed mounted sensor to record rise and fall of tide. In the past a large surface buoy would mark the location of the sensor and recovery would require a diver. Currently an acoustic release buoy is used for sensor recovery. This speeds the recovery process and is much safer.

All data collected and processed at HARS is completed using Hypack hydrographic surveying software.

As part of studying the migration of contaminated sediment into the busy shipping port of Newark Bay the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required complete bathymetry of 12 nautical miles of the lower Hackensack River from shoreline to shoreline (as close a physically possible). 12 miles of a highly tidal dynamic river required the use of RTK GPS to monitor and record water levels aboard the survey vessel Red Rogers.

Numerous gauges were established along the river using RTK GPS referenced to numerous National Geodetic Survey (NGS) control points. Vessel “float tests” were performed at each gauge and adjusted at each step or plane in survey datum. All data was collected and processed using Hypack hydrographic software.

The URS Corporation was contracted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to produce work maps to update the 100 and 500-year floodplains. The areas were located in and around the watersheds of the Susquehanna, Delaware and Mohawk Rivers located in New York, New Jersey and portions of Pennsylvania. Rogers Surveying was selected to perform hydrographic and upland surveying for a portion of the Susquehanna River.

The Rogers, surveying crews were provided with a plan view and a vicinity map of each study area over a thirty-seven (37) mile stretch of the Susquehanna River. URS selected and identified the cross-sections and levee locations on a map. These locations were than translated into geo referenced digital ortho photos by Rogers, coordinates of the section line ends were up-loaded into hand held GPS receivers. These lines were than navigated to down the river using shallow draft Jon boats. Once at the location, RTK GPS was used to set a pair of points (sometimes in the middle of the somewhat shallow river). With the heavy tree canopy on the river banks robotic total stations were used to collect a majority of data. All cross sections were photographed and sketches prepared.  URS verified the tabulated survey data, cross-section sketches and photos.

The final report included a survey plan, identification of primary controls, elevations, descriptions of ERMs and benchmarks used or established. All surveying was performed to FEMA’s Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Mapping Partners.

For the transfer of real property, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District was responsible to obtain a boundary survey of the STRATFORD ARMY ENGINE PLANT (FORMERLY AIR FORCE PLANT NO. 43). The SOW included 3 separate parcels of property. Tract 1 - 51 acres, Tract 2 – 21 acres and Tract 3 – 3.5 acres. The timely completion of this survey was critical in the transfer of property.

Two (2) crews were dispatched to the site. One crew was to commence the location of all structures, fences, walls, etc. The other crew was to conduct research at the local county clerk office. The research included deeds, recorded surveys, Connecticut State Highway monuments, and easements.

Once field and filed data was collected the crews returned to our office. The collected field and filed data was processed and plotted. The recorded lines were than “overlayed” on the collected field data and a “best fit” was determined with excellent results. Once plots were complete one crew returned to the site to monument boundary corners. Upon their return to our office the survey was updated to reflect the monuments set and metes and bounds descriptions were prepared.

Surveys were completed in the Connecticut State Plane NAD83 system and in a data format acceptable to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District.

Rogers Surveying, PLLC and Offshore & Coastal Technologies, Inc. performed a series of beach monumentation and shoreline/profile surveys along the southern coast of Long Island, New York, from February to March of 2003. The project area ran from East Rockaway Inlet to Montauk Point. These surveys were performed for the State ACNYMP Program.