The Mission - to delineate 120 acres of wetlands in 20 basins within 320 acres of dense, heavy, tangled oak forest and to locate the wetland edges to allow for site planning. The forest, crippled by an outbreak of Oak Wilt, is an impenetrable jungle of diseased, dead and dying massive oaks standing stark in the vast greenery. Many of the majestic oaks have been toppled by past windstorms. The blowdown areas are invaded by dense brush and thorny blackberry plants several feet in height which snatch viciously at clothing and exposed skin. Wind toppled oaks extend their claw-like twisted tops into the wetland hindering passage to ecologists attempting to delineate the wetland edge and collect location data. The dense foliage often limits visibility to less than 6 feet.

Location of the wetland edge by using conventional land surveying methods could have cost the client as much as $30,000 and taken 6 weeks. The prospective land buyer needed to minimize up front investment costs in the event that the property could not be used as expected. The solution? Enter Juniper Systems and GPS technology in combination with Svoboda Ecological Resources (SER).

SER is an 8-year old company that specializes in providing natural resources consulting services using innovative yet scientifically proven methods. SER’s emphasis in the past several years has been wetland delineation, permitting, mitigation, restoration, enhancement and hydrology monitoring. Other services SER has performed include projects involving rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species, environmental assessments and impact statements, wildlife habitat management plans, and even a study involving the relocation of some radio broadcast towers. The company is known for its innovative approach to problem solving - that is why SER is one of the first companies to invest in GPS technology for natural resource uses in the Midwest.

When SER was presented with the challenge of completing the delineation of the site described in the opening paragraph, use of state of the art technology was considered. SER had received a brochure from Juniper Systems describing the Pro 2000 computer and LandMark GPS system a few weeks before this challenging project needed to be completed. SER purchased a LandMark GPS package from Juniper Systems for use primarily in locating delineated wetland edges.

After initial testing at the Bear Lake Wetlands Center, an 80 acre farm of wetlands and created prairie grassland owned by SER, the system and its operator, Angela Svoboda were ready for the first field trial. Angie spent about 4 hours in becoming familiar with the equipment and the operational software before using the system in an actual field operation. Operation of the system is simple and straightforward - any one familiar with basic computer technology should be able to use the system after a few hours of familiarization although training would shorten the learning curve considerably.

Use of the LandMark system has changed the way SER provides wetland delineation services to its clients. In the past, a wetland edge would be delineated by a team of wetland ecologists and marked with surveyor’s lath. Land surveyors would then locate the wetland edge using conventional land surveying techniques - a process that was subject to error if lath were removed, moved, or missed in heavy dense cover. Sometimes the survey would be delayed by several days or weeks if the land surveying company was overly busy. Also, the degree of precision provided by land surveyors - .01' - far exceeds the accuracy of wetland delineation methods. The GPS alternative is often a reasonable option.

Wetland edges can be located at the same time that the ecologists are completing the delineation. Accuracy of the GPS unit - submeter accuracy - is still more accurate than the methodology used to establish the wetland edge. The chances of missing edge location points is reduced and errors as a result of moved or missing lath are eliminated.

The Pro2000 field computer is used to store the location of the wetland edge points and also locations of the upland and wetland transect sample points. The area function is used to map the outline of the wetland edge and the line function is used for the transect sample points. Data are downloaded into an office computer and processed using Juniper Systems conversion software to generate data files that are AutoCAD and/or GIS compatible. The data files are then used by our staff to integrate with AutoCAD files generated by site engineers or land surveyors. SER used the conversion software for the 320 acre site and it integrated with the site designer's topographic files readily.

Use of the LandMark GPS System has had a major impact on the way SER conducts many of its field projects today. Since the system was acquired in April of 1998, we have used GPS on nearly 20 projects ranging from wetland edge location for delineations, measuring the area of created wetlands, locating wetland hydrology monitoring well positions, documenting wildlife nest locations, recording the locations of natural wildlife food plots and locating land boundaries for timber harvest. There is no other current technology that has the versatility of GPS applications.


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