What’s the purpose of our river and flood surveys?
Our flood surveys can support flood risk assessments, environmental management proposals, erosion monitoring or river restoration. We record water levels and significant features around watercourses and waterbodies, including riverbeds and floodplains. With accurate, expert flood and river data, you can make more informed decisions about a site.
Flood risk survey assessments are important in helping to protect communities and infrastructure. The data we obtain can be used to reduce flood risks and design the most effective flood mitigation measures. Our river and ditch surveys can show channel capacity, flow behaviour and floodplain characteristics.
When can you need flood surveys?
Typical projects
Our watercourse and floodplain surveys
Our flood and river surveys have supported projects around a variety of watercourses and waterbodies, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds. We can also support coastal areas, such as harbours or areas with sea and retaining walls. We capture crucial measured data, including key structures such as culverts and pipe outlets. We also record waterlines, the invert levels of watercourses, and water levels for ponds or lakes.
We often work with flood risk assessment consultants or civil engineers, who commission us across a range of projects. We provide highly specific data so they can assess risk or design flood mitigation proposals. Our clients can specify features and the amount of ground level data they need either side of a watercourse or in a floodplain.
Our flood survey data helps ensure their recommendations comply with national and local policy on flood risk. This is set by the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities.
Why choose Cheshire Surveys
We provide a range of surveys and related services across the North West, Cheshire, North Staffordshire and North Wales.
Passion & technical expertise
25+ years experience
Quality services tailored to your project
Meet our team on site
The data we record
We use topographical surveys to provide detailed data that can support flood risk management for a site. We can tailor the details in our watercourse and floodplain surveys for individual projects, so you can fully understand the characteristics of a site.
The topographical surveying can include more than the river, canal, lake or other water body. We can also survey relevant surrounding areas, including vegetation and structures.This can help to identify the current level of flood resistance and potential areas at risk of flooding.
Some projects may need a higher level of detailed information and our enhanced specification supports this. We can provide an accurate record of what has been built to demonstrate that appropriate flood mitigation requirements are in place. You may have requests from statutory agencies to show specific information as part of a planning application. We can support you with this, so the agency can provide their consultation comments on your proposals.
What do our flood surveys show?
Standard Specification
- Water features
- Watercourses (drains, ditches, streams, rivers)
- Waterline
- Water level
- Shore line (detail exposed at low tide)
- Bodies of water (ponds, lakes, reservoirs)
- Top and bottom of banks
- Structures and manmade features
- Weirs
- Locks
- Flood defence structures
- Flood and lock gates
- Flood, harbour, sea and retaining walls
- Sheet piling
- Groynes and sea defences
- Pipes, outfalls and culverts
- Piers, jetties, walkways, gantries, landing stages and bridges
- Fountains
- Waterfalls
- Gabions
- Earthworks
Enhanced Specification
- Water features
- Direction of water flow
- Time of survey for waterline or level
- High water mark (inc. date)
- Low water mark (inc. date)
- Wrack marks
- Bottom bank below water level, surveyed from bank where possible
- Bottom bank below water level, surveyed from within watercourse
- Hard bed levels
- Soft bed and silt levels
- Bed type and material
- Scours
- Crest and spill levels
- Structures and manmade features
- Floating structures and booms
- Pipe, outfall and culvert dimensions
- Machinery and pumps
- Telemetry equipment
- Navigation beacons
- Aprons, footings, sills and bases
- Steps and access ladders
- Mooring posts, bollards, rings and piles
- Life rings and life buoys
- Rubbing strips
- Ornamental water features
- Gauge boards
- Fishing platforms
- Pontoons
- Booms
Speak to our experts
Get free advice or a quote from our experienced team.
We’re known for our reliable, quality service and attention to detail.
How we gather river and flood survey data
Our river and floodplain surveys often require two surveyors for health and safety while working near water. Using the latest surveying equipment ensures our experienced surveyors can provide accurate and reliable data. It also enables our team to survey watercourses safely and efficiently, so you get the most from our time on site.
We use a robotic total station and a GPS kit, which allows us to coordinate to Ordnance Survey grid level with relative accuracy of +/- 20mm, but we can work to a lower tolerance where needed. Sometimes we may also use our laser scanner if we need to provide profile or elevation details.
We will arrange all access requirements with you in advance. You must inform us of any health and safety issues that could impact how we access the site. We will need to have access to all areas. If any of the survey area is outside your ownership, we will also need permission from the landowners.
There may be circumstances where the site visit has to be postponed, such as severe weather, access issues or restrictions on site that impact our ability to carry out the survey. Fair weather conditions and suitable site access are often vital for us to be able to carry out these surveys. We cannot collect data on unsafe sites or in poor weather conditions.
Once the survey has been successfully completed, the surveyor will process the data and create the survey drawing.
We can share the results of our floodplain and river surveys as 2D and 3D drawings. The 3D results are not a model, though they can be used for ground modelling purposes. We can provide cross section drawings at intervals along a watercourse to show a cut through from bank to bank.
We can also provide details of the elevations of structures along the watercourse, such as bridges and culverts. We can share these in PDF and CAD formats, as well as paper copies.
We keep all river and flood survey data in perpetuity. This means that you can refer to it for future projects, and we’ll have it ready for you to access. However, the industry standard is 7 years and we recommend you review your data every 3 years.
Who we work with
How we work
Step 01
Request a quote
We’ll need your project’s address and a site plan. We’ll then get in touch for a consultation to confirm site details and understand exactly what your project needs.
Step 02
Quote accepted
Once your project is confirmed with us, we’ll arrange a convenient date for your survey.
Step 03
We complete your survey
We’ll visit your project site to carry out the survey. We can meet you on site if needed. We will then process the survey data and create a survey drawing.
Step 04
Receive your survey
We’ll share the survey data with you, usually within a few days. We use industry standard file types and can issue all the drawings in multiple formats.
Explore by project
More surveys we offer
Topographical Surveys
Accurate, scaled plan of a site’s terrain, and a record of the position and levels of both manmade and natural features.
Measured Building Surveys
3D site survey of a building’s layout and structure that can also be used to produce floor plans, elevations and cross-section drawings.
As-Built Surveys
A fully up-to-date record of what has just been constructed, ensuring it matches the proposed plans. Useful for producing further plans that require an accurate site layout.
Boundary Surveys
Clearly understand your boundary lines, remove uncertainty around neighbouring land, and prevent disputes.
Floor Level Surveys
Quality survey check for various floor construction stages, from existing floors to newly constructed slabs.
Garden Surveys
Highly detailed, specialist topographical survey for garden landscaping and redesigns.
GPS Surveys
Ideal for covering large open spaces, like fields, or where access may be restricted or challenging.
Ground Investigation Services
Reliable and accurate location data for ground investigations like CBR tests, boreholes and trial pits. We record data and mark out investigation and monitoring points.
Movement Monitoring Surveys
Tracking and recording movement or alterations, such as crack monitoring and land movements, in either a built structure or a landform.
River & Floodplain Surveys
Surveys of riverbanks and beds, as well as adjacent floodplains. We record water levels and significant features for flood risk assessments and erosion monitoring.
Road Surveys
Comprehensive record of current road layouts and levels, including kerbs, street furniture and road markings. Ideal for visibility splays and new highways designs.
Setting Out
Geocordinated setting out services for building groundworks and steelworks for new housing, commercial and industrial sites.
Surveys for Land Registry Title Plans
Site surveys for creating Land Registry compliant plans to record areas of sale, transfer, correction or first registration.
Volumetric Surveys & Terrain Models
Measuring the total amount of stockpiled, extracted or collected materials and aggregates. Suitable for construction, calculating and auditing.
