Beach Monitoring Survey at Ocean City Beach and Great Egg Inlet Beach and Inlet Monitoring Survey Ocean City, New Jersey

EMC was tasked to collect surveying data to provide coastal monitoring information for the assessment of beach and shoreline conditions, erosion rates, offshore bar tracking and sediment movement within the requested areas of Long Beach Township, Harvey Cedars, Brant Beach, Ship Bottom, Beach Haven, Holgate Wildlife Refuge and Surf City. The project consisted of 88 predetermined topographic and hydrographic range lines.

Data was to be captured along 188 profiles using a combination of topographic and automated hydrographic surveying techniques. All ranges extended from the established baseline, landward to capture the landward toe of berm, bulkhead or dune and extended seaward to the -30-foot contour or 5000 feet, whichever occurred first. Static and RTK/GPS data collection was performed with Trimble base stations and rovers. RTK was used to collect recovered control points and to collect all topographic data. Hydrographic data was captured using our 26-foot survey vessel, equipped with an Odom MKIII and 3-degree transducer, Trimble SPS855w/RTK tides and POSMV. Weather conditions during the survey were variable with most days producing rough seas and high winds due to the storm activity. Additional crews were mobilized to aid in collection efforts due to poor conditions. Most lines were collected multiple times in attempts to capture corresponding hydrographic data within the timeframe specifications.

 

Trimble Business Center software was used to process the RTK/GPS data. Hypack was used to collect and post process the bathymetric data with PosPac being used to post process trajectory information for attitude and tidal corrections. Once all lines were tide corrected and edited, they were exported line by line as ascii format. All ascii data was combined with topographic data in Trimble Business Center. Data was reviewed edited and exported in final ascii format for creation of the nine-line file and profile mapping. Data was edited to keep the latest set for each line where applicable. During the quality control checking process, any data quality issues encountered were noted for further review. All mapping was performed in AutoCAD Civil 3D. EMC has performed this large-scale beach and shoreline erosion surveys utilizing GPS and single beam technologies for the last three years.