Sediment Problems in Your Lake? Start With a Lake Map!

Save Significant Money on Dredging Projects with The Mapping Network!

The Mapping Network recently completed a mapping project for a large-scale home owners association in Arkansas.  The large lake had 21 coves and several homeowners were having difficulties accessing their dock due to sedimentation.  Here were some of the questions the HOA management team had:

– where is the highest sedimentation occurring?

– how much fluffy sediment (in cubic yards) is in each cove?

– if the lake is drawn down 5 ft, what would the shoreline look like?

– how much water (gallons and acre-ft) is in the lake?

– if we make each cove a minimum of 4 feet deep for boat access how much material do we need to remove?

– by undertaking this mapping process will it save us money in the end?

The overall goal of the lake mapping project was to survey each cove for future dredging along with the creation of an accurate map of the entire lake.  The lake had 21 coves and The Mapping Network collected water depths over the entire lake and fluffy sediment levels for all areas under 10 feet of water.

3D models were generated to show how much sediment had accumulated in each cove.  Contour maps were also made for each cove and given to the lake manager and engineer to review for dredging planning.  The Mapping Network then created cut-fill calculations and maps based on the specifications of the lake manager.  The HOA then used this information as part of the bid package given to dredging companies.  Presenting the precise plans took out the guess work and kept all the dredging contractors on task and it is projected to save the HOA an estimated $5,000-$12,000 per cove!  An incredible cost savings when compiled over 21 coves.

In the example maps below, The Mapping Network located the areas where the current depth was less than four feet, which was the dredging zone.  The mapping techniques utilized in this project helped the HOA accurately calculate and isolate areas of high sedimentation for removal and helped the property manager budget accordingly.

The bottom line – This powerful information allows for smart management and planning decisions and will serve as a baseline for future projects.  A great value!

A series of maps showing the seleceted area for dredging. The current lake bathymetry (top) and the post-dredge contours (middle) are shown in blue shading. A cut-fill model (bottom) shows areas of cut needed to reach the goal.

The Mapping Network provides the highest quality and is the most affordable bathymetric mapping system on the market today.  If you are serious about maintaining  a high-quality lake or pond, be sure you have the ability to make the best decisions,  get your lake mapped by the professionals at The Mapping Network.   Give us a call or send an e-mail to find out more details.

phone:  (402) 241-8177

e-mail: info@themappingnetwork.com

website: www.themappingnetwork.com

GPS Lake Map Isolates Fishing Hot Spots

Possessing an accurate map of your lake is a great asset to your fishing success.  Greg Grimes with Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc., recently completed a GPS lake mapping project for a client in Georgia.  This is a master planned lake designed specifically for growing trophy large-mouth bass.  Extensive habitat structure, ridges, brush, feeders, etc were carefully placed during construction.  Once the lake was full the client had the lake mapped utilizing The Mapping Network’s lake mapping technology to reveal this unseen, underwater world.  Combining sub-foot accurate equipment and depth accuracies of up to 1/10th of a foot, the resulting maps provided a  picture of the bottom of the lake.  Mr. Grimes was able to provide a map highlighting the ideal fishing zones in the range of 4 feet to 16 feet deep at 1 foot intervals.  This lake map shows the angler exactly where the fishing hot spots are located on the lake.  If you are serious about managing a trophy fishery in your lake contact one of our lake mapping partners to provide the expertise to make it happen!

Custom GPS Lake Map Helps Isolate Fishing Hot Spots in the 4 ft to 16 ft range.

More information on Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc can be found on their website:  http://lakework.com

The Mapping Network:  www.TheMappingNetwork.com

A Nationwide Network of GPS Mapping Professionals

Why GPS Lake Mapping? YouTube Video Explains Lake Bathymetry Benefits

Solitude Lake Management Company, a Lake Mapping Partner with The Mapping Network, offers the most technologically advanced lake mapping services available on the market, providing the most detailed and highest quality mapping products you can buy, for a very affordable price.   Click for examples of our lake mapping.

Equipped with the very latest in GPS surface mapping, bathymetry, 3-D contour imaging, aerial and fly-over video resources and virtual underwater swim-view 3-D mapping, we are able to add layers of depth to the information our customers seek. Whether you are tracking sedimentation, planning for dredging, looking to improve your fishery, or simply looking to understand the overall size, volume, and bottom contour of your pond in order to make good management decisions, we have the tools you need to be successful.

Solitude Lake Management Website on Lake Mapping:  http://www.solitudelakemanagement.com/services/lake-mapping/

Contact Solitude Lake Management here:  http://www.solitudelakemanagement.com/contact/

Find a Lake Mapping Service Provider Here:  Map My Lake

Questions about the lake mapping process and pricing?

E-mail us:  info@themappingnetwork.com

Tax Incentive for Conservation: By Chris Bober

Posted By Chris Bober on January 17, 2011

Last month something amazing happened in Congress. I realize this is not something you have heard lately around the water cooler, but something truly remarkable happened that will make land conservation financially worthwhile for all, and will hopefully become a more permanent fixture in tax provisions in the future.

H.R. 4853 was passed December 17th by congress, which extends enhanced easement incentives for landowners who donate part or all of the value of a conservation easement for conservation purposes. The tax incentive was extended and is retroactive to January 2010 and good through the end of 2011.

• Raises the income tax deduction a landowner can take from 30% of their adjusted gross income to 50%
• Allows farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income if 50% or more of that income comes from farming, ranching, or forestry.
• Increases the time span over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

I feel a meaningful conversation should be shared by my group of professionals and to those of yours who farm, ranch, hunt, and fish, amidst our most precious resource we have, our land. Conserving land can now be equally rewarding from a conservation standpoint, as well as from a financial vantage point. Conserving the land around us is not just for those who have millions of dollars to buy and conserve land to reap tax benefits, but it is for those who work endlessly on their family owned farms and ranches to keep the land safe from development, thanks to recent legislation. Small farm owners now have the opportunity to remain on their land AND preserve it for the future.

A major shift has taken place in Congress, a realization that conservation should be rewarded. For this, we should thank the Land Trust Alliance for all of their hard work in this fight and providing a voice for conservation and land owners. We should also commend those in the Congress who voted for this extension and listened to conservational organizations and agricultural communities around the nation who voiced their concerns about conservation efforts, demanded equality among tax incentives, and developed the idea that permanent conservation efforts need to be rewarded to those who work day in and day out, on the land, with the land, and for the land.

Please pass this information along, support the land trust alliance, and give thanks to those who voted for this change. Our efforts today will make experiencing the outdoors tomorrow and forever, sustainable.

About the author

Chris Bober

Chris Bober is a Sales Associate licensed in Nebraska and Kansas. An All American football player at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Chris played eight years in the NFL for the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. After completing Math & Engineering degrees at UNO, Chris attended business school at Harvard and the Kellogg School of Management. Retiring from the NFL in 2008, he successfully started his own custom apparel business, but the call of the outdoors drew him to Premier Outdoor Properties. Born and raised in Omaha Nebraska, Chris’ passion for the outdoors started at an early age helping his dad teach Nebraska Hunter Safety Certification and training bird dogs for the National Field Trials. He has enjoyed hunting and fishing throughout North America. Whether it’s Muskie fishing in pristine Canadian waters, turkey hunting in upstate New York, big game hunting in the Rocky Mountains, or bass fishing on his own lake, Chris is always seeking the next challenge. If you are looking to buy or sell recreational property Chris Bober has the knowledge and the skill to make it happen. As a property owner himself, Chris’ valuable experience in the purchasing and development of recreational land is an added bonus for his clients. Known for his tireless work ethic and attention to detail, Chris combines a lifetime of outdoor experience and a commitment to excellence that is hard to match.

http://www.chrisboberblog.com/2011/01/17/tax-incentive-for-conservation/

GPS Lake Map Used to Create Dredging Plan

Bathymetric Lake Mapping was performed by Greg Grimes with Aquatic Environmental Services for a landowner in rural Georgia.

The purpose of this project involved mapping the current lake depths and isolating areas for future dredging.  In order to avoid large costs and help the owner budget for sediment removal, Aquatic Environmental Services located the areas where the current depth was less than four feet, which will be the dredging zone.  The mapping techniques utilized in this project helps Aquatic Environmental Services accurately calculate and isolate areas of high sedimentation for removal and helps the property manager budget accordingly.  This powerful information allows for smart management and planning decisions and will serve as a baseline for future projects.

Map showing area less than 4 feet deep which will be dredged to produce a minimum depth of 4 feet. The brown color-shades show the amount of material to be excavated.

The Mapping Network provides the highest quality and is the most affordable bathymetric mapping system on the market today.  If you are serious about maintaining  a high-quality lake or pond, be sure you have the ability to make the best decisions,  get your lake mapped by the professionals at The Mapping Network.   Give us a call or send an e-mail to find out more details.

phone:  (402) 241-8177

e-mail: info@themappingnetwork.com

website: www.themappingnetwork.com

Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc offers a wide range of lake management and fisheries management services to residential, commercial, and private lake owners throughout Georgia and the southeast. We have been providing these quality services since 1996. AES has the experience and education necessary to provide unsurpassed lake and fishery services.  We have selected only the best products available for resale to our customers. Since the year 2000 we have performed services on over 2000 bodies of water.
Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc now has two divisions. Our Lake Management Division (LMD) emphasis is on maximizing the aesthetic appeal of a body of water while our Fishery Management Division (FMD) travels the southeast helping our clients grow big fish. Please visit these pages to find out more specific information on how we can help you with your lake management.

Our staff is comprised of three degreed fishery biologists. Mike Rosa heads LMD and has his B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Georgia. Matthew Morgan is supervisor for FMD and obtained his degree from the famed fishery management program at Auburn University. Greg Grimes, President of AES, obtained his masters in Fisheries from the University of Georgia in 1998 at which time he began the expansion of AES that continues today.

Aquatic Environmental Services, Bathymetric Map, Dredging, Fishing, Fishing Hot Spot Map, Georgia Bathymetry, Georgia Lake, Georgia Lake Map, Georgia Trophy Bass, GPS, GPS Lake, GPS Map, Habitat, Lake Management, Lake Map, Lake Mapping, Lake Survey, Sediment, Sedimentation, The Mapping Network, Trophy Bass Fishing

New Pond Design and Construction

New Pond Construction by Wade Bales, Quality Lakes, Inc. – www.qualitylakes.com

Quality Lakes Inc. was contracted to design a pond for a client to use as a back-up fishing location for their guests on days the St. John’s River was too rough for a guided trip.  The challenge was meeting the permit requirements for maximum surface acreage and maximum storage capacity which limited the overall size of the pond.  By utilizing the lake design tools available through our partnership with The Mapping Network, we were able to design a pond to meet permitting specifications while maximizing fish habitat and access by bank anglers to all regions of the pond.  Construction is underway and should be wrapped up in October.

New lake construction is well underway using the

design created by Quality Lakes and The Mapping Network

Lake design created by Quality Lakes and The Mapping

Network with an emphasis on creating a premium fishery

More information on Quality Lakes, Inc. can be found at their website: www.qualitylakes.com

The Mapping Network:  www.TheMappingNetwork.com

A Nationwide Network of GPS Mapping Professionals

GPS Lake Map

GPS Bathymetric Lake Map

How Does a GPS Lake Map Benefit Owners?

GPS Bathymetric Lake Mapping by The Mapping Network

On the surface, a lake or pond seems serene and effortless to maintain, but under the surface is a complex, dynamic system requiring expert knowledge to produce a perfect balance.  To fully enjoy your lake or pond it is essential to know the facts.  Exact acreage, depths, and chemistry of your lake are critical factors for making the best management decisions.  Armed with this knowledge you will be able to properly place structure, deliver appropriate stocking densities, select the correct fish species, apply the right amount of weed control, and of course gain a better idea where those bass may be hiding!  The Mapping Network maps lakes throughout the entire year but typically the best time to map a lake is from fall until spring, while the weeds are down.  An accurate lake map provides the information needed to make the most of your aquatic resource.   The Mapping Network provides the highest quality and is the most affordable bathymetric mapping system on the market today.  If you are serious about maintaining  a high-quality lake or pond, be sure you have the ability to make the best decisions,  get your lake mapped by the professionals at The Mapping Network.   Give us a call or send an e-mail to find out more details.

phone:  (402) 241-8177

e-mail: info@themappingnetwork.com

website: www.themappingnetwork.com

A Nationwide Network of GPS Mapping Professionals

3D Color-shaded depth map showing the unique charasteristics under the surface of a lake

GPS Lake Map

GPS Bathymetric Lake Map

California Bathymetry: Lake Map for County Park System

Terry McNabb,  President of Aquatechnex, with offices covering the west coast of the United States, had a client request an updated lake map to note current depths and mark sediment depths.  Information gathered during the lake mapping process helped county government officials better comprehend the amount of water in the reservoir and also isolated sedimentation problem areas.  The resulting map provided the baseline depth profile needed for long-term sedimentation monitoring.  The contour data has been loaded into the county GIS database and the maps will be made available to the public to display characteristics of the lake.

3D Color shaded depth map created by Aquatechnex and The Mapping Network for a client near Los Angeles, California

Aquatechnex is a fully integrated lake and aquatic plant management firm that operates primarily in the Western United States and Upper Midwest States.  The company is a recognized expert in the management of invasive aquatic species such as Eurasian Milfoil, Brazilian Elodea, Hydrilla and Water Hyacinth.  The mission of Aquatechnex is to provide solutions to insure the beneficial uses of their clients water bodies are protected.  GPS Bathymetry is a critical management tool for isolating areas of potential invasive vegetation growth.  Lake mapping projects by Aquatechnex have been completed in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington.  Aquatechnex is a nationwide leader in the development and implementation of effective programs using integrated lake and aquatic plant management technologies.  They strive to be the best and be a company that lake groups will seek out for expertise.

Give Aquatechnex a call or visit their website to find out more information.

Terry McNabb

phone: (208) 338-8490

e-mail:  tmcnabb@aquatechnex.com

website:  www.aquatechnex.com

blog:  http://aquatechnex.wordpress.com/

Note:  A full list of certified members of The Mapping Network is found on the right-hand side of the blog under “Partners”

The Mapping Network:  www.TheMappingNetwork.com

A Nationwide Network of GPS Mapping Professionals

GPS Lake Map

GPS Bathymetric Lake Map

GPS Lake Map on New Jersey Golf Course

The Mapping Network and Allied Biological recently completed a lake mapping project for a country club in New Jersey.  The client requested the creation of a detailed lake map for understanding true depths, volume analysis and identify areas needed for dredging.  The maps will be used to generate a lake management plan for water conservation and future dredging.

Since 1982, Allied Biological has been an industry leader in providing lake management consulting and wetland restoration solutions. With an experienced, year-round staff comprised of biologists, environmental scientists and aquatic habitat specialists, our company manages and restores more than 20,000 acres of ponds, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands using a variety of management techniques.Allied Biological provides the largest range of lake and wetland services for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware including:

• Lake Mapping: bathymetric lake mapping, aquatic vegetation mapping, invasive wetland species mapping
• Fisheries Management: fisheries studies, fish removal, fish stocking
• Lake Weed and Algae Control: weed removal through hydro-raking, chemical applications, biomanipulation
• Consulting Services: water quality assessment, feasibility studies, vegetation management plans, lake management plans
• Lake Aeration: Freshlake Aeration and floating fountains
• Wetland Vegetation Control: mechanical removal and chemical applications to control invasive species

For more information about Allied Biological or any of our aquatic restoration & management services, please contact us at 908-850-0303.

In northern New York, please contact us at 607-286-7257.

More information on Allied Biological can be found on their website:  www.alliedbiological.com

 

Aerial map showing color-shaded depth map of the lake.

The Mapping Network:  www.TheMappingNetwork.com

The Mapping Network is a nationwide group of professionals providing the highest quality and most affordable bathymetric and land mapping products on the market today. Our staff has been using GIS and GPS technology for land and water services since 1995. Over the years we have developed proprietary technologies for data collection, analysis and map generation. We have shared our technology with a select group of companies throughout the nation to form the largest, most affordable, and highest quality products of its kind.

GPS Lake Mapping in Action: Locating Trophy Bass in Georgia

Bathymetric Lake Mapping was performed by Greg Grimes with Aquatic Environmental Services for a homeowners association in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.  To read more about the mapping project click here.  During the mapping process in the field, Mr. Grimes was able to notice the main creek channel.  They made sure to collect plenty of data in this area and sure enough the maps showed a defined meandering creek channel.

Mr. Grimes discusses the lake mapping and fish shocking survey process: “When mapping we used our shock boat so knowing this service was part of our management services we performed this service upon completion of mapping.   We shocked up many good bass. The real hot spot was the meandering creek.  Luckily while mapping we tossed out a few marker buoys.  Many large bass floated up right near the markers of the creek channel.  One really cool thing that I would also like to share is that we tagged a bass at the boat ramp and 400 yards away it was shocked an hour later in the creek channel.  It is amazing in a 32 acre lake to get a bass we just shocked but even more amazing is how far the bass traveled in short time.”

So after the fish survey and mapping for the sedimentation it became clear they also were going to use this map for fishing.  During the data processing phase, The Mapping Network provided Aquatic Environmental Services a few GPS coordinates of the hotspots and now the residents can go back and find these locations.  Resident Phyllis Lea did just that; she took her granddaughter to the creek channel using the maps and knowledge it provided and had a morning to remember.

While bathymetric mapping might be primarily for monitoring sediment, never underestimate the power it can have for finding fish as well!

Combining the accuracy of GPS mapping technology and

professional electrofishing management techniques to

create a fishing hot spot map.  An example of the Trophy

Bass found in this lake in Georgia.

The Mapping Network provides the highest quality and is the most affordable bathymetric mapping system on the market today.  If you are serious about maintaining  a high-quality lake or pond, be sure you have the ability to make the best decisions,  get your lake mapped by the professionals at The Mapping Network.   Give us a call or send an e-mail to find out more details.

phone:  (402) 241-8177

e-mail: info@themappingnetwork.com

website: www.themappingnetwork.com

Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc offers a wide range of lake management and fisheries management services to residential, commercial, and private lake owners throughout Georgia and the southeast. We have been providing these quality services since 1996. AES has the experience and education necessary to provide unsurpassed lake and fishery services.  We have selected only the best products available for resale to our customers. Since the year 2000 we have performed services on over 2000 bodies of water.
Aquatic Environmental Services, Inc now has two divisions. Our Lake Management Division (LMD) emphasis is on maximizing the aesthetic appeal of a body of water while our Fishery Management Division (FMD) travels the southeast helping our clients grow big fish. Please visit these pages to find out more specific information on how we can help you with your lake management.

Our staff is comprised of three degreed fishery biologists. Mike Rosa heads LMD and has his B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Georgia. Matthew Morgan is supervisor for FMD and obtained his degree from the famed fishery management program at Auburn University. Greg Grimes, President of AES, obtained his masters in Fisheries from the University of Georgia in 1998 at which time he began the expansion of AES that continues today.

Aquatic Environmental Services, Bathymetric Map, Dredging, Fishing, Fishing Hot Spot Map, Georgia Bathymetry, Georgia Lake, Georgia Lake Map, Georgia Trophy Bass, GPS, GPS Lake, GPS Map, Habitat, Lake Management, Lake Map, Lake Mapping, Lake Survey, Sediment, Sedimentation, The Mapping Network, Trophy Bass Fishing