The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, has contracted with WMR-532, the joint venture of Woolpert and Optimal Geo, to provide bathymetric and topographic lidar and imagery in support of the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX).
The five-year, $46 million contract addresses the operation, maintenance and technical support of individual JALBTCX task orders in the 48 contiguous United States (CONUS) and outside the mainland U.S. (OCONUS).
Under this contract, the WMR-532 team will collect and process bathymetric and topographic lidar globally utilizing the government’s Coastal Zone Mapping and Imaging Lidar (CZMIL) systems.
These systems collect valuable high-resolution imagery and 3D data of the beach and shallow water seafloor, including coastal topography, benthic classification and water column characterization.
“The near-shore environment that our WMR-532 team will be surveying under this contract is the least-mapped area on our planet due to the wave action and shallow water depth, which prevent ships from being able to map the ocean floor by traditional acoustic methods,” Jeff Lovin, Woolpert senior vice president and the firm’s director of Government Solutions, said.
“With aerial bathymetric lidar, we are able to efficiently map this near-shore environment and improve safety of navigation.”
Mark Brooks, chief operating officer of Optimal Geo , stated that “WMR-532 appreciates working with the USACE Mobile District and JALBTCX under this contract. Being selected to provide coastal mapping services and products to other districts and agencies is an honor for our team.”
This contract runs through June 2022.