We are proud to receive many award-winning recognitions by our clients

Duval County Beach Post Huricaine Matthew

While in the early stages of the Duval County Beach Nourishment Project being undertaken by the Corps and local governments, hurricane Matthew struck the coast. Before continuing the project, Degrove was tasked with providing a survey to assess the loss of beach sand. This survey was accomplished within two days. Based on the survey data the beach template was redesigned and construction has continued. 

C. W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir Multibeam and Side Scan Survey

Degrove was tasked with completing multibeam and side scan surveys of the C. W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir. Coverage included the complete reservoir to 4 feet below the sonar head. The survey was completed utilizing a Reson 8125 high resolution multibeam sonar for swath bathymetry, an EdgeTech 4125 side scan sonar and a POS MV Surfmaster Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for motion correction and positioning. The RTK/GPS corrections were supplied by a Dual Frequency GPS receiver set on a nearby control point transmitting GPS corrections to the POS MV via cellular modem from the monument established by the control survey.
A patch test was performed prior to commencement of the survey to calibrate the system. Sound Velocity readings were taken periodically during the survey with an Odom Digibar to correct for speed of sound during processing. The horizontal and vertical system offsets were verified by checking in over a known control point while the boat was still on the trailer.
The survey requirements included the necessity for 25% overlap of swath data and 100% overlap for the side scan data. 
The hydrographic data was collected and processed with Hypack and Hysweep hydrographic software.

Amazon Distribution Center

The distribution center is anticipated to bring Jacksonville 1,500 jobs, the single largest jobs announcement in Jacksonville history and $200 million in capital investment. The $200 million facility will be located on a plot of land at the corner of Interstate 295 and Duval Road, according to project documents. The bulk of the site — 148 acres known as Broward Signature had been owned by Signature Land, while another 22 acres belonged to CRM Florida Properties LLC of Atlanta. Degrove has been involved in all phases of this project, including an ALTA/NSPS boundary survey, topographic, tree and construction layout surveys.
To make the site work, a 2,000-foot-long section of Pecan Park Road would need to be realigned, during which it would be turned into a four-lane road, according to details on the project included with the legislation.

Randy Tompkins elected FSMS Director

Randy Tompkins PSM, Project Manager for Degrove, was elected as a director representing District 2 of the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society.

Degrove Awarded Contract with the USACE

Degrove has been awarded a third consecutive Indefinite Delivery Contract for Topographic and Hydrographic Surveying and Mapping Services to support the Jacksonville District and the South Atlantic Division. 

Degrove Attends FSBPA Tech Conference as the Featured Exhibitor

Degrove, a long time supporter of the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA), was invited to attend the 2015 Technical Conference as the Featured Exhibitor.  In addition to our typical presence in the exhibit hall, Degrove was given the opportunity to give a brief presentation at the Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida.  The presentation focused on two things that make Degrove a superior asset to any coastal project requiring survey support: our team and our project experience.  Our team of professional surveyors and certified hydrographers offer a diverse level of expertise that is rarely found in a single, small business survey firm.  These team leaders, combined with our diverse project experience, provide assurance that Degrove maintains not only an ability to provide the services, but an elevated level of expertise in coastal surveying. 

Degrove Completes Side Scan Survey of Artificial Reefs – St. Johns River

Degrove provided side scan surveys of two recently-constructed artificial reefs in the St. Johns River.  The reefs, located south of downtown Jacksonville, Florida, are designed to attract game fish.

The following excerpt was taken from an article published on jacksonville.com, with the full article being available here.

The habitat enhancement project was started by the Jacksonville chapter of the Costal Conservation Association. The overall project, which doesn’t include the cost of three years of research on the reefs, cost $59,000 and was covered in part by $30,000 from country singer Kenny Chesney. The Florida Department of Wildlife and Conservation also awarded CCA a $30,000 grant for the project.

CCA enlisted TISIRI, a nonprofit organization that has installed artificial reefs off the coast of North Florida, to manage the project. Joe Kistel, director of TISIRI, said this project was the state’s first artificial concrete reef in an urban river.

Pictured below: some of the side scan sonar imagery of the northerly reef, captured during the survey.

Degrove Completes Multibeam Hydrographic Survey for NAVFAC SE at Naval Station Mayport

Degrove Surveyors recently completed a multibeam hydrographic survey for the NAVFAC Underwater Electro-Magnetic Measurement System (UEMMS) Type VI Upgrade Project at Naval Station Mayport in Mayport, Florida. This project upgraded an existing Type V magnetic measurement range.

Degrove completed the post-construction survey of the one-half square mile project area, located on the river bottom of the Naval Station Mayport ship channel in the St. Johns River. The survey was used to detect any small shoals, lumps, or areas above the navigation channel limit of -50 feet MLLW that may require the contractor to send down additional divers to rake the area.

Due to the high accuracy requirement of this survey, Degrove utilized the state-of-the-art R2Sonic 2024 multibeam system, along with dual-antenna RTK GPS for positioning and a CODA Octopus F175 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for motion detection. We employed this system on our 26’ SeaArk survey vessel with twin 150 horsepower engines. Patch tests and performance tests were completed within days of the survey to ensure that all offsets and calibrations were correct. A sound velocity probe was mounted at the multibeam transducer to account for real time changes in sound velocity, and full sound velocity profiles were taken every two hours. Accurate measurement of the sound velocity was especially critical on this project due to the dynamic water conditions near the mouth of the river, as well as the water depth.

Maps were produced showing one foot contour intervals and dense spot elevations. Degrove delivered hard copy maps as well as electronic CAD files.

Degrove Completing Hydro/Topo Survey for Beach Monitoring in Duval County, FL – Supporting USACE

Degrove Surveyors, as part of our continuing services contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, is near completion of a hydrographic and topographic survey for beach monitoring in Duval County, Florida.  The survey area includes nearly 11 miles of coastline, from the St. Johns River Inlet at Mayport, southerly to the northern part of St. Johns County.  Survey data was achieved from the Coastal Construction Line on the landward side, out to 3,000 feet offshore. 

Topographic field crews utilized RTK GPS to attain data onshore and out to a safe wading depth at low tide.  Hydrographic data was collected in Degrove’s 26-foot SeaArk.  Nearshore hydrographic data was achieved at high tide, helping to ensure overlap in the topographic and hydrographic data.  The vessel is equipped with RTK GPS for positioning and heading, an electronic transducer and fathometer for soundings, and a motion reference unit (MRU) for determining heave corrections which are applied in the post-processing of the hydrographic data. 

The Corps of Engineers completes these monitoring surveys on an annual basis.  This is the fifth time Degrove has surveyed Duval’s beach in recent years.  We have completed surveys similar to this in many Florida counties on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.  Information is used to aid in planning beach renourishment.

Pictured above: Degrove’s Hydrographic Manager, Ray Niles, PSM, CH, operates the survey vessel to achieve hydrographic data near the Jacksonville Beach Pier (seen in background).

Degrove Continuing to Provide Survey Support on Site 1 Impoundment Project – Palm Beach County, FL

Degrove Surveyors has continued to provide survey support to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, on the Site 1 Impoundment / Fran Reich Preserve Project in Palm Beach County, Florida.  The project is a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and is critical to the long term restoration and environmental sustainability of the Florida Everglades.  The 1,660-acre impoundment area will store excess surface water runoff from the Hillsboro Watershed as well as releases from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Okeechobee.  The project will store water that is currently lost through the Hillsboro Canal to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.  The project will also provide groundwater recharge, reduce seepage from adjacent natural areas, and prevent saltwater intrusion by releasing impounded water back to the Hillsboro Canal when conditions dictate.  While the lead role for project design and construction is the USACE, the South Florida Water Management District (a CERP non-federal sponsor) acquired the land and participated in the conceptual design of the project.  (source).

Degrove has been contributing to this project on an ongoing, as-needed basis since 2012.  Survey needs have varied, with tasks most commonly including topographic / as-built surveys of the D-525N levee / L-40 canal Modifications at various stages of construction.  The survey data is being used for quality control / quality assurance checks by the Corps of Engineers.  Degrove has also completed hydrographic surveys and muck probes, as well as repeated surveys of the sheet pile retaining wall on the north side of D-525N, which holds back the water from the Hillsboro Canal (L-40).  These services have supported USACE efforts to ensure the ongoing stability and safety of the wall.

Site 1 Impoundment – Project Area Map

D-525N levee, looking easterly.  Hillsboro Canal and retaining wall seen on the left.  Future impoundment reservoir area seen on the right.

D-525N levee, looking southerly at the 1,660-acre impoundment reservoir.

D-525N levee, looking westerly.

Southerly side of sheet pile retaining wall and key ditch.  Hillsboro Canal is on the other side of the wall.