cbec was commissioned by Groundwork (in collaboration with the Tyne Estuary Partnership) to undertake topographic and bathymetric surveys of seven sites along an approximately 16 km stretch of the River Tyne, Newcastle
Identified by the Tyne Estuary Partnership, these sites showed potential for habitat enhancements through salt marsh restoration. cbec’s survey collected river bed and infrastructural levels in order to investigate the feasibility and inform the design development of intertidal wetland areas at each site.
The Tyne is a navigable river, which added an element of difficulty to the survey. At each site, cbec’s lead surveyor contacted the Port of Tyne control room to inform it of the survey plan and logistics. This allowed the port to contact other boat users to inform them of the presence of the survey team. Furthermore, this stretch of the Tyne is tidal, so the timing of each survey had to be assessed on a site-specific basis to account for tidal regime. The challenges posed by each site required cbec to utilise a range of survey equipment to ensure that all the relevant data were captured efficiently and safely.
