In 2025, Storm Geomatics successfully delivered its largest survey project in 19 years: a comprehensive channel and topographic survey of the Middle Nene catchment, Northamptonshire.
This mammoth project spanned 14 months; the primary objective was to provide accurate, Environment Agency-compliant data to support flood risk modelling, improve flood mapping and forecasting, and strengthen resilience planning for local communities. At its peak, 9 specialist Storm Geomatics surveyors worked simultaneously to ensure timely delivery within budget.
“Managing a project of this scale comes down to control and communication. Once you have that, everything else follows” said Tom Atkinson, Lead Senior Surveyor.
Consisting of:
- 1,769 cross sections
- 329 structures; weirs, sluices, bridges
- Environment Agency specification 5.1v compliant
- 3 x 3 man survey teams deployed at the project's peak
Project objectives
- Enable robust flood risk modelling: Deliver high‑accuracy survey data to improve hydraulic model calibration and validation across the Middle Nene.
- Capture complete channel geometry at scale: Floodplain extents & conveyance representation.
- Update gauge information: Update flow and level gauges, including gauge boards.
- Fully compliant EA Technical Standard v5.01 ready for modelling.
- Seamless integration: using GeoRiver® software to improve modelling workflows
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Community impact
Real impact created through data; improving local communities via:
- Better forecasting and earlier warnings for communities along the Middle Nene.
- Smarter Resilience planning that helps prioritise funds to vulnerable areas.
- Reduce disruption & recovering time through improved understanding of flow controls.
- Improved stakeholder engagement by sharing risk maps & preparedness advice.
- Long-term environmental stewardship, enabling nature based solutions to be a possibility.
Storm Geomatics capability
Storm Geomatics deployed multiple specialist survey teams across the project. Senior Surveyor Tom Atkinson provided end‑to‑end technical leadership, ensuring consistency across all fieldwork and data management activities. Using talent from across Storm's workforce ensured delivery capacity without over committing and running into delays. A smart move was to take full advantage of good weather windows to complete site work as a priority.
Survey operations focused on open‑channel cross‑section capture using:
- Integrated GNSS + Total Station surveying, enabling accurate real‑time control.
- Single‑beam echo sounding, deployed in deeper sections unsuitable for pole surveying.
- Specialist survey vessels, including electric outboards used where flows allowed.
- GeoRiver® processing, ensuring efficient and compliant data outputs requested by our client.
“Everything we did was cross‑sections. Where structures were present, we captured them in more detail so the client could model them accurately”, said Tom.
The full article appeared in Issue 11 of Flood Industry magazine (March/April 2026) - view it here.