"We can look at the drainage system basin wide to see where to best concentrate our efforts to improve the drainage system," said Christian.
The Lidar data also allows Glynn County to maximize its in-house resources and determine what jobs can be done by county employees rather than outsourcing the job.
The first drainage job, which was completed this January, was to install a box culvert at Habersham St. and Newnan Drive. The box culvert replaced one pipe in the ditch which runs under Habersham Dr. directly behind Newnan Drive. "The culvert will handle much heavier rains than the pipe it replaced," Christian said.
Before the culvert was installed, business parking lots along Newnan Dr. would flood with a heavy rain. The pipes in the ditch were just not big enough to move the water fast enough to prevent flooding.
Another drainage problem area that will be relieved is the basin that includes Old Cypress Mill Road, Community Road, and Spur 25 from Altama Connector to Altama. Problem areas in this basin include Key Circle Commercial Park, Habersham St. North, Cypress Run (duplex subdivision) and the southern end of Beverly Shores.
The design work is being done in house by Assistant County Engineer Paul Andrews who is working on a conceptual drainage design for this area which will increase the outfall capacity by increasing the size of the culvert or the cross drain under Carteret Rd.
The county is working with FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) to use the FLETC drainage system to re-route half of the water now draining into one outfall pipe running under Highway 17 at Chapel
Crossing Road into Troop Creek.
This will provide relief to the Fairway Oaks, FLETC and Belle Point areas.
In 2008 outfall ditches were widened in the Maggie's Ridge Subdivision area and a new short outfall was dug down the Georgia Power easement. Outfalls along Old Jesup Road and US 341 need improvement. This area is currently under study.
The Highway 82/Exit 29 area includes the Myers Hill Estates, Goodplace, Live Oak, and Deerwood drainage system. The plan for this area is to maximize drainage to the tidal creek that runs under Highway 17 one mile south of the Highway 82/Highway 17 intersection.
The team working on the drainage problem solutions include Christian, John Carter, the County's Director of Public Works; Andrews, and Chew.
"Lidar has allowed us to be proactive instead of reactive," said Christian.
"Emerson and the county's GIS analysts take the raw data and make it work for us," he said. "They make the information usable."
The Lidar data is also available to surveyors, engineers, consultants, and the development community.
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