Gauging the River

Next up for Team PPS was a whistle stop tour around Gloucestershire on behalf of the Environment Agency.

Not for the first time, we had been appointed to survey benchmarks and the terrain around newly installed gauging stations.

The gauging stations allow both the Environment Agency and the public to keep tabs on river levels across the country (something we are finding quite useful ourselves at the moment when planning site visits!).

There are around 1500 gauging stations in the UK and the latest set to be installed were right here in Gloucestershire.

The job spec for this one involved surveying a cross section through the channel where the gauging station was located and supplying detailed CAD drawings along with control descriptions sheets of stations installed at the site.

The job didn’t get off to the best of starts ‘thanks’ to Storm Debi. Battered by high river levels, wind and rain we were pleasantly perplexed when we were then forced to squint due to bright sunshine!

Within a couple of days the river levels and flow speed reduced, allowing us to complete the job on the English banks of the River Wye, looking over to Wales.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the job came in Gloucester Docks though. Whilst talking through the job with the client we were faced with the most torrential downpour that came down harder than the shower in our hotel rooms. I think it’s fair to say that the River Severn was flowing pretty quickly that afternoon!

It really was a case of all four seasons in the space of a week – all that was missing was some snow. Another job done!