Lidar capture / Farm drainage
Field elevation mapping for Alberta farm drainage
A centimetre level map of where water collects, where it flows and where it would leave the property, before you move dirt or lay tile.
Why it matters
Alberta has announced changes to cropland water management, including removing Water Act approvals for routine work on temporary and seasonal wetlands on private cropland and building a code of practice so tile drainage can proceed by notification. Managed water still has to stay on site and must not harm neighbouring land or infrastructure.
That makes accurate field elevation the starting point for every drainage plan. Lidar measures the whole field densely, including field edges and bush that equipment cannot drive.
What you get
- Centimetre level field elevation map and contours
- Low spots, sloughs and seasonal ponding areas mapped and measured
- Flow paths and watershed boundaries showing where water leaves the field
- Elevation data your drainage contractor uses to plan grade, outlets and tile routes
- Export files for your contractor, GPS steering and farm software
- Multispectral crop health capture available from the same visit
Who uses it
Grain and oilseed growers, tile drainage installers, agronomists and counties reviewing drainage complaints between neighbours.
Capture reference
- Outputs
- Elevation, contours, flow paths
- Best window
- After harvest or before seeding
- Files
- Contractor and farm software ready
- Add on
- Multispectral, same visit
- Captured with
- Lidar plus RGB, one flight
- Coverage
- AB base, BC and SK direct
Example scenario
Illustrative, to show the workflowA grain operation near Vegreville has a full section with sloughs that drown out crop in wet years, and wants to know what can be drained and what has to stay.
- 640 acres are flown after harvest in one day.
- The elevation model shows every low spot, its depth and the area it floods.
- Flow paths show which sloughs drain toward the neighbour's land or a road ditch.
- The grower and their drainage contractor use the maps to plan work that keeps water on the property.
Deliverables in this scenario: Elevation map, contours, ponding depth map, flow paths, contractor ready files.
Have a site like this? Send the location and what your team needs out the other end, and a scoped quote comes back, usually within one business day, with the positioning method and delivery window stated.
Get a quote for this workCommon questions
Answered plainlyDo I still need approval to drain wetlands?
Rules are changing for temporary and seasonal wetlands on private cropland. Permanent wetlands and work that affects neighbours still fall under provincial rules, so check with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas before starting.
When is the best time to fly?
After harvest or before seeding, when the ground is bare and dry, gives the cleanest ground returns.
Is lidar better than an RTK tractor pass?
It is faster and measures the whole field densely, including edges and bush. Many farmers use both.
Sources: Restoring property rights for Alberta farmers (local news report)
Related lidar work
All lidar work
Flood and drainage
Fresh bare earth terrain at centimetre accuracy, captured under the trees and brush along creeks, for flood studies, stormwater design, culvert sizing and county drainage.
Well site and pipeline reclamation
A measured record of the site at each stage: before work, after recontouring and at certificate application.