TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Woolpert has been contracted by Dewberry Engineers Inc. to collect high-resolution lidar data over approximately 10,000 square miles across the peninsula of Florida, from St. Johns County to Palm Beach County, as well as six inland counties in support of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP).

Mike Zoltek, Woolpert senior project manager, said that Woolpert teamed with Dewberry to provide both lidar data collection and deliverable production, based on recommendations from the Florida Statewide Lidar Working group, which is comprised of representatives from the Florida Department of Emergency Management (DEM), the Florida Department of Transportation, as well as representatives from all five Florida Water Management Districts.

“Woolpert was chosen based on its long-standing history of providing successful deliveries of geospatial data to clients across the entire state of Florida,” Zoltek said.

Woolpert will be contracted through Dewberry, which was tasked by the USGS to oversee the collection of the Quality Level 1 (QL1) lidar data for a statewide mapping effort. The $20 million statewide project is being jointly funded by the Florida DEM, USGS and other partner federal agencies. The project will contribute to the 3DEP products and services available through The National Map, which provides information for federal, state and local agencies to effectively address disaster response and flood-related issues, asset management, impervious surface mapping for stormwater management, property valuation, risk management and other mapping needs specific to the wide range of topographies across the country.

The previous large-scale lidar collection for Florida, which is second only to Alaska in miles of coastline per state, took place in 2007-2009 as part of the Florida Coastal Mapping project.

Sam Moffat, Woolpert geospatial program director, said the high density of the QL1 data, collected at 8 points per square meter, will be “by far the most accurate surface model the state has ever had,” enabling features to be mapped that couldn’t be in the past.

“It’s crucial for this data to be collected at a high density since Florida is so flat and prone to hurricanes and flooding,” Moffat said. “Having the most current and accurate elevation data is vital for disaster response and management, flood inundation modeling and to support coastal resilience.”

The Florida lidar collection is scheduled to begin in December 2018, with deliveries beginning in mid-2019.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the fastest growing architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm in the country, delivering value to clients in all 50 states and around the world by strategically blending innovative design and engineering excellence with leading-edge technology and geospatial applications. With a dynamic research and development department, Woolpert works with inventive business partners such as Google and Esri; operates a fleet of planes, sensors and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); and continually pushes industry boundaries by working with advanced water technologies, asset management, building information modeling (BIM) and sustainable design. The firm, which is 95^th among the ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms, supports a mission to help its clients progress and become more progressive. For over 100 years and with 28 offices across the U.S., Woolpert serves federal, state and local governments; private and public companies and universities; energy and transportation departments; and the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit woolpert.com or call 937-531-1258.