Key Contact
Understanding your watercourse above and below the water surface.
Hydraulic and hydrographic surveys of rivers and streams are necessary to determine the water surface elevations, flow lines, under clearance elevations upstream and downstream at any structure, the underwater shapes and features, the conveyance capacity of a waterway’s channel and overbank areas, the extent of specific flood events and the limits of regulated floodplains. At Fisher, we work closely with and support the efforts of our hydraulic engineers and the regulatory agencies to define the areas in which survey data is required. The spacing and location of the hydraulic sections vary depending on the characteristics of the watercourse as well as the purpose of the hydraulic study making this relationship key to successfully complete the model. Our crews obtain the relevant survey data at sufficient intervals to ensure the engineers have sufficient information for design and permitting. This data can include areas where the terrain changes, such as where the flow is constricted or drops rapidly over a falls or rapids; where the alignment of the channel changes, such as at bends in the stream; at hydraulic structures such as bridges, weirs, levees, etc.; at stream confluences; where there are unusual features such as islands and lakes; and at other locations deemed appropriate by the survey and design team. Your project is only as good as the survey obtained. Through a collaborative effort between our survey crews and our design teams, we ensure that the appropriate level of survey data is collected.