M.C. Wright & Associates Ltd.

Spatial Analysis

Mar 3, 2022

The collection of geographic data (Geomatics) and the organization of that data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an integral part of understanding the natural environment and natural resource projects. If you are in the planning stages of a restoration or development project, we organize and provide existing GIS data to understand the historical context of an area. Using online GIS databases (e.g. dataBC), historical aerial photographs or old paper maps, we can help you understand how an ecosystem has come to its current state.

We improve upon existing datasets by collecting accurate and precise spatial data, tailored to the needs of each project. Using a variety of technologies including on the ground GNSS surveys, LiDAR, total station surveys, and drone mapping, we collect spatial data to show what the area looks like in the current moment. We use these tools to survey & classify ecological features at a variety of spatial scales – anything from the path and morphology of a small stream, to land cover and vegetation communities in a large estuary, to physical and biological classification of an entire coastline. This allows us to provide you with up-to-date data describing the geography and biology of an area. From this data we can perform additional analysis, such as characterizing current habitat suitability and species distribution for a species of interest, creating models to estimate the impact of a development project, or modeling the potential impact of a natural disturbance such as sea level rise.

Map of River with drone orthoimagery and environmental transects-min

Data Collection

GNSS (GPS) positioning of features, environmental gradients
Drone orthoimagery collection to see a landscape aerial view
Total station surveys
Bathymetric and water column data with our SONAR, ADCP and ROV

Map 4 Upper Taylor As-Built Upstream Overview-min

Data Analysis and Visualization

Terrain mapping and modeling (3D models, hillshades, aspect, insolation)
Orthomosaics for up-to-date basemaps
Cartography and map presentation
Landscape change detection
As-built surveys of construction or restoration sites
Environmental impact footprint mapping

LIDAR relief map showing restoration channels-min

Reporting

Detailed report of project scope, rationale, actions and results
Topographic survey drawings
Spatial database
Aerial/underwater images for context

Freshwater Habitat Assessment and Mapping

Feb 28, 2022

Habitat assessments look at the state of the environment to understand what biological elements are using the habitat and how they may be potentially affected by a project. Since habitat availability is a limiting factor for many species, this is a vital component to risk managing the conflicts and constraints of a project.

As governmentally recognized Qualified Environmental Professionals (QEP), we can modify habitat assessments towards the collection of baseline data, impact assessments, natural resource inventories, climate change studies or post-construction effectiveness monitoring.

Recently, we have started engaging in the use of Environmental-DNA (eDNA) collection and analysis to provide evidence for the presence of rare or difficult to find species within an ecosystem. This tool and others help to build up a picture of how the habitat is performing and helps guide future management of the site.

MC Wright training in habitat assessment-min

Freshwater baseline and impact assessments

Critical habitat and sensitive species identification
Habitat and impact classification
Identifying compensation requirements and / or compliance with operational guidelines

Lakes, streams and wetlands

Fish surveys, enumeration and fish habitat assessments
Fish passage culvert assessments and stream classifications
Construction in-stream work isolation, fish salvage and channel restoration
Environmental Flow Needs

Riparian habitat assessments

Riparian Areas Regulation Assessments
Amphibian surveys and salvage
Riparian restoration plans and monitoring

Sampling

Environmental DNA (eDNA)
For fish aging, population studies
Water and sediment quality for baseline and impact analysis
Benthic and drift invertebrates for baseline and impact analysis
Vegetation for baseline, sensitive species identification

Accurate habitat imaging and mapping

Upland surveying and terrain modeling
Bathymetric profiling
Site surveying and GIS mapping using sonar, acoustic positioning, and dGPS
Underwater and aerial imaging and videography

Tools in our kit include

Snorkel and SCUBA surveys, drop cameras
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)
Total Station, Rod and Level survey
Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS or ‘drones’)

Eagle feeding on salmon at restored habitat

Bear standing in restored habitat feeding on salmon

Marine Habitat Assessment and Mapping

Mar 3, 2022

Habitat assessments look at the state of the environment to understand what biological elements are using the habitat and how they may be potentially affected by a project. Since habitat availability is a limiting factor for marine species, this is a vital component to risk managing the conflicts and constraints of a project. Our experienced multi-disciplinary team of WCB certified commercial SCUBA divers, biologists and technicians specializing in marine biology have the experience to identify habitat types, extents and sensitivity in a dynamic marine environment.

Scuba Diver laying transect along fucus algae

Marine subtidal, intertidal and estuarine ecosystems

Baseline and impact assessments
Critical habitat and sensitive species identification
Compensation requirements and / or compliance with operational guidelines
Habitat and impact classification
Example projects include log dumps, dock installations, boat ramps, industrial facilities

Organism Sampling And Identification

Surveys for important species such as abalone and eelgrass
Identify forage fish (sand lance, smelt and herring) spawning areas
ID the biodiversity of macroalgae, invertebrates and vertebrates
Eelgrass transplanting
Kelp propagation

Accurate Habitat Imaging And Mapping

Upland, foreshore surveying and terrain modeling
Intertidal and subtidal Bathymetric profiling
GIS mapping using sonar, acoustic positioning, and dGPS
Underwater and aerial imaging and videography

Tools In Our Kit Include:

Snorkel and SCUBA surveys, drop cameras
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS or ‘drones’)
Satellite imaging for historical context
SONAR surveys

We assist our clients in defining a project’s scope of impacts, identifying which habitat features are most likely to be impacted now or in to the future. We develop site-specific plans to mitigate or offset potential impacts followed by post-construction effectiveness monitoring. Should your project require compensation to offset unavoidable impacts, we offer years of experience in marine habitat restoration and habitat banking. We will manage each project efficiently and effectively within the constraints of time and budget.

Time-lapse of an estuarine vegetation inventory

Eelgrass survey from a drone flight over a marine lake

NCompas Media

Mar 3, 2022

NCompas Media is a media management solution that stores and organizes project related photographs, videos and documents. It generates professional and flexible reports that can be viewed, saved and downloaded as a PDF file.
NCompas Media is designed for commercial applications and complex, multi-phase projects that require detailed sorting and filtering capabilities for thousands of photos and documents. Database management is web based so that users can view and organize projects from a web browser anywhere they have an internet connection.

Key Features of NCompas Media:

Links field data with a specific project (photographs, videos and documents)
Efficient and secure method of storing, organizing and managing project media
Easy to implement within an organization and requires no re-arranging of current data structure.
Custom data fields associated with each photo – e.g. comments, coordinates, fish metrics and more

Collect

Collect photos using the Photo Station Monitoring App which can sync photos and data to the NCompas Media database and share across multiple users
Each photo can have custom comments, GPS coordinates, water discharge, fish metrics and more.
Upload most common digital files you want associated with a particular project
Search operators to find photos by key terms (e.g. project name, location) and send them to your mobile device
Photo Station Monitoring App auto-populates data fields for each photo as you upload

Manage

Secure and organize data by assigning user permissions to access
Organize and retrieve project information using detailed filtering options (e.g. phase, type, date, location…)
Easily produce annotated photo reports that can be drag and dropped into any order
Export CSV’s of photo metadata to quickly summarize for analysis (e.g. fish weights by site)
Records changes over time with different monitoring station types

Store

Data is stored on secure servers accessible via web or can be installed locally on client servers
Different levels of photo storage available including retention of RAW photos or other large files
Maintain linkage between photos and their associated data.

Download the NCompas Media User Guide

Photo station monitoring

NCompas Photo Station Monitoring

Mar 3, 2022

The NCompas Photo Station Monitoring (PSM) app was created to attach comments and key metadata to field photos as well as to make repeat photography easier. Photo station monitoring (also called photo point monitoring), is the process of documenting changes in an area of interest over time by taking repeat photographs from a static location and camera angle. In essence, creating a time-lapse of landscape change. The app’s ‘ghosting’ feature allows users to precisely replicate a reference photo, even if users are using different cameras.

For general field work, one of the most vital tasks is attaching comments to photos, indicating what the purpose of the photo is and why the photo is important for reference. The PSM allows the user to collect photos from a mobile device, associate specific data (e.g. comments, bearing, location) with each photo and then sync the collected photos and data directly into the NCompas Media database. The database than allows anyone with the PSM app to view and upload these photos to their own mobile device.

Key Features:

Ghosting allows users to replicate photos years apart
Associate and record 24 custom data fields with each photo
Examples include: Comments, GPS coordinates, water discharge, fish metrics and more.
Sync photos and data to the NCompas Media database and share across multiple users
Batch upload and organize multiple photos at a time
Save hours in the field by having drop down fields that fill in common information

Organism Sampling And Identification

Surveys for important species such as abalone and eelgrass
Identify forage fish (sand lance, smelt anherring ) spawning areas
ID the biodiversity of macroalgae, invertebrates and vertebrates
Eelgrass transplanting
Kelp propagation

The app is currently available for iOS and Android devices, Windows versions will be available soon. The app integrates completely with NCompas Media database and allows photos and data transmission via Wi-Fi or a cellular phone network.

For more information or to discuss specific project requirements, please contact us

NCompas Photo Station Monitoring App

Mapping

Apr 4, 2022

Maps are needed for all types of projects. Whether one must evaluate the health of an ecosystem, plan the construction of a trail network, determine changes over time in land use, or any number of other tasks, having a visual depiction is essential to achieving those goals. Beyond merely presenting data on a map, such information must also be conveyed in a manner that is easily coherent to the person receiving it. Thus, the key to creating any map can be summarized as three components: Understanding the client’s needs, organizing necessary data, and creating a deliverable that both fully and effectively communicates requirements set out by the project. Additionally, while it is common for the final product to be a digital static version, it is also possible to create georeferenced PDFs, infographics, and online interactive maps.

At M.C. Wright, we specialize in providing custom map products that are tailored to suit your project needs. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a software designed to store and manipulate geographic data, we excel at taking details from a variety of sources and integrating it into a seamless output. Such sources may include remote vehicles such as satellites or drones that are capable of imaging in several wavelengths, fieldwork, and air photos. Furthermore, if information is not readily available, we also possess the means of acquiring appropriate data through our own resources, which includes drones, survey equipment, and fieldwork.

Marine Habitat Restoration

Mar 3, 2022

Habitat restoration is the process of returning a degraded habitat to a stable state that mimics its former pre-disturbed condition. Degradation can occur because of unnatural amounts of sediment, debris and solid structures, which often smother subtidal and intertidal marine life. This may create barren tracts of sea floor which lack 3-D habitat structure and points of attachment for kelp and algae. Or the bacteria which decompose submerged woody debris from log handling activities, reduces dissolved oxygen required for benthic and other aquatic organisms to thrive. Shoreline habitats can be impacted by the placement of artificial structures such as boat ramps, wharfs, or shoreline fills associated with coastal development projects

Habitat restoration is a stepping stone towards correcting imbalances from historical practices or cumulative impact of overdeveloped shorelines. By restoring habitat structure for intertidal salt marshes and sea grasses, high value marine habitat is produced that provides critical food sources and shelter to a variety of marine organisms. Habitat restoration stabilizes coastlines and marine sediments and acts as a valuable carbon sink in the fight against climate change.

Initial baseline surveys

Site identification and mapping
Species inventory and analysis
Water quality analysis

Restoration Prescription

Conceptual to detailed designs and reports
Artificial reefs, foreshore reclamation, sediment capping
Terrain modeling using SCUBA, ROV and sonar surveys
Sediment and drainage management plans
Regulatory agency approval processing

Eelgrass quadrat measuring abundance-min