GPS Mapping

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GPS stands for Global Positioning System. There is a network of satellites in orbit around the earth that broadcast radio signals. A GPS receiver down here on Earth can use those signals to determine its own location. It's great for finding your way around in a car, boat, or airplane, but it's also very useful in mapping because it provides an easy way to record locations of things that don't appear on existing maps. The great thing about GPS is that it does all the complicated work, you just have to carry it around.

GPS equipment comes in lots of different flavors. We use "mapping-grade" equipment (ours is a Trimble Pathfinder Pro XR), which is more accurate and reliable than the kind you would likely find in a sporting goods store (or built into a car), but not as accurate as the kind used for surveying. Ours can readily locate things to within a couple of yards, or less than a yard with some effort. That's enough accuracy for a lot of mapping purposes, but it's easier to set up (and lest costly) than the survey-grade equipment.

You may need to map out stormwater outfalls, hiking trails, or streambanks. We can do the mapping for you or train your field staff to do the mapping using our equipment. Either way, once the fieldwork is done we can do the post-processing and deliver files to you that are ready to drop right into a GIS.