Case Studies

Survey in September Limits Ecological Damage

Scroll

The Background

Date: September 2025

Client: JBA Consulting

Rainham Marshes, managed by the RSPB, is a designated nature reserve and a critical habitat for nesting bird populations. To mitigate ecological impacts, particularly during the sensitive breeding season, all fieldwork was restricted until early September when nesting activity had concluded which limited ecological damage to the reserve.

Process

The Challenge

Access and Site Navigation

Accessing the various watercourses across the Marshes presented significant logistical challenges. The site’s diverse land uses, ranging from protected conservation zones to active agricultural and infrastructure corridors meant the team had to adapt their approach in real time to avoid disrupting operations or wildlife.

Key constraints included:

Predator-proof fencing surrounding the RSPB reserve restricted movement during and between sections.
Landfill operations and landscaping projects posed health and safety considerations.
Active livestock paddocks and other agricultural areas required coordination with landowners.
Transport infrastructure, including major A-roads and railway lines, fragmented access routes and limited equipment movement.
Large tidal sluices and associated structures added technical complexity in terms of data capture and safety planning.

Vegetation and Terrain

Extensive Vegetation required sensitive & strategic survey movement to project the habitat.

The Marshes’ terrain was particularly challenging due to extensive vegetation growth. Large areas had been unmanaged for several years, resulting in extremely dense reed beds and overgrowth, often exceeding 9 feet in height. These obstructed pathways, concealed channel structures, and significantly slowed down progress.
Despite these conditions, surveyors managed to reach most designated sites by navigating through thick foliage and using hand-held tools to clear access points. However, a few isolated locations remained inaccessible without environmental disturbance, which was avoided in line with RSPB guidance.

Process

The Results

Equipment Performance

The use of the Trimble GNSS R980 receiver proved crucial in overcoming the environmental challenges. The unit performed exceptionally well under dense canopy cover, maintaining signal lock and positional accuracy where other receivers typically struggle. This significantly improved data collection efficiency and allowed the survey team to maintain progress across vegetated and constrained areas.

Storm Geomatics Rainham Marshes project required close coordination, technical adaptability, and ecological sensitivity. All channel cross section data was processed using GeoRiver® software and Topographic survey was processed using CAD drawings.

Close coordination, technical adaptability, and ecological sensitivity kept this project on it’s critical path and to deadline. By leveraging high-performance survey equipment and responding dynamically to land-use constraints, Storm Geomatics successfully delivered high-quality data to inform the Environment Agency’s hydraulic model of the area.

“By leveraging high-performance survey equipment and responding dynamically to land-use constraints we were able to deliver high quality data that will contribute hugely to future hydraulic modelling efforts.”