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.