DEPARTMENT OF

LANDS AND PLANNING

Survey Control for

Hydrological Monitoring
Systems
Phil Verrall
Senior Geodetic Surveyor
Office of the Surveyor General

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Presentation Content
• Overview of project, objectives and participants

• Technical and logistical factors

• Status of Phase 1 and 2 - observations; reduction,

adjustment of measurements; and analysis of results;
and findings

• Outstanding project commitments

• Comments

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details
• Project Title - Modernisation and Extension of Hydrological
Monitoring Systems Program
• Project Stakeholders –
– OSG : Office of Surveyor General (DLP)
– BoM : Bureau of Meteorology (Commonwealth)
– WRD : Water Resources Division (NRETAS), specifically
• Hydrographic Group
• Groundwater Monitoring Team
• Water Assessment Group
• Water Management Group
• Project theme categories - BoM
– improving the Australian Hydrologic Geospatial Fabric (Surface
Water). - Hydstra
– improving accuracy of measuring networks.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details - continued
• Project Agreement Objectives - OSG / WRD
– To connect the current gauging station network and primary
groundwater monitoring locations (bores) to a common datum ie
GDA94 and AHD (OSG)
– To construct GNSS CORS at Katherine CDU, Douglas Daly and
Kidman Springs Research Farm to budget and within required
timeframe. (OSG)
– To undertake field surveys providing GDA 94 co-ords / AHD
levels for gauging station and monitoring bores within range of
Darwin, Jabiru, Alice Springs, Katherine, Kidman Springs, and
Douglas Daly GNSS CORS to deci-centimeter accuracy.(OSG)
– To compare and model WRD datasets to undertake water
balances and understand surface water to groundwater
interaction. (WRD)

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details - continued
• Project Time Frames
– Two Phase project over two years; starting September 2009,
finishing September 2011
– Phase 1
• Approx 130 gauging stations and bore locations in the
Darwin to Larrimah regions
• 2 x GNSS CORS
– Phase 2
• Approx 120 gauging stations and bore locations in the Alice
Springs and VRD regions
• 1 x GNSS CORS

• Financial Resources
– BoM grants ~ $350 k
– OSG / WRD in kind contributions ~ $200 k

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details – Phase 1

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details – Phase 2

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Details – Phase 2

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Survey Standards / Specifications
• GPS survey method - Classic Static (as per ICSM-SP1)

• Terrestrial survey method – Total Station and / or spirit levelling

• Accuracy requirements - Class C, Order 3

• Connections (less than 20km) - Each GPS network or survey to be

connected to at least 2 known (validated) AHD 71 bench marks and
2 GDA 94 control marks

• Adjustment of results – rigorous least squares (Newgan)

• Co-ordinate Datums – GDA94 and AHD (and AusGeoid 98)

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Project Logistics
• Resources and Actions
– 3 x OSG surveyors, 2 x WRD hydrographic officers, 3 x survey
vehicles, 6 x GNSS field equipment, digital level

– Office and field work relating to survey of gauging stations and

ground water monitoring bores

– Project management and contracting of GNSS CORS

construction and procurement of equipment

– GNSS CORS installation

– GNSS CORS validation and monitoring survey and analysis

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

• Bench mark beside Gauging
Station
• Typical Gauging Station

• Eccentric GPS observation point

• Typical Water Resources Test
bore
Position taken to top of casing for
ease of depth measurement
 Phase 1 Results / Outcomes
• 43 and 128 gauging stations and bores surveyed respectively

• 270 station diagrams / summaries produced

• Phase 1 – least squares adjustment results

Average size of Average SD

Dataset Location Ellipse Ht
a b
Darwin Cox Pennin Howard
Springs Point Stuart Jabiru 0.006 0.005 0.022
Darwin River Batchelor
Adelaide River 0.005 0.004 0.016
Douglas Daly Pine Creek 0.004 0.003 0.015
Katherine Region 0.004 0.003 0.014
Mataranka Larrimah 0.006 0.004 0.019

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

Phase 1 Results / Outcomes - continued

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Phase 1 Results / Outcomes - continued
• 2 x GNSS CORS constructed and operational – Katherine CDU and
Douglas Daly Research Farm

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

Phase 1 Results / Outcomes - continued

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Phase 2 Status
• OSG / WRD - Project Agreement signed

• Gauging stations and ground water monitoring locations finalised for

VRD

• Procurement of GNSS CORS equipment underway

• Relevant approvals relating to the GNSS CORS site (Kidman

Springs Research Facility) are imminent

• Procurement documentation for construction of GNSS CORS to be

finalised

• 80% of Alice Springs gauging stations and ground water monitoring

locations (bores) surveyed

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

GNSS CORS – Kidman Springs Site

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Outstanding Commitments
• Complete tasks of Phase 2
– Complete survey and derive positions / heights for gauging
stations and ground water monitoring locations (bores)
– Construct GNSS CORS and make operational

• Phase 1 and 2
– Propagation of GDA 94 Ellipsoidal heights from GNSS CORS
and AusGeoid 2009

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Comments
• The extension of the GNSS CORS network will allow real time
collection of highly accurate survey data in key development areas
in the Territory where previously there was scant geo location
reference points, especially in the vertical elevation.

• Data from the sites surveyed are now referenced against a common
elevation datum (AHD) allowing comparison, modelling and
analyses between the locations. This is essential for flood forecast
modelling, floodplain studies, groundwater location and volume
determination and the comparison of water quality data within and
between catchments.

• Data is already being used to help determine a potentiometric

surface and groundwater flow paths to provide an updated
interpretation of the hydro geological processes in the Koolpinyah
area – WRD modelling

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Comments
• Data will be fundamental to the National Water Initiative funded “NT
Groundwater Stock take” and future “Australian Water Resource
Assessments”.

• This project has enabled the OSG to collect additional GNSS

verification data for the development of geoidal separation models
and analysis of various vertical reference systems.The GNSS data
collected at known AHD locations used to validate models relating to
various height reference systems such as GNSS, AHD, Mean Sea
level, and our national geodetic datum GDA94.

• The survey has identified several incorrectly located monitoring

locations allowing the database to be rectified

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Comments

• The project also provides a network of reference points for any

future surveys. Any current or future project that has sites within
range of reference points surveyed as part of this project can now
be tied into AHD and the spatial location determined to a high
degree of accuracy. Training and assistance has been given to
WRD field officers in GPS techniques.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Survey Control for Hydrological Monitoring Systems

QUESTIONS ?

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT