News
The firm is performing topographic, hydrographic, and UAS (drone) surveying for 3,600 feet of waterway in Portage, Wis.
raSmith is providing surveying services to support an approximately $8 million sediment remediation project for the historic Portage Canal in Portage, Wis. The canal, which is up to 70 feet wide in some areas, is being remediated to address the environmental quality of its water, which has been affected by accumulated sediments and pollutants. raSmith performed topographic and hydrographic (bathymetric) surveying of 3,600 feet of the waterway and UAS (drone) surveying to capture high-resolution orthophotos for enhanced data collection. The surveying work documented the existing site conditions and control points, including data for the Canadian Pacific Railroad bridge. A post-dredging survey will be completed in the near future to compute the volume of materials removed from the canal.
“The surveyors at raSmith are proud to be working on this important project for the City of Portage,” said Bill Henrichs, PLS, raSmith senior project manager. “Our vast surveying capabilities and depth of experience enabled us to overcome project challenges, such as the substantial size of the canal segment and the large amount of sediment in the canal.”
This remediation project, which has been years in the making, represents a collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), City of Portage, and project stakeholders including raSmith to restore the canal for increased use. The project is part of a larger plan to transform the canal area into a community resource and accommodate the Ice Age National Scenic Trail alongside the canal for outdoor recreation. The canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Learn more about raSmith’s services for the Portage Canal project.