The US Army has awarded Ohio-based Woolpert a two-year, $49.9-million contract to support the Interagency Airborne Technologies for Lidar, Analysis, and Surveying (I-ATLAS) program, which provides coastal mapping and nautical charting for federal agencies.
I-ATLAS offers airborne lidar bathymetry data and related analysis for multiple US government agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Coast Guard.
Expanding Technical and Operational Support
Under the contract, Woolpert will deliver operations, maintenance, and technical services supporting I-ATLAS missions.
This includes managing lidar sensors, processing collected data, and producing geospatial outputs from airborne surveys.
The company will also conduct scientific studies, prepare technical documentation, and support sensor system upgrades and modifications.
Airborne lidar bathymetry uses laser-based remote sensing to measure both land elevation and shallow-water depths, enabling detailed mapping of coastlines, river systems, and nearshore environments.
These datasets support a range of civil and defense applications, including dredging operations, shoreline erosion monitoring, sediment tracking, and flood risk assessment.
They are also used to update nautical charts and maintain safe navigation routes, supporting infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.
The program has played a key role in post-disaster assessments following major storms, including Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Maria, and Florence, by providing rapid geospatial data on coastal and inland waterway changes.
Woolpert has supported the program since 2010. The new contract runs through March 2028.
