Water Resources Management

Since establishment of Compass, the company has had a very strong presence and skills base in the development of datasets and tools for the analysis and management of water resources. The range and potential complexity of these applications vary but share the same benefits of having solid information on which to base decision making. It is on the foundation of this solid data management that additional advanced analysis tools have been developed alongside user friendly methods for getting the derived information to a wider audience of users.

Water Quality

The factors impacting on water quality in river, lakes, coastal and estuarine waters, and the wider oceans can be modelled and predicted using a range of approaches including catchment based assessments, or integration of numerical models with mapping systems. Data on water quality can also be gathered using sensor technology and integrated in an automated fashion with data management and mapping systems.

Systems developed by Compass have included tools for use under the EU Water Framework Directive; for assessment of potential industrial or wastewater discharges; for marine wave, wind and current forecasting; and for assessment of impacts on resources like fisheries and tourism that are dependent on water quality.

Fisheries

Applications of geomatics to fisheries include the capture of data on water and habitat quality that impact on fisheries productivity; the modelling and analysis of impacts such as natural or manmade barriers on fish migration and production; and the sharing of management reports across organisations. These applications are relevant to surface waters and marine fisheries aswell as aquaculture.

Sample solutions delivered include aquaculture licensing and production data integration and reporting;; eels fisheries modelling and management tools development; river morphology survey and modelling using the Compass aerial photographic system, mobile GIS/GPS, and detailed mapping analysis; and fisheries productivity modelling using habitat and fish population metrics.

Flooding

Flood modelling and risk assessment is a critical concern that is well suited to use of geographic technologies. Compass have undertaken advanced works on flood risk and flood attenuation mapping – building comprehensive databases to support decision making and flood management. These works are now supported by services in LIDAR and other high detail survey techniques.

Forecasting & Models

Along with the various data management and assessment tools that are as applicable to the marine as to the terrestrial aquatic environment, the integration of computational and forecast models with mapping systems is particularly relevant to the marine. Compass have developed an approach towards integration of models and webGIS to allow access to forecasts of wind, waves, currents, storm surges and other parameters. This approach has been applied also to hydrology modelling and management reporting.