Dewberry to provide advanced mapping of Alaska

Fairfax company to map out bodies of water

Published December 7, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Fairfax-based engineering consulting firm Dewberry announced Friday it has won a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) task order to complete updated hydrography (maps of bodies of water) for the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) for approximately 9,880 square miles in northern Alaska.

An amount for the task order was not disclosed.

From 2010 to 2020, Dewberry mapped Alaska with advanced modeling including interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) data and hydro-enforced digital terrain models (DTM). The new modeling created under the Geospatial and Services Contract 3 will triple the amount of NHD features, according to the company.

“The collaborative efforts of USGS, local stakeholders, and private companies such as Dewberry are paramount to making a project like this succeed,” Dewberry Associate Vice President Mark Safran said in a statement. “The updated hydrographic features of the NHD will be a benefit to all inhabitants as well as preserving the wilderness that Alaska is known for for generations to come.”

Founded in 1956, Dewberry offers engineering, geospatial, survey, mapping, environmental and construction services to government and commercial clients. The company employs a total of 2,000 people across more than 50 locations. Last year, it reported $470.8 million in revenue. 

In late July, the company announced it would provide quality assurance services for the entire $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) project — the largest construction project in Virginia and the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) history.

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