We are the Response to Request for Proposal for Engineering Services Premier provider Fish Creek Critical Community Wildfire of Watershed Watershed PRotection Plan (CWP)2 Wildfire Hazard Assessments SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY City of Steamboat Springs RESPEC 137 10th Street 720 South Colorado Blvd in North America Steramboat Springs, CO 80487 Suite 410 S Denver, CO 80246
July 19, 2018 RSI/P-4036 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 QUALIFICATIONS ...... 1
Approach Overview ...... 2 Office Locations ...... 2 About RESPEC ...... 3 About Anchor Point ...... 3 Project Team ...... 4 Team Availability ...... 6 Team Organization ...... 6 Client References ...... 7 Project History...... 8
2.0 COST PROPOSAL ...... Removed
3.0 REVISED PROJECT APPROACH ...... R-1
Task 1. Establish Core Team ...... R-1 Task 2. Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration ...... R-2 Task 3. Gather and Evaluate Reports & Data ...... R-4 Task 4. Conduct a Watershed Risk Assessment ...... R-5 Task 5. Develop and Prioritize Action Steps ...... R-11 Task 6. Final Report & Presentation(s) ...... R-16
4.0 SCHEDULE ...... 32
APPENDIX A. RÉSUMÉS
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1.0 Qualifications
The RESPEC and Anchor Point team consists of management and technical professionals with the breadth of talent needed to provide watershed management services related to pre- and postfire hydrology, management, and mitigation, including extensive work with fuel modeling and fire behavior analysis. Our team has the education, training, and experience to ensure that all of the project needs are met.
Our team members have worked together on similar projects. These include two Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments (MWWHMA) that were previously conducted for the City of Cheyenne and the City of Buffalo in Wyoming. Our team is also in the process of conducting a third MWWHMA for the City of Sheridan, Wyoming, and is updating a Critical Community Watershed Wildfire Protection Plan (CWP)2 for San Miguel County, New Mexico. Our cohesive team has collaborated effectively and efficiently, and we will provide the best service to the City of Steamboat Springs (City) and Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District (District).
Past Teaming. Our Core Team members have Collaboration. Our team recently applied extensive previously and successfully worked together in Wyoming coordination and collaboration on very similar projects for and New Mexico. This team was specifically assembled the cities of Cheyenne and Buffalo in Wyoming. These based on our past working experiences. Our extensive projects were conducted on behalf of the municipality, fuels, fire behavior, and wildfire prevention expertise and administered by the state, and designed to be our understanding of pre- and postfire hydrology and implemented on federal land. We collaborated with water quality establish the foundation for success. Wyoming State Forestry and the US Forest Service, including Medicine Bow Routt National Forest. Defendable Fire Assessments. Anchor Point is Recommendations from the Cheyenne project are being the most experienced US company in conducting incorporated in the Medicine Bow Routt National Forest’s scientifically defendable wildfire hazard and risk Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA) project. assessments, which form the foundation for decision Recommendations from the Cheyenne and Buffalo making. Their advanced fire behavior modeling methods projects have been incorporated into US Forest Service use local fuel, weather, and topography data to generate (USFS) planning and are in the late stages of the National predictions of fire behavior. Anchor Point interprets fire Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process. behavior modeling to identify areas that are susceptible to significant fire behavior in both intensity and duration. Project-Management Website. We understand
This is critical when interpreting for watershed impacts. the need to engage stakeholders in the planning and recommendation process by responding to concerns and Postfire Hydrology. RESPEC has been involved in questions as they arise. Our proposed approach creates a postfire hydrologic assessment and mitigation efforts in dedicated project-management website, available to all Colorado watersheds for the past 15 years, including work parties to facilitate teamwork and streamline the planning in the Hayman Fire and Waldo Canyon Fire burn areas. We process. This web-based process will allow the entire have modeled hydrology and water quality, designed in- development team, including stakeholders, to participate channel solutions to mitigate sediment delivery, efficiently, outside of in-person meetings. developed watershed revegetation plans, established road closure protocols, and conducted public outreach.
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Approach Overview
Our approach to accomplishing the scope of services for the Fish Creek Critical Community Wildfire Watershed Protection Plan (CWP)2 includes organizing, attending, and presenting at multiple meetings to gather information about previous, ongoing, and planned projects; analyzing fire risks by evaluating the fire behavior potential and fuels data; assessing the future burn probability by analyzing historic wildfire activity; determining the postfire hydrologic hazards to the City’s and District’s municipal water supply; recommending critical areas where site-specific fuels treatments should be implemented to limit the effects of wildfires on the City’s and District’s municipal water supply, and identifying postfire mitigation activities to be applied on the landscape and within water treatment facilities to minimize the water quality impacts if a wildfire occurs within the municipal watershed.
For this project, the key team members will work together as a single integrated team to provide seamless service to the City and District. In addition to project management and oversight of all tasks, RESPEC staff will summarize the existing data and conduct a gap analysis; develop a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) from baseline and postfire water quality data; perform the postfire hydrologic analysis to support the watershed risk assessment and project prioritization; and lead the postfire water quality hazard reduction strategy development, including identifying short- and long-term watershed stabilization, assessing water quality impacts, identifying emergency and water-supply treatment options, and recommending water treatment plant and reservoir operation alternatives. Anchor Point staff will perform wildfire behavior modeling to support the watershed risk assessment and will work with local forest staff to prioritize preemptive mitigation (i.e., fuels treatments) based on cost and forest management objectives. RESPEC staff will be the primary lead for coordinating and facilitating the project and public meetings for this project. RESPEC and Anchor Point have strong backgrounds in coordinating public outreach, and each key team member will be involved in the public and project coordination meetings related to their expertise.
Office Locations RESPEC is headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, and has offices across the US. For this project, the key RESPEC team members are located in Denver, Colorado, and Rapid City, South Dakota. Anchor Point has headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, where all of their staff for this project is located. Supporting personnel are located in Ouray, Colorado, Bozeman, Montana, and Castroville, Texas.
Key Project Staff are located in Denver, Rapid City, and Boulder
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About RESPEC RESPEC is a consulting company that provides technical expertise and management services to develop strategies to assess and improve watershed management. Our employee-owned company has been in business for nearly 50 years with over 25 years in providing environmental services. RESPEC employs over 280 engineers, scientists, and support staff with a wide range of expertise, including comprehensive watershed evaluation, data collection, GIS development, remote sensing, and mathematical modeling.
RESPEC developed hydrologic and water quality modeling software that has been used for over 40 years by state and federal agencies to support watershed planning and have applied these models to multiple hydrologically complex watersheds, including burned systems. Our specialists use emerging technology, models, and geospatial information for watershed studies, assessments, and investigations. In addition to in-house programs, our engineers use public domain and commercial programs for watershed studies.
RESPEC provides a comprehensive suite of technical and management experience that facilitates developing innovative, economic strategies to assess and improve watershed management. Our clients require integrated, cost-effective, and practical solutions that are acceptable to all involved stakeholders. Our strategic approach to watershed management includes applying a strong, scientific foundation to assist knowledgeable decision making.
About Anchor Point Anchor Point has been a private-sector innovator in applying state-of-the-art fire science to wildfire mitigation, planning, and operations and watershed management for 19 years. Located in Boulder, Colorado, their staff of 8 are active fire managers, fire fighters, subject- matter experts, fire behavior analysts, and international advisors on wildfire issues.
Anchor Point has prepared more than 120 wildland fire assessments that cover more than 1,600 individual communities, counties, and/or watersheds throughout the US. Because of their experience, Anchor Point has had partnerships with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Western Governors’ Association, the National Association of State Foresters, FireWise, and other leaders in wildfire protection.
Fuel modeling and accurate fire behavior analyses form the foundation for their work, and their principals and staff have extensive national wildland fire qualifications, including a certified Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN), Long-Term Analyst (LTAN), and Structure Protection Specialist (STPS). Their fire operations and planning experience range nationally and internationally. Their principals have worked on multiple fires in Colorado, functioned as Team FBAN and STPS, and are familiar with local fuels and potential fire behavior.
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Project Team Our management team will be led by Rich Ommert (Principal-in-Charge), Megan Burke (Project Manager/ Technical Lead), and Chris White (Project Co-Manager/Administrative Lead). Our team is adept at managing large complex projects, and will effectively communicate with agency staff and program managers. The project team includes Mr. Lee Rosen, Professional Engineer (Colorado Number 0046350) and Rod Moraga, a FBAN. Our key team members bring a wealth of subject-matter expertise to this project.
Technical professionals will support this project on an as-needed basis, which is illustrated in the organizational chart that identifies key personnel for the project and their specific assignments, including water quality, watershed hydrology, SAP, and data gathering. Biographies for key team members are provided in the following paragraphs, résumés for the entire project team are included in Appendix A. Additional support staff are available on an as-needed basis. RESPEC certifies that all engineering work will be supervised by a Professional Engineer licensed in Colorado.
Rich Ommert, PE – Principal-In-Charge – Denver, Colorado Mr. Ommert’s 22 years of experience have been in the areas of water resources planning and design. He has worked as a project engineer for many planning and design projects for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD). He also worked as a project engineer and project manager on several fire-related projects associated with the Hayman Fire (2002) and Waldo Canyon Fire (2012). He has completed hydrologic modeling, channel restoration, water quality monitoring, debris control, erosion-control measure design, and permanent stormwater quality control design.
Megan Burke, PhD – Project Manager and Postfire Hydrologist – Rapid City, South Dakota Dr. Burke is a water resource engineer with expertise in postfire hydrology, hydrologic and surface water quality modeling, and geospatial and statistical trend analyses. Her dissertation work focused on understanding the hydrologic and water quality impacts of wildfires on trace metal delivery to the Los Angeles River by combining monitoring, laboratory analysis, and modeling. Dr. Burke has worked closely with the US Geological Survey (USGS) and National Weather Service (NWS) Debris Flow Task Force and interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams, and she remains engaged with the postfire hydrology research community.
Chris White – Project Co-Manager and Wildfire Subject-Matter Expert – Boulder, Colorado Mr. White is the Chief Operating Officer of Anchor Point and has specialized in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fire management for over 30 years. He has worked with the US and Colorado State Forest Service, preplanned for approximately 1,100 subdivisions for wildland fire hazards, developed mitigation plans to reduce wildfire impacts, and became Colorado’s first county-level Wildland Fire Coordinator in Summit County. Mr. White has been a committee member for fire review policies and hazard and risk assessment methodologies for the Western Governors Association (WGA), National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), and National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA). He has also represented the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) on a new national initiative to integrate structural firefighters into wildland fire management.
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Rod Moraga, FBAN – Fire Behavior Analyst – Boulder, Colorado Mr. Moraga is the CEO of Anchor Point leads the ecosystem management and wildfire planning divisions and oversees the development and implementation of comprehensive ecosystem management plans. Mr. Moraga has served as a FBAN for the USFS Rocky Mountain National Incident
Management Teams and has served as the Prescribed Fire Manager for the City of Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Moraga has been involved at all levels of forest management, from inventorying and developing prescriptions to implementing thinning and restoration. As a principal author of the forest ecosystem management plan for the City of Boulder, he developed a process that uses sound silvicultural practices to achieve forest health improvement and fire mitigation measures. His strong background in fire operations, fire ecology, forestry, and watershed management ensure viable and practical recommendations.
Mark McLean, PhD – GIS Analyst and Fire Modeler – Boulder, Colorado Dr. McLean is Anchor Point’s GIS division manager. His duties encompass fire behavior modeling, supervising spatial database creation and manipulation, producing cartographic products, and analyzing geographic data. In addition to his work at Anchor Point, Dr. McLean has been an instructor of GIS and cartographic visualization in the University of Colorado’s Independent Learning Program for over 15 years. Dr. McLean’s geospatial technology expertise includes ecosystem protection, fluvial geomorphology, and ecological disturbance impacts on the spatial pattern of vegetation.
Alan Leak, PE – Water Quality and Water Treatment Facilities – Denver, Colorado Mr. Leak has extensive and comprehensive experience in all aspects of water resources engineering, including water supply, transmission, distribution, and wastewater collection; expert water rights engineering services; and stormwater, drainage, and flood control. Mr. Leak’s experience in water and wastewater infrastructure includes project management; water and wastewater master planning; planning and designing water transmission and distribution lines, wastewater collection and interception lines, pump stations, and wells; capital improvements planning and management; and water and wastewater systems management. Mr. Leak has also provided expert testimony before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission regarding municipal water quality issues and has developed criteria for water quality in stormwater runoff.
Lee Rosen, PE – Stakeholder Engagement – Denver, Colorado Mr. Rosen has 11 years of engineering, planning, and design experience. He has worked on multiple projects in support of the Hayman Fire Burn Area restoration, developed hydrology masterplans for watersheds throughout Colorado, and guided Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy projects in Minnesota. Mr. Rosen has unique communication and leadership skills that combine his responsiveness with his ability to explain complex engineering subjects to people from different backgrounds.
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Team Organization Team Availability
RESPEC has a history of satisfying customers and will bring the same reputable responsiveness to the City and project partners. City of Steamboat Springs The project team’s availability for the project timeline is listed below. Our anticipated workload allows successful completion of In Partnership with the project within the desired schedule.
Mount Werner Water Sanitation District Availability Team Member Role Aug 2018 – May 2019 Project Managers Local Partners Kelly Romero-Heaney, City Water Resources Manager City and District Representatives, Routt County, Rich Ommert Principal-In-Charge 30 % Frank Alfone, District General Manager Steamboat Springs Fire District, USFS, CSFS Project Manager and Postfire Megan Burke 50 % Hydrologist
Project Co-Manager and Chris White 30 % Wildfire Subject-Matter Expert
Rich Ommert, PE Megan Burke, PhD Chris White Rod Moraga Fire Behavior Analyst 40 % Mark McLean GIS Analyst and Fire Modeler 40 % Principal-in-Charge Project Manager Project Co-Manager
Technical Lead Administrative Lead Water Quality and Water Alan Leak 10 % Treatment Facilities
Lee Rosen Stakeholder Engagement 35 % Bill Dreyer Water Quality Engineer 40 %
John Imhoff Water Quality Scientist 20 %
Russell Persyn Water Quality Engineer 20 % 1. Establish Core Team 3. Gather and Evaluate 4. Conduct a Watershed Risk 5. Develop and Prioritize 6. Final Report & Mike Bannister Watershed Hydraulics 20 % 2. Stakeholder Reports & Data Assessment & Develop a Working Action Steps Presentation(s) Jeff Dunn Sampling and Analysis Plan 20 % Engagement and Map of Prioritized Watersheds in the Planning Area Erin Walter Data Gathering 40 % Collaboration Megan Burke, PhD Megan Burke, PhD Megan Burke, PhD
Facilitation, Proponent Erin Walter Rich Ommert, PE Lee Rosen, PE
and Partner Meetings, Chris White Rich Ommert, PE Alan Leak, PE Erin Walter Open Houses Jeff Dunn Rod Moraga, FBAN Bill Dryer, PE Chris White The improvements constructed since the fire Mark McLean, PhD Mark McLean, PhD John Imhoff Rod Moraga, FBAN have proven to be very effective at protecting the Rich Ommert, PE Rod Moraga, FBAN Megan Burke, PhD Russell Persyn, PE, PhD Mark McLean, PhD “
Chris White Rich Ommert, PE public and habitat. We would like to commend Jeff Dunn Megan Burke, PhD Mike Bannister Chris White you on being responsive to all our needs.
Lee Rosen, PE Erin Walter Rod Moraga, FBAN –Garth Englund, Jr, PE
–Special Projects Engineer, Douglas County
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Client References
To understand our team’s ability to provide comprehensive wildfire hazard assessments and watershed management plans, please contact the following references that can speak to the professional abilities of our key personnel. Additional references are available upon request.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Cheyenne Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment Tony Rutherford, Project Manager 6920 Yellowtail Road, Cheyenne, WY 82002 303.777.5803
City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities Cheyenne Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment, Local Sponsor Clint Bassett, Water Treatment Division Manager
2416 Snyder Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001 307.632.9890
Colorado Department of Transportation US Highway 24–Waldo Canyon Postfire Flood Mitigation and Improvement Assessment David Watt, Resident Engineer 1480 Quail Lake Loop, Suite A, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 719.227.3200
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Water Supply Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment Amy Johnson, PE, Project Manager 220 Water Avenue, Berthoud, CO 80513 970.292.2524
Douglas County, Colorado Hayman Fire Area Hydraulic and Floodplain Project Garth Englund, Special Projects Engineer 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 303.660.7470
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Project History
Cheyenne Municipal Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment Wyoming Water Development Commission Cheyenne, Wyoming
The RESPEC/Anchor Point team conducted the Cheyenne Major Project Features MWWHMA for the Wyoming Water Development Office // Fire-Behavior Modeling (WWDO) in partnership with the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities to support the objectives outlined in the Final // Postfire Hydrologic Assessment Report of the Governor’s Task Force on Forests. // Sediment Transport Cheyenne’s municipal water supply is sourced from heavily // Coordination/Collaboration forested watersheds in the Medicine Bow Routt National // GIS Development Forest and is particularly vulnerable to wildfire. The goal of // Governor’s Task Force the Cheyenne MWWHMA was to create a watershed management plan that identifies and prioritizes locations Completed in 2017 within the municipal watershed where site-specific fuels // $163,000 (Entire Project) treatments can be placed to prevent or minimize postfire // $81,000 (RESPEC) hydrologic impacts in drainage areas that contribute to the // $82,000 (Anchor Point) municipal supply reservoir and infrastructure for the City of Cheyenne.
The hazard analysis focused on the technical analyses of expected wildfire impacts (i.e., FlamMap fire behavior modeling) and postfire hydrologic response (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association[NOAA]/USGS Debris Flow Task Force regression models) to identify areas that present a risk to municipal water supply. During the project, a major fire occurred in the study area, and our team’s FBAN was able to meet with the fire team’s FBAN and compare our modeling to actual, real-time fire behavior. This greatly added to the accuracy of the modeling particularly in the forest stands that had been killed by the mountain pine beetle.
The hazard analyses identified 56 catchments, with an average size of approximately 400 acres that pose the greatest threat to Cheyenne’s municipal water supply in terms of fire behavior and the potential for postfire sediment delivery. A prioritization matrix was developed to prioritize the catchments of concern based on the hazard analyses and a critical water-supply infrastructure prioritization (provided by Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities [BOPU]), as well as factors related to project implementation (e.g., permitting, habitat, and operability). To assist with the fuels-treatment planning process and guide design for each identified area, a comprehensive set of fire behavior visualization tools was provided. The results from the MWWHMA are currently being incorporated into forest management planning and were integral in helping firefighters prioritize resources to keep fire out of the municipal watersheds during the 2017 Keystone Fire, which occurred within the project area near Rob Roy Reservoir (identified by Cheyenne BOPU as the most critical water-supply reservoir).
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Buffalo Municipal Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment Wyoming Water Development Commission Buffalo, Wyoming
The RESPEC/Anchor Point team conducted the Buffalo Major Project Features MWWHMA for the WWDO in partnership with the City // Fire-Behavior Modeling of Buffalo to support the objectives outlined in the // Postfire Hydrologic Assessment Final Report of the Governor’s Task Force on Forests. Buffalo’s municipal watershed is located in the Bighorn // Sediment Transport Mountains and is almost entirely within Bighorn // Coordination/Collaboration National Forest. The goal of the Buffalo MWWHMA was // GIS Development to create a watershed management plan that identifies // Governor’s Task Force and prioritizes locations within the municipal watershed where site-specific fuels treatments can be Completed in February 2017 placed to prevent or minimize postfire hydrologic // $118,000 (Entire Project) impacts in drainage areas that contribute to the // $54,000 (RESPEC) // $64,000 (Anchor Point) municipal supply reservoir and infrastructure.
The Buffalo MWWHMA was implemented shortly after the Cheyenne MWWHMA was initiated, and our team was able to take lessons learned and techniques developed from Cheyenne and apply these to Buffalo. The City of Buffalo has a much more acute surface water reservoir system than Cheyenne, which is found mostly in the Bighorn National Forest. The project area was encompassed the upper Clear Creek Watershed with a focus on the area upstream of Buffalo’s diversion dam. This area includes the direct drainage to the Tie Hack Reservoir, which stores the city’s municipal water supply. To provide a sufficient wildfire protection buffer, the project area was extended to include the drainages immediately adjacent to Clear Creek, including those of French Creek, Rock Creek, and the north fork of Crazy Woman Creek.
The hazard analysis focused on technical analyses of expected wildfire impacts (i.e., FlamMap fire behavior modeling) and postfire hydrologic response (NOAA/USGS Debris Flow Task Force regression models) to identify the areas that present a risk to municipal water supply. The project was truly a collaborative effort involving the City of Buffalo, Bighorn National Forest, State Forestry, and multiple local stakeholders. Working toward accurate fire behavior was a major component of the project, and fire behavior for the project was vetted by fire and forestry staff from the Bighorn National Forest. Once fire behavior was coupled with the hydrologic response, the team could identify site-specific projects
The hazard analyses identified 23 catchments with an average size of approximately 700 acres that pose the greatest threat to Buffalo’s municipal water supply in terms of fire behavior and the potential for postfire sediment delivery. A prioritization matrix was developed to prioritize the catchments of concern based on the hazard analyses as well as factors related to project implementation (e.g., permitting, habitat, and operability). To assist with the fuels-treatment planning process and guide treatment design for each identified project area, a comprehensive set of fire behavior visualization tools was provided. Results from the MWWHMA are currently being incorporated into Bighorn National Forest’s forest management planning. The forest staff expect to complete the NEPA permitting process and begin implementing project recommendations during the summer of 2018.
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Sheridan Municipal Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment Wyoming Water Development Commission Sheridan, Wyoming
The Anchor Point/RESPEC/HDR team is currently in the Major Project Features process of conducting the Sheridan MWWHMA for the // Fire-Behavior Modeling WWDO in partnership with the City of Sheridan and // Postfire Hydrologic Assessment Sheridan Area Water Supply (SAWS) Joint Powers Board (JPB), the rural water system surrounding the City of // Sediment Transport Sheridan, to support the objectives outlined in the Final // Coordination/Collaboration Report of the Governor’s Task Force on Forests. Sheridan’s // GIS Development municipal watershed is located in the Bighorn Mountains // Governor’s Task Force and is almost entirely within Bighorn National Forest. The goal of the Sheridan MWWHMA is to create a watershed Anticipated Completion in March 2018 management plan that identifies and prioritizes locations // $161,000 (Entire Project) within the municipal watershed where site-specific fuels // $64,000 (Anchor Point) treatments can be placed to prevent or minimize postfire // $64,000 (RESPEC) hydrologic impacts in drainage areas that contribute to the // $33,000 (HDR) municipal supply reservoir and infrastructure.
The Sheridan MWWHMA is currently in progress , and our team is drawing on the lessons learned and techniques developed in the Cheyenne and Buffalo MWWHMAs to apply in Sheridan. Sheridan’s municipal water is sourced from Big Goose Creek as it exits Big Goose Canyon at the base of the Bighorn Mountains. Water is then piped to two water treatment plants: the Big Goose Water Treatment Plant (which primarily serves rural SAWS-JPB customers) and Sheridan Water Treatment Plant (which primarily serves the City of Sheridan customers). Because of the systems’ interconnectedness, these treatment plants can supplement each other to meet peak demands. The water supply includes direct flow water rights from Big Goose Creek and storage rights from mountain reservoirs, where the City of Sheridan owns Twin Lakes and both entities own shares in Big Goose Park Reservoir and Dome Lake. Supplemental water supplies for the joint system have been under investigation which has included acquiring additional water rights in Park Reservoir, acquiring Sawmill Reservoir, constructing new storage reservoir in Gillespie Draw, and transferring water from Lake De Smet. The Goose Creek HUC-10 watershed serves as the boundary for the municipal watershed. However, because of the supplemental supply investigations, and the proximity of surrounding communities (Story, Ranchester, and Dayton), we are extending the fire behavior modeling to the adjacent South Piney Creek and Fools Creek HUC-10 watersheds.
The Sheridan MWWHMA will focus on the technical analyses of expected wildfire impacts (i.e., FlamMap fire behavior modeling) and postfire hydrologic response (NOAA/USGS Debris Flow Task Force regression models) to identify areas that present a risk to municipal water supply. This project will be a collaborative effort that include the City of Buffalo, Bighorn National Forest, State Forestry and multiple local stakeholders. Accurate fire behavior representation will be a major component of the project, and the fire behavior for the project will vetted by fire and forestry staff from the Bighorn National Forest and Wyoming State Forestry Division. After the fire behavior is coupled with the hydrologic response, the team will be able to identify site- specific projects.
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Hayman Fire Area Hydraulic and Floodplain Support Services Douglas County Douglas County, Colorado
RESPEC has been involved in post-burn flood Major Project Features mitigation and public awareness in the Hayman Burn Area for Mr. Garth Englund at Douglas // Fire Hydrology County since early 2003, and have assisted with // Postfire Alternative Development and Implementation public awareness, sedimentation mitigation, // Multi-Agency Coordination emergency repairs, and post-wildfire hydrology and hydraulic assessments, including: // Watershed Management and Rehabilitation Emergency Awareness Public Outreach. // Public Outreach Before the first post-burn storm season, we met with // Project Effectiveness Assessment and discussed the flood potential with all affected homeowners in the burn area, Completed in 2013 developed and provided educational literature, // $200,000 and distributed emergency broadcast radios. Hayman Burn Area Hydrology Update. Based on the BAER assessment, we delineated subwatersheds for the Trout, West, Fourmile, and Horse Creek drainageways and updated the curve numbers for use in HEC-HMS postfire hydrologic modeling to facilitate peak flow predictions. YMCA Camp Floodplain Delineation. The large expected peak flows required redelineating the 100-year floodplain for the Fourmile Creek drainage through the YMCA Camp. The updated delineation identified several threatened buildings, and evacuation plans were discussed with the camp coordinator. FEMA Floodplain Update for West, Trout, and Horse Creeks. Using our updated hydrologic predictions, the floodplains were redefined for the three most affected creeks in the Hayman Fire Area in Douglas County. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Improvements. The NRCS worked with Douglas County to identify several property owners who required emergency assistance to mitigate potential flooding and sediment damage in the Community of Westcreek. Multiple mitigation plans were developed and included diversion channels for flood flows, log drop structures, riprap armoring of severely eroded channel banks, and large-capacity corrugated metal pipe culverts that were sloped steeply to convey flood and sediment flows under roadways. Turbidity curtains to minimize sedimentation in the JO Hill Reservoir were also evaluated. 319 Grant Proposal. We successfully wrote the 319 grant application to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to gain funding for over $300,000 for erosion mitigation on the Trail Creek watershed. This 14 square-mile watershed was severely burned and experienced large flood events. The grant funded the Coalition for the Upper South Platte’s operations, which we supported by developing a watershed revegetation plan, a prioritization system for problem areas, design improvements for minor drainageways, and conducting dam failure analysis, a home relocation in the Trail Creek floodplain, and 319 reporting to the CDPHE. Trail Creek/West Creek Channel Improvements. The final construction plans were developed for channel and culvert improvements and convey the increased peak flows and sediment loads from Trail Creek to a large water quality basin. The plans were shelved according to US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) concerns. Crest Stage Stream Monitoring. Based on direction from Douglas County, crest stream measuring devices were installed at several locations. Four rainfall events were recorded during the 2012 storm season. Device construction, setup, monitoring, and reporting were accomplished for less than $9,000.
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US Highway 24–Waldo Canyon PostFire Flood Mitigation and Improvements Colorado Department of Transportation Manitou Springs, Colorado
During the summer of 2012, Major Project Features Colorado experienced extremely devastating fires, including the Waldo Canyon // Fire Hydrology and Hydraulic Modeling fire that burned over 15,000 acres in the Colorado Springs // Watershed Management and Rehabilitation area and along US Highway 24. Over 32,000 residents were // Multi-Agency Coordination evacuated from the area and the fire claimed more than // Rainfall Analysis and Monitoring 350 homes. Before this fire, the stormwater runoff from // Large Concrete Box Culvert, Sediment Basin, areas upstream of US Highway 24 was safely conveyed. and Debris Barrier Design
The fire substantially altered // Multiple Grouted Sloping Boulder Drop the watershed hydrology and caused runoff rates and associated fire scar debris to Structure Design increase dramatically. The existing culvert was not able to // Alternative Evaluation and Conceptual Design handle the increased volume of water—a situation // Public Safety exasperated by the debris buildup in the culvert that caused even minor rain events to overtop into the highway. Completed in April 2014 These overtopping events caused extensive roadway // $490,000 damage, frequent road closures, public safety concerns, and a fatality following the August 2013 flood.
Within 3 days after the damaging effects of the August flood, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) initiated an emergency response project, and RESPEC was on the scene to evaluate the damage and mitigation options with CDOT engineers. RESPEC was tasked with designing solutions to eliminate roadway overtopping, stabilize the channel on Fountain Creek, and reduce debris impacts to the downstream areas, including the town of Manitou Springs. This project had a number of challenges, including communicating with multiple agencies, funding streams, and coordinating associated design and review processes as the situation went from developing emergency solutions to permanent solutions.
After assisting CDOT with emergency repairs in August 2013 due to major flooding within the Waldo Canyon burn scar, a further evaluation of the initial drainage improvements installed within the US 24 Waldo Canyon burn corridor was conducted by RESPEC. The evaluation provided recommendations to improve performance at multiple drainage crossings on US 24 that were previously installed in April 2013. The improvements assessment work will enhance the initial improvements, which are routinely overwhelmed by continued sediment and debris that is being generated from the burn scar. Postfire hydrology was developed to determine the postfire runoff and debris flow potential and recovery and provide mitigation designs to protect infrastructure and ensure public safety.
RESPEC assisted the CDOT in completing Detailed Damage Inspection Reports (DDIRs) for federal disaster recovery funding for specific projects within the burn corridor. RESPEC also provided analysis and support for the roadway closure protocols along the stretch of US 24 between Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, which allowed CDOT to make sound decisions based on meteorological data and real-time ground monitoring. The end result led to fewer closures and improved advanced warning at problem areas in the corridor.
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Water Supply Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessment – Anchor Point Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Northern Colorado
The project included identifying small-scale, Major Project Features strategically located fuel-reduction treatment // Fire-Behavior Modeling opportunities on the Arapaho Roosevelt National // Wildfire Protection Planning Forest watershed lands, which contribute to the // Multi-Agency Coordination provider’s water supply, to inform the forest service // Fuel Treatment Placement of specific treatment areas where mitigation would lower the risk associated with the effects of // Public Outreach catastrophic wildfire to the water supply. The // Technical Training project also included developing a Fire Management Plan for the water district that Completed in September 2015 focused on appropriate actions during and after a // $27,000 wildfire event. A 1-day training that focused on interfacing with an incident management team was also provided.
The project included the following:
/ Training to interface with incident management teams if a wildfire incident occurs on Conservancy District land / Adapting and expanding fire plan to reflect current conditions and incorporate fire behavior modeling / Analyzing watersheds for wildfire threat at multiple scales / Recommending locations for mitigation work to reduce wildfire risk / Educating Northern Water personnel on how to support and provide relevant information to incident management teams / Providing a data and map package reflecting the watershed values-at-risk to be provided to incoming incident management teams / Generating predictive fire behavior modeling as a component to potential wildfire impact analysis / Using information at multiple spatial scales to identify and prioritize potential wildfire threat mitigation opportunities.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Response to RFP for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // 13
San Miguel County Community Wildfire Protection and Watershed Management Plan – Anchor Point San Miguel County, CO San Miguel County
The Anchor Point/RESPEC team Major Project Features is conducting the San Miguel County Watershed Protection and Community // Fire-Behavior Modeling Wildfire Protection Plan Update. The project started in // Postfire Hydrologic Assessment May 2018. The work plan starts with fire behavior // Sediment Transport analysis for the entire county. The foundation of the // Coordination/Collaboration fire behavior modeling and the resultant risk analysis // GIS Development begins by updating the fire and fuels data, which // Update of Existing Community Wildfire includes vegetation typing and fire behavior analysis. Protection Plan Accurate fuels data is the most critical element in this
assessment and was derived from vegetation and land cover data using the LANDFIRE 1.4 dataset. This data Anticipated Completion in February 2019 will be the foundation for the county wide risk // $221,000 assessment and the resultant Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Watershed Management Plan. The hazard analysis conducted for the county wide risk assessment will be leveraged and refined and applied to the Watershed Management Plan. The assessment will evaluate postfire hydrologic (flooding/debris flow, soil erodibility hazard, and precipitation intensity and duration) hazards with the potential to negatively impact water-supply reservoirs and infrastructure. This will be done at an appropriate scale for mitigation planning. The previously described wildfire hazard identification methodology will be updated to incorporate Anchor Point’s FireShed planning. The postfire hydrologic hazard identification will integrate previous assessment efforts with updated wildfire hazard information and the NOAA-USGS Debris Flow Task Force methodology. This will allow us to quantify potential sediment delivery to water-supply reservoirs and critical infrastructure, while the geomorphic assessment will identify the most likely deposition locations. Information derived from each analysis will be synthesized to produce a composite hazard ranking. The final composite ranking will help to elucidate the municipal and adjacent watersheds that pose the greatest risk to water-supply degradation in the event of a catastrophic wildfire. This ranking will serve as the basis for the mitigation planning and prioritization process.
This project is multifaceted, combing community fire and evacuation planning along with watershed assessment and management planning. Each element will build on the other to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to wildfire risk in the watershed and the county as a whole.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Response to RFP for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // 14
FEMA PostFire Flooding Methodology – Anchor Point CDM Federal Programs, (a subsidiary of CDM Smith) Nationwide
In collaboration with CDM Smith, Anchor Major Project Features
Point developed a methodology to analyze // Fire Hydrology post-wildfire flooding risk by estimating fire // Benefit Cost Analysis effects and the resulting increases in flood // Floodplain Delineation heights and discharges that could be used in // Wildfire Hazard Assessment Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA). The study focused on how wildfire alters the vegetation // Hydrologic Modeling characteristics of a watershed, such that a // Risk Analysis post-wildfire hydrologic response to normal precipitation events may generate sudden Completed in October 2015 and dramatic increases in surface runoff. // $27,000 (Entire Project) // $8,000 (Anchor Point))
The project included the following:
/ Generating predictions for wildfire behavior to be used in conjunction with flood discharge data to analyze postfire impacts / Incorporating both hazard and risk metrics for wildfire effects on watersheds / Developing methodology to incorporate wildfire hazard and risk profiles into FEMA BCA system / Providing a methodology that FEMA can use to analyze the interaction between wildfire effects and flooding impacts / Bridging the divide between concept and practicality by supplying methodology that can be included in FEMA’s existing BCA tool / Analyzing existing data sets and made recommendations for gaps in data availability.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Response to RFP for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // 15 3.0 Revised Project Approach
The objective of this project is to create a Critical Community Wildfire Watershed Protection Plan (CWP)2 for the Fish Creek Basin that defines and prioritizes preemptive mitigation measures to prevent or minimize wildfire effects on municipal water supply, critical water infrastructure, and watershed health for the City and District. The (CWP)2 will also identify improvements and/or modifications to water treatment facility and/or reservoir operations to address postfire water quality impacts.
Our team will incorporate advanced fire behavior modeling and a spatial postfire hydrologic hazard analysis to quantify the water quality impacts to and within the municipal watershed. Specifically, the fire behavior analysis information generated with FlamMap will be used as input data to NOAA/USGS wdebris p flo rediction models (which integrate the burn severity, soil, topography, and precipitation information) to create a composite hazard ranking of catchments within Fish Creek Basin. This approach ensures a level of detail necessary for identifying focused areas for fuels projects while using core modeling systems recognized by the federal agencies. Our team has used this same methodology for large-fire incidents and have repurposed this methodology for specific use in the watershed assessments.
A prioritization matrix will be developed in collaboration with the stakeholders to determine a Final Watershed Prioritized Map that will guide the selection and timing of fuels treatments. An Implementation Strategy and Action Plan will be developed to guide the watershed stabilization efforts and identify operational modifications and improvements for water treatment facilities and supply reservoirs should a wildfire occur within the Fish Creek Basin. Previous efforts will be leveraged, and project partners will be engaged throughout the process to build a prioritized, actionable Critical Community Wildfire Watershed Protection Plan. Task 1. Establish Core Team
Connecting and communicating with project partners is vital to ensuring a successful wildfire mitigation planning effort. Without support from key partners (including but not limited to the City, the District, Routt County, Steamboat Springs Fire District, the US Forest Service and the Colorado State Forest Service as prescribed by the Healthy Forests Restoration Act [HFRA]), the result of a mitigation planning effort will be a “shelf document” that does not ultimately provide the value of protecting water-supply infrastructure. Effective communication will lead to a plan with specific solutions and treatment recommendations that will include the input and support from appropriate agencies, which will ensure that the treatments can and will be implemented. After the project is awarded, we will work with Mr. Frank Alfone (the District’s General Manager) and Ms. Kelly Romero-Heaney (the City’s Water Resources Manager) to establish the Core Team.
Once the Core Team has been established, we will schedule a kickoff meeting with the team, where an overview of the final Scope of Work and technical analyses that will be performed to meet the project goals will be presented and discussed. This will be the first meeting to obtain input from project partners, and our team will present the background information, study goals, task schedule, and procedures that will be used to complete the project. Resource concerns, problem areas, and watershed issues will be discussed at this meeting. With the initiation of project occurring in the middle of the fire season, we understand that engaging the federal and state forestry personnel early in the project is critical to project success.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-1 Task 2. Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
The importance of public involvement, stakeholder participation, and coordination with the City, District, and local partners is well recognized by our project team; therefore, considerable emphasis will be placed on communicating and creating user-friendly engagement opportunities to make the collaborative process accessible, encourage community participation, and foster long-term involvement.
After the kickoff meeting, informal project meetings with the Core Team will be held on a bimonthly basis to ensure a high level of project communication with the entire project team and facilitate coordination and collaboration between the various activities that are being performed by different agencies and stakeholders within the project area. These informal meetings will focus on collaborative discussion and will begin with a short status update from our team and will transition into discussing critical issues or items. Agendas will be sent out before each of the project meetings. Through these meetings, we will ensure that we gather all of the needed information to develop a mitigation plan that will ultimately lead to a coordinated implementation effort. While having all of the meeting attendees in the same room is ideal, we understand that field work and operational schedules may not be conducive to this, especially considering that much of this project will occur during the fire season. As an alternative, online communication and virtual meeting options will be provided to facilitate project team and multidisciplinary group meetings as needed.
The project team will also facilitate and participate in formal project meetings that will be open to the public. We will collaborate with the City and District to develop an Engagement & Outreach Plan, and we anticipate scheduling three public meetings in the months directly following the informal project meetings. These public meetings are important to gather public and stakeholder input, determine mutual interests, and disseminate and present data to all of the stakeholders within the project area. Ideally, public outreach events will be scheduled well in advance, as we have found that setting a public meeting schedule early in the project allows stakeholders time to plan ahead, improves participation, and maximizes our public outreach efforts. An example of an open-house style public meetings held for the Wyoming MWWHMAs is shown in Figure R-1.
Figure R-1. Stakeholder and Open-House Meetings Conducted for the Buffalo (left) and Cheyenne (right) Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments.
Typically, we use direct mailings, newspaper advertisements, and radio broadcasts to ensure that opportunities for public participation are maximized. However, for the best results, actively employing communication methods that are already in place and routinely used by the stakeholder groups is critical. For example, most established stakeholder groups have websites and social media accounts/pages to promote information. Therefore, meetings will be advertised using these established lines of communication in addition to using the more traditional media announcements.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-2 Communication Network
The trifold brochure we created for the Cheyenne MWWHMA (Figure R-2) is another way of linking to local established communication networks. We worked closely with the City of Cheyenne public outreach staff to create and disseminate this brochure, which was ultimately mailed to all Cheyenne residents with their water bills.
This could be an effective tool in Steamboat Springs to connect to the general public and increase awareness about this effort to protect their municipal water supply. For this project, our team will update this brochure, and provide it in a printable electronic format to the City, the District, and potentially other stakeholder groups to better communicate the purpose and need of this project.
These brochures could be ready shortly after the kickoff meeting to help engage stakeholders early in the project. All public outreach materials, including contact lists, meeting announcements, and meeting minutes will be provided as an appendix to the final report.
Figure R-2. Trifold Brochure Created for the Cheyenne MWWHMA and Mailed to Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities Customers.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-3 Task 3. Gather and Evaluate Reports & Data
Our team will begin our work on the (CWP)2 by gathering and reviewing all of the pertinent reports, datasets, and geospatial layers available to us immediately upon the project initiation, so that we can build on previous efforts in the study area and ensure that the project is executed as efficiently as possible.
The existing background information that was identified in the RFP has been gathered, and the following documents have been reviewed:
/ Routt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (September 2010)
/ Fish Creek – Sanctuary Community Wildfire Protection Plan (May 2007)
/ Upper Yampa Watershed Plan (May 2016).
These documents, along with other pertinent forest- and hydrology-related reports and datasets gathered as part of the review process, will provide the foundation for a digital library and will be used to support the technical analyses and project prioritization. Key points of these documents and datasets, as they relate to the project risk assessments, and associated water quality impacts to Steamboat Spring’s municipal water supply, will be integrated into the final report.
Baseline water quality data will be summarized along with all available information about the existing Fish Creek water-supply infrastructure, operations, and treatment facility in order to evaluate potential modifications in response to a wildfire event. Data gaps will be identified and a SAP will be developed to determine the baseline hydrologic and water quality conditions. Any additional work completed within the project area related to wildfire and/or watershed assessment and other applicable material, including publicly accessible databases and GIS, technical publications, and key stakeholders with local knowledge and technical expertise will be reviewed to ensure that the previous efforts are not duplicated.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-4 Task 4. Conduct a Watershed Risk Assessment
The hazard analysis will build on previous efforts in the study area as well as lessons learned from our previous MWWHMAs to identify the wildfire and postfire hydrologic hazards that have the potential to negatively affect the municipal water-supply infrastructure at an appropriate scale for mitigation planning. This analysis will begin with a consultation with the City and District to identify and prioritize municipal water-supply components and review a catchment scale delineation of Fish Creek Basin to determine if the spatial resolution is suitable to meet the project needs. Once the delineation and prioritization of critical water-supply infrastructure have been completed, the hazard analysis will commence.
The wildfire hazard analysis is based on both tradition (FlamMap) and custom fire behavior modeling. Both integrate fuel, weather from Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) and topographic features to produce outputs such as fireline intensity, resonance time, and crown fire. Fire behavior modeling for watershed management plans must be interpreted differently than it would be for community impact or operational needs. The output data for the fire behavior modeling will be translated to the burn severity input that is required for the postfire hazard analysis using the methodology developed and refined for the Buffalo and Cheyenne MWWHMAs. The postfire hydrologic hazard identification will integrate wildfire hazard information along with soil erodibility and precipitation intensity/ duration information using the NOAA/USGS Debris Flow Task Force methodology to generate a flooding/debris flow hazard ranking. The information derived from each analysis will be synthesized to produce a composite hazard ranking, which will form the basis for the mitigation planning and prioritization process. A geomorphic indicator assessment will identify the most likely depositional locations and magnitude of sediment loading to further support mitigation planning and prioritization. Task 4.1. Wildfire Hazard
A risk-analysis methodology that evaluates fire behavior predictions from agency-standard FlamMap and FarSite modeling will be employed to determine the wildfire hazards to and within the municipal watersheds. Accurate fuels data are the foundational element in a fire behavior modeling analysis and are typically derived from vegetation or land cover data using the LandFire 1.4 dataset. Although LandFire fuels are a good start in most states, Anchor Point recently assisted the Colorado State Forest Service in conducting the "Fuels Calibration Project". The final report and data were updated on July 13th, 2018. This new assessment is the most accurate state level assessment of fuels. To achieve even greater accuracy, Anchor Point will modify the fuels profile for the project area as needed with collaboration from local wildfire personnel, and custom models can be developed to address unique/specific circumstances (i.e., postfire, pine beetle areas, or past fuels reduction projects) to provide the most accurate base layer for subsequent analyses. Existing vegetation data can be cross-walked to fuel models to refine and/or confirm LandFire fuels. Unless otherwise requested, Scott and Burgan’s 40 Standard Fire Behavior Fuel Models will serve as the basis for the fuels model. The base fuels model is part of a national dataset and must be calibrated to represent local conditions. Local Fire Calibration The only way to truly calibrate to the local fire environment is to collaborate with local fire experts who have repeatedly observed fire behavior in variously fuel models. Our team’s Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN), Mr. Moraga brings 30 years of wildland firefighting and fire science expertise to interpret and calibrate these datasets, which will allow us to generate model outputs that are as accurate as possible. For example, during our wildfire hazard assessment for the City of Cheyenne, the Beaver Creek Fire (an almost 40,000 acre wildfire) occurred within the project area, and Mr. Moraga was able to collaborate with the Incident Management Team (IMT). After contacting the IMT’s FBAN, our team provided the custom fuels dataset that was developed for the Cheyenne project. This proved to be very valuable as our fuels dataset was fully integrated into the fire behavior analysis and the fire planning for the IMT and the collaboration with the IMT’s FBAN allowed our team to ground truth our custom fuels model.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-5 Once the fuel layer has been established, fire behavior will be determined through FlamMap modeling. The primary model inputs include aspect, slope, elevation, canopy cover, fuel type, canopy bulk density, canopy base height, and stand height. The final set of input data consists of reference weather and fuel moisture information that is summarized from RAWS site(s). Fuel preconditioning within FlamMap will also be used to achieve the most accurate results. FlamMap outputs will include variables that can be interpreted to predict the potential burn severity, including crown fire activity, rate of spread, flame length, and fireline intensity. The heterogeneity of the native output from FlamMap (typically at the 30-meter or 270-meter pixel resolution) can obscure the dominant fire behavior. To clearly and logically interpret the wildfire hazards and identify mitigation measures (fuels reduction opportunities), Anchor Point’s FireShed aggregation will be employed.
FireSheds FireSheds, which group areas that exhibit the same aspect, slope, relative fuels, and approximate fire behavior can be thought of as areas that “collect” fire, similar to how watersheds collect water, which is shown in Image 1 in Figure R-3. However, where watersheds are determined by topography, FireSheds are determined more by fuels and aspect. Aggregation to the FireShed scale helps to average out the variance of the raw FlamMap results into 100- to 200-acre planning units that are intuitive and appropriate for identifying project locations. Image 2 in Figure R-3 shows FireSheds nested into HUC-12 watershed planning units, and the inset in Image 3 demonstrates how FireShed aggregation helps to identify the “red” or most at-risk planning units. The end result of the fire behavior modeling provides a scientifically valid method for defining wildfire hazards within the project area, is flexible enough to incorporate past fire occurrence and concurrent projects and is specific enough to target fuels management activities.
Figure R-3. FireShed Planning Units Nested Within Coarse HUC Planning Units.
The fire behavior modeling also serves as the basis for the postfire hydrologic analysis, specifically the fireline intensity predictions output from FlamMap. However, the FlamMap outputs require interpretation to be used as the inputs required by the postfire hazard analysis. Fireline intensity is a measure of the power of a fire along the flaming front and is measured in kilowatts per meter (essentially a measure of energy released at each location), while burn severity is a measure of above- and belowground organic matter consumption from fire. These two measurements are not directly translatable. Because multiple wildfires occurred within the Cheyenne MWWHMA project area during the course of the project, observations were available to help overcome this obstacle. Burn severity was estimated by spatially correlating BAER burn severity maps of past
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-6 fires within the project area to the fuels model input to FlamMap and the fire behavior modeling outputs. These data were used to determine critical thresholds on specific vegetation types (i.e., timber) that typically yield the moderate and high burn severity ratings that were observed by BAER teams to obtain a predicted burn severity estimate. Keystone Fire During the summer of 2017, the Keystone Fire broke out in the Cheyenne MWWHMA project area near Rob Roy Reservoir. The datasets generated from the wildfire hazard analysis and water-supply infrastructure prioritization were provided to firefighters to aid in their efforts to minimize impacts to the municipal watershed. The burn severity maps that were produced as part of the BAER were subsequently used by our team to validate our fireline intensity to burn severity translation. Figure R-4 shows the boundaries of the Keystone Fire and one of Cheyenne’s municipal watersheds, the BAER burn severity map, and the predicted burn severity that were calculated as part of our team’s hazard assessment.
Figure R-4. Keystone Fire Validation of Cheyenne MWWHMA’s Wildfire Hazard Assessment and Burn Severity Estimation.
Task 4.2. Postfire Hydrologic Hazard
The postfire hydrologic hazards analysis will incorporate results from the wildfire hazard analysis to identify locations within the City’s and District’s municipal watershed, which are most likely to contribute large sediment loads to Sheridan’s water-supply system if burned. This postfire hydrologic hazards analysis will incorporate the three analyses (wildfire hazard, flooding/debris flow, and soil erodibility) related to how a burned watershed will respond to storm events. They are grouped because a meaningful hazard analysis must consider the interdependence of these variables. To understand the extent to which conditions that make a watershed susceptible to flooding/debris flow (i.e. highly erodible soils, steep slopes, and rugged terrain) may be exacerbated by wildfire, the probable fire regime must be considered. For example, a severely burned watershed is much more susceptible to flooding/debris flow hazards than a moderately burned watershed of similar ruggedness with similar soil properties. Further, these hazards vary depending upon storm characteristics. Precipitation intensity and duration are the primary drivers of flooding/debris flow and soil erosional hazards; therefore, local precipitation patterns will also be considered.
The FlamMap modeling results will provide a means to approximate burn severity. Rainfall volume and intensity information will be obtained from local precipitation records and/or the NOAA Precipitation Atlas. Variables that describe the municipal watershed’s physical characteristics, such as slope and soil properties, will be acquired geospatially through USGS digital elevation models [DEMs] and the NRCS and Medicine Bow Routt National Forest soils datasets. These datasets will be extracted spatially for each catchment and will serve as
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-7 inputs to the NOAA/USGS Debris Flow Task Force prediction models, which have been used to provide evacuation warnings to communities downstream of burned areas. These models estimate the probability and severity (i.e., sediment-delivery volumes) of the debris flow occurrence. The volume sediment delivery will be estimated for a range of precipitation intensities and durations (i.e., total storm volume), and results will be aggregated for each water-supply reservoir drainage area to better understand the potential impacts to critical infrastructure.
The results from the wildfire hazard and postfire hydrologic hazard analyses will be integrated to determine a composite hazard ranking for each catchment, which will identify the locations that pose the greatest threat to the municipal water supply, should a wildfire occur within Steamboat Springs’ municipal watershed. Fire behavior modeling aggregated at the FireShed planning unit will then be used to help visualize the areas of greatest concern in relation to the watershed and drainage areas. An example of the composite hazard ranking from the Buffalo MWWHMA is shown in Image 1 in Figure R-5.
1 2
Figure R-5. Example of Composite Hazard Ranking (Image 1) and Targeted Treatment Areas to Mitigate Wildfire Hazards (Image 2).
Task 4.3. Composite Hazard and Geomorphic Assessment
Image 2 in Figure R-5 shows the drainage areas for Buffalo’s 70-k acre municipal watershed and 25 k acre municipal reservoir drainage area. These are overlain with approximately 400-acre catchments that were identified as having the greatest potential to contribute large sediment loads to the municipal water-supply infrastructure. Priority FireSheds nested within the selected catchments allow for identifying approximately 150-acre targeted treatment units to mitigate wildfire related threats to water-supply infrastructure. Figure R- 5 demonstrates the synthesis of the hydrologic and fire science into an end product; providing scientifically derived areas of concern within the municipal watershed that are intuitive and of the appropriate scale to facilitate the decision-making process.
A geomorphic assessment will follow the Rosgen-based methods to identify depositing and transporting reaches based on guidance outlined Protecting Critical Watersheds in Colorado from Wildfire: A Technical Approach to Watershed Assessment and Prioritization. These methods employ morphological characteristics, such as channel relief (slope) and shape (sinuosity) to determine the likely areas of postfire deposition. Predicted sediment-delivery volumes and depositional areas will be reviewed in relation to Steamboat Springs’ water-supply infrastructure locations to prioritize projects and identify the potential detention basin or other mitigation project opportunities.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-8 Task 4.4. Risk Assessment Plan
Once critical areas are definitively identified, it will be necessary to prioritize the areas of concern. The composite hazard ranking map will serve to prioritize the identified areas of vulnerability based on the results of the wildfire hazard analysis, the postfire hydrologic analysis, and the key identified FireSheds within the priority catchments. Water-supply infrastructure and operability analyses will be conducted to allow for the consideration of water-supply vulnerability points and the level of ease or difficulty of project implementation). Project opportunities will be evaluated and summarized into a prioritization matrix, based on agreed-upon criteria, to guide in the selection, timing, and implementation of projects and identifying any necessary communication/ agreements to facilitate the implementation of the selected projects. The prioritization matrix criteria will be reviewed and refined at informal project meetings and is anticipated to include the following elements: / Hazard Index » Composite hazard ranking / Water-Supply Infrastructure Index » Determined in partnership with the City and the District / Operability Index: » Landownership . Number of landowners within a project jurisdiction . Private land (i.e., NEPA is not needed) . Federal land (i.e., NEPA must be considered) - Covered by NEPA in the Forest 5-Year Plan - Covered under Good Neighbor Policy (expedited NEPA) - Within Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) boundaries (i.e., expedited implementation under HFRA) » Forest planning . Roadless area . Wilderness area . Fire regime and forest structural stage . Future planned projects » Biological considerations . Threatened & Endangered species present or other biological constraints . Vegetation community type . Crucial habitats or critical range » Cost/benefit . Estimated cost-per-acre versus value for suppression resources . Size of project (larger is harder to fund and accomplish) . Ease of access (haul distance and slope) . Tons-per-acre fuel calculation (expression of volume to be treated) . Reentry schedule (rapid reentry versus long interval) . Treatment type (hand versus mechanized or prescribed fire) / Sociopolitical Constraints / Additional Criteria as Established by the Core Team.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-9 Project Implementation Success By considering other management priorities in the project area, the likelihood of project implementation increases. For example, Bighorn National Forest (Buffalo MWWHMA project area), has a goal of rehabilitating riparian corridors to promote aspen growth. If the final recommendations identify projects that also promote these goals, the BNF is more likely to move forward with these projects. Input from stakeholders also lays the foundation for the NEPA permitting process, particularly in helping to convey the purpose and need and in facilitating public involvement. In the BNF, the final mitigation plan and priority matrix were used as the starting point for the Environmental Assessment (EA) needed to move forward with implementing recommendations from the Buffalo MWWHMA.
The purpose of having separate hazard, water-supply infrastructure, and operability indices is to provide land, water, and resource managers with as much information as possible to guide the decision-making process. The hazard index identifies the areas that pose the greatest risk to the municipal water supply. However, areas that pose the highest risk are not necessarily the best locations to spend limited resources. The operability index ranks priority areas based on other factors that must be considered in the decision-making process. The infrastructure index can help prioritize areas within the City’s and District’s municipal watershed based on the locations and/or capacity of critical infrastructure. The combination of the hazard, operability, and water- supply infrastructure indices will provide the Final Watershed Prioritization. An example of how the three indices were combined to determine the final prioritization for the Cheyenne MWWHMA is shown in Figure R-6. The final matrix will be editable and easy to update as new information is made available or as priorities and forest management goals change.
Hazard Index + Infrastructure Index + Operability Index
Final Project Prioritization
Figure R-6. Prioritization Matrix Visualization From the Cheyenne Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-10 Task 5. Develop and Prioritize Action Steps
The Final Watershed Prioritization completed for Task 4 will serve as the foundation for the Implementation Strategy and Action Plan. Because the majority of the project area is within Medicine Bow Routt National Forest, collaborating with the Core Team will be critical to identifying steps to implement the prioritized recommendations for preemptive mitigation measures (i.e., fuels treatments), Project prioritization will be supported with a summary of the purpose and need, for each proposed project and cost estimates for a 10-year planning and implementation horizon. The cost will be coordinated with and approved by the Core Team before their final integration into the Implementation Strategy and Action Plan.
Fuels management activities are designed to change the structure of wildland vegetation to alter potential fire behavior. Specific prescriptions and types of mitigation activities for fuels management depend on the vegetation characteristics and calculated values within the wildfire component of the modeling. In forest ecosystems with low- and mixed-severity fire regimes, fuels management prescriptions can be designed to improve watershed sustainability by increasing the survivability of trees after wildland fires and improving the success of fire suppression efforts. For high-severity fire regimes in brushland and forest ecosystems, fuels management objectives can change the fire behavior by slowing overall fire growth and improving fire suppression. To clearly identify the most appropriate fuels management prescriptions, our team has developed a decision-support package that consists of four elements and is shown in Figure R-7.
1 2
3 4
Figure R-7. Example of Wildfire Hazard Decision-Support Package from the Buffalo Wildlife Habitat Management Areas.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-11 Decision Support The first element is the identification of fire-influence paths, which are calculated from a fire-growth algorithm as shown in Image 1 in Figure R-7. Fire burning through paths of high influence (orange) ultimately burns more land area than the areas around them. These influence paths suggest where to place fuels treatment units because a larger effect could be achieved by slowing the fire spread through those paths compared to surrounding areas. The second element is the identification of downwind fire spread (Image 2 in Figure R-7). These areas, in combination with the major fire paths suggest where to place fuels treatments. The third element of the tools package is the identification of anchor points, which can include past projects, bare ground, open lands, and even types of vegetation, such as defined riparian and deciduous tree stands (Image 3 Figure R-7). The final element of the tool package is a custom Time Until Fire Arrival analysis, which can help identify areas that are susceptible to rapid fire spread intruding on critical hydrologic areas (Image 4 in Figure R-7). By using these models, in combination with our technical expertise and the expertise of local fire management staff, our team will be able to prioritize fuels reduction projects within and adjacent to the municipal watershed.
If wildfire does occur within Steamboat Springs’ municipal watershed, mitigating sediment delivery above the critical water-supply infrastructure will be necessary. Postfire sediment-control treatments can be applied to the land surface to reduce erosion at the source, as well as in-channel to reduce stream velocities, provide opportunities for sediment loads to be deposited before reaching critical infrastructure, and reduce the occurrence of in-channel scour. Land surface treatments stabilize burned areas by providing soil cover and reducing erosion, trapping sediment and reducing sedimentation, and/or reducing water repellency and improving infiltration. These treatments also maintain ecosystem integrity by preventing expansion of unwanted species. Land -surface treatments include practices such as mulching, reseeding, slash spreading, and installing erosion barriers. In-channel treatments are used to reduce or mitigate the effects to water quality, loss of water control, slow water velocity, and trap sediment and maintain channel characteristics. Channel treatments can include grade stabilizers, check dams, debris/sediment basins, and stream channel armoring. The geomorphic assessment will guide the identification of potential sediment-control structure placement to mitigate postfire water quality impacts, for which pre-permitting needs will be investigated.
Action steps will be developed for the postfire control measures to stabilize the watershed both immediately following the fire and in longer term as the watershed recovers. Our team is experienced in designing both short term and long-term control measures to mitigate wildfire impacts from our work in both the Hayman Fire and Waldo Canyon Fire burn areas. After the 2003 Hayman Fire, we developed multiple mitigation plans for the NRCS in partnership with Douglas County to address potential flooding and sediment, which included measures, such as diversion channels for flood flows, log drop structures, riprap armoring of severely eroded channel banks, and large-capacity corrugated metal pipe culverts sloped steeply to convey flood and sediment flows under roadways. We helped the Coalition for the Upper South Platte’s obtain over $300,000 in 319 grant funding for erosion mitigation on the severely burned Trail Creek watershed and supported the Coalition’s operations by developing long-term solutions, including a watershed revegetation plan, a prioritization system for problem areas, design improvements for minor drainageways, a dam failure analysis, and a home relocation in the Trail Creek floodplain. Following the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire and the subsequent August 2013 flood, we supported the CDOT’s emergency response by designing solutions to eliminate roadway overtopping, stabilize the channel on Fountain Creek, and reduce debris impacts to downstream areas, including the town of Manitou Springs, as shown in Figure R-8. Since 2013, we have continued to support CDOT through hydrologic modeling to determine the postfire runoff and debris flow potential and recovery, providing mitigation designs that protect infrastructure and ensure public safety, and providing the analysis to support the roadway closure protocols on US Highway 24.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-12 Figure R-8. Example of Design Solutions to Reduce Flooding and Sedimentation Downstream of Waldo Canyon Burn Area.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-13 In the event of a wildfire in Fish Creek Basin, water treatment facilities will need to understand the expected changes in stream chemistry to make any necessary adjustments to their operations and continue to supply high-quality drinking water to their customers. The potential water quality impacts of a wildfire in the municipal watershed will be evaluated in relation to current water treatment facility conditions and operations to identify modifications needed to accommodate postfire runoff.
Identification of potential water quality impacts will be guided by the review of background information conducted for Task 3. Our team has extensive experience in hydrologic and water quality modeling, including burned systems. We have conducted postfire runoff hydrologic modeling of peak flows for the Hayman and Waldo Canyon Fires using HEC-HMS and have enhanced the HSPF water quality modeling system (which was developed by RESPEC) for the US Department of Defense to simulate runoff/erosion impacts of prescribed burning at Fort Benning, Georgia. Through these and other projects, we have also conducted an extensive review of the scientific literature on the impacts of wildfire on water quality. The temporal and spatial distribution of existing datasets will dictate whether determining the expected water quality impacts through modeling or by scaling current concentrations based on literature values is more appropriate.
After reviewing existing data, including stream chemistry and current water treatment facility operations, a SAP will be developed to establish baseline water chemistry conditions. Water chemistry impact scenarios will be developed based on these current conditions and expected fire behavior, which will include the following water quality parameters:
/ High sediment/turbidity / Ash-laden water / Increased total and dissolved organics / Taste and odor / Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur) / Trace organics (dioxin, fire retardants, forest service chemicals, and mine wastes) / Metals (mine wastes, naturally occurring, or released from wildfire) / pH and alkalinity changes / Algae and algal toxins / Microbials (Cryptosporidium, Giardia, coliform, viruses).
The predicted water chemistry impact scenarios will inform recommendations for post-wildfire water treatment. Our team will subcontract a firm that specializes in water treatment to identify measures to modify existing operations to accommodate post-wildfire water chemistry and potential capital improvements. The water treatment firm will review the current operations and identify improvements to the water treatment process and facility that can address expected impacts to the above listed water quality parameters. We will also work with the water treatment firm to identify options for using an alternative surface water-supply source in conjunction with temporary emergency mobile water treatment units to provide safe drinking water immediately after a wildfire event within the Fish Creek watershed, if the current systems are compromised. Reservoir operations will be analyzed by the RESPEC team to identify any potential modifications to mitigate the postfire impacts, and opportunities to reduce sedimentation in the reservoirs will be investigated (e.g., sediment basins and turbidity curtains).
These analyses will consider delayed impacts of a wildfire event over a minimum period of 10 years, as the watershed recovers. Mitigation measures within the watershed (e.g., upstream of reservoirs, intakes, and facilities) and the water-facility improvements, including modifying the existing facility and treatment processes and expanding and constructing additional treatment processes, will be evaluated.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-14 We will draw on the experience of our team members and the subcontracted water treatment firm, which has designed and provided operational guidance to water treatment facilities, as well as the experiences of water managers and clients in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming that have faced the challenge of wildfire impacts to their municipal water systems. Our team has reviewed several guidance documents to this effect including the following:
/ EPA’s Wildfire Incident Action Checklist / USGS’s Wildfire Effects on Source-Water Quality—Lessons from Fourmile Canyon Fire, Colorado, and Implications for Drinking-Water Treatment / The City of Breckenridge, Colorado’s Second Plant Feasibility Study / The City of Bend, Oregon’s Report on the Effects of Wildfire on Drinking Water Utilities and Effective Practices for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Mitigation / Water Research Foundation’s Report on the Effects of Wildfire on Drinking Water Utilities and Effective Practices for Wildfire Risk Reduction and Mitigation.
We will incorporate this guidance, along with information from the City and the District’s current Water Supply Master Plan update and planned improvement projects in our recommendations. The resulting Implementation Strategy and Action Plan will clearly define and prioritize site-specific measures to implement within the watershed as a whole before, during, and after a wildfire event to protect the critical drinking water- supply, infrastructure, and watershed health, as well as identify planned actions/ improvements to implement at the reservoirs and water treatment facility in response to wildfire and postfire hydrologic impacts.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-15 Task 6. Final Report & Presentations
We understand that the successful outcome of the Fish Creek Basin (CWP)2 goes beyond project documents and deliverables; success will truly be defined by the ability of the City, District, and county, state, and federal forestry partners to quickly and effectively implement the recommendations and treatments that are outlined in the Watershed Risk Assessment and Implementation Strategy & Action Plan portions of the final report. To do this, the Core Team and other key stakeholders need to be able to review and provide feedback on technical analyses and resulting mitigation plans.
To facilitate the review process for the (CWP)2, a digital copy (which will be fully assembled, standalone, searchable PDF) of the draft report will be made available through the project website. This distribution method will enable reviewers to download the draft report and upload their feedback easily and provide a transparent review process. A draft report that will explain the technical analysis performed, summarize the information gathered through reviewing background material and stakeholder engagement/ collaboration efforts, and describe the resulting recommendations will be provided for review on or before March 30, 2019.
After receiving and incorporating comments from the Core Team into the draft report, a digital copy of the final report will be uploaded to the project website by May 1, 2019, to give the Core Team an opportunity for a final review. Any discrepancies will be addressed before the project deadline and submittal of the final documents and materials to the City of Steamboat Springs on or before May 15, 2019. These final documents and materials are expected to include the following chapters:
/ Core Team & Key Stakeholders / Executive Summary / Introduction / Purpose and objectives / The Planning Process / Summary of Data / Watershed Risk Assessment / Summary of Findings / Specific Recommendations & Priorities / Plans & Projects / Opinion of Probable Costs / Implementation Strategy & Action Plan / Monitoring and Evaluation / Appendices (Maps, Models, Data, and References).
A final project presentation will be created and presented to the Steamboat Springs City Council and the Mount Werner Water Board of Directors. The final presentation will be constructed to enable our team to quickly and concisely condense the presentation and convey the key points using a theme-modular process. This format use five or six key themes with additional supporting slides that provide detailed information, which allows for a 30-minute presentation to be condensed to five slides for an overview presentation. Because of the collaboration that will take place during this project and an integrated team approach, several individuals on the Core Team, including representatives from the City or District would be able to present this presentation to the public, as the project moves into the implementation phase.
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Revised Project Approach for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // R-16 4.0 Schedule
Given the successful completion of two concurrent MWWHMAs within a similar time frame, we are confident in our ability to meet the schedule outlined in the RFP and deliver the completed Fish Creek (CWP)2 and all associated project deliverables by May 15, 2019. The anticipated work schedule is illustrated in Table 4-1 and indicates the proposed timeline of the individual tasks. The 2016–2017 Cheyenne MWWHMA and Buffalo MWWHMA work schedules have been included for reference in Table 4-2. The schedule may be modified based on our discussions with Core Team personnel in the project kickoff and initial scoping meetings.
2018 2019 Task Description Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
1 Establish Core Team
2 Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
3 Gather and Evaluate Reports & Data
Conduct a Watershed Risk Assessment & Develop 4 a Working Map of Prioritized Watersheds in the Planning Area
5 Develop and Prioritize Action Steps
6 Final Report & Presentation(s)
Figure 4-1. Proposed Schedule for the Fish Creek Critical Community Wildfire Protection Plan
2016 2017 Project May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Cheyenne MWWHMA
Buffalo MWWHMA
Figure 4-2. Actual Schedule for the Cheyenne and Buffalo Municipal Watershed Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments
RESPEC RSI/P-4036 Response to RFP for Fish Creek (CWP)2 Engineering Services // 32 Appendix A. Résumés
RICHARD C. OMMERT, PE, CFM Principal-In-Charge
OVERVIEW Mr. Ommert’s 22 years of experience have been in the areas of water resources planning and design. He has worked as a project engineer and project manager on several fire-related projects associated with the Waldo Canyon Fire (2012)and Hayman Fire (2002). He has worked as a project engineer for TECHNICAL EXPERTISE numerous planning and design projects for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD). He Pre- and Post-Fire Hydrology / has completed hydrologic modeling, channel restoration, water quality monitoring, debris control, Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses erosion-control measure design, and permanent stormwater quality control design. / Field Experience in Developing Site-Specific / Mitigation Plans RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE Implementable Alternative Plan / US 24 at Waldo Canyon Burn Scar, Manitou Springs, Colorado. As the project manager, Mr. Ommert was Development responsible for overseeing the development of the post-fire hydrology for the Waldo Canyon watershed. Construction Plan and Specification / Additional tasks included development of improvements to reduce flooding from the Waldo Canyon Development watershed, assess other areas along the roadway that were adversely impacted by the fire and could EDUCATION present a safety hazard and develop roadway closure protocols for US 24 that were successfully BS in Civil Engineering, University of implemented. / Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO (1996) Hayman Fire Area Hydraulic and Floodplain Support Services, Douglas County, Colorado. Mr. Ommert REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES assisted Douglas County with a variety of engineering services, including public awareness, identifying Professional Engineer in Colorado and / temporary culvert crossing requirements, and floodplain delineation. Coordination with the Dana Butler South Dakota at the US Forest Service (USFS) was key to developing implementing plans for the protection of the Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) / public, infrastructure, and overall health of the forest where Horse, Trout, West, and Four Mile Creeks PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS were directly impacted from the fire. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) / Trail Creek Channel Restoration, Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP), Wildland Hydrology, Chi Epsilon Engineering Honor Society / Douglas County, Colorado. Trail Creek was dramatically altered due to the Hayman Fire. Mr. Ommert Colorado Association of Stormwater and / developed the final plans for the Rosgen improvements for trail creek channel at the outlet to West Creek Floodplain Managers (CASFM) for approval by Douglas County. The improvements were coordinated with the US Forest Service for WORK HISTORY approval prior to plan development. RESPEC (2011–Present) / Moser & Associates Engineering Irondale Gulch Outfall System Plan (OSP), Commerce City, UDFCD, and City of Thornton, Colorado. / (2000–2011) Mr. Ommert was the project manager for developing the OSP. Work included updating 25 square miles of Turner Collie & Braden (1997–2000) watershed and abandoning a detention basin with the Rock Mountain Arsenal to locate the equivalent / Urban Drainage and Flood Control District storage elsewhere. Most important to Commerce City was developing an implementable plan to handle / (1995–1997) the lack of an effective drainage system within the city that included water quality. Special attention was placed on the outfall through Thornton, which needed to recognize the city’s water storage system.
I-25 Meadows Parkway to 5th Street and 5th Street to Douglas Lane, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado. Mr. Ommert was the project engineer and project manager for developing drainage improvements for the roadway widening of I-25 from Meadows Parkway to Douglas Lane. Improvements included storm sewer design; innovative use of permanent water quality improvement facilities; and outlet stabilization that included the design (under construction) of a drop structure at a concrete box culvert (CBC) outfall.
Rock Creek Channel Restoration, UDFCD and Boulder County Parks and Open Space, Colorado. Rock Creek was suffering from severe channel degradation and the channel banks were overly steep and eroded through the Carolyn Holmberg Preserve. Mr. Ommert was responsible for completing the conceptual and final design plans for the improvements, which included sculpted concrete drop RICHARD C. OMMERT // 2
structures, grading and flattening vertical channel banks, soil wraps to protect the low-flow channel, and revegetation to protect and enhance wildlife and aquatic habitat.
Murphy Creek Outfall Systems Planning Study and Flood Hazard Area Delineation (FHAD), UDFCD and City of Aurora, Colorado. As project manager, Mr. Ommert was responsible for the hydrology model development, using Colorado Urban Hydrograph Procedure (CUHP) and US EPA SWMM, and alternatives development for the 13-square-mile Murphy Creek Watershed. The hydrology was updated from the original 1990 study and was used to size the various flood control and channel stability measures for the OSP. The FHAD study analyzed 18 miles of streams, including Murphy Creek and six of its major tributaries.
Old Town By-Pass Drainage Improvements, Town of Erie and UDFCD, Colorado. Mr. Ommert completed the interim and final design plans to mitigate flooding of the town of Erie, Colorado. The interim improvements included the calculations for approximately 6,200 feet of channel, a culvert crossing, two vertical hard basin (VHB) drop structures, and a grouted sloping boulder (GSB) drop structure into Coal Creek. Various utility conflicts were mitigated before construction and included protecting a new 30-inch water transmission line near Coal Creek. The final plans included designing a 35-acre-foot detention basin, outlet structure, and corresponding channel to Coal Creek. In particular, improvements from the interim design were incorporated in the final design plans.
Dartmouth Avenue Storm Sewer Replacement, City of Englewood, Colorado. Mr. Ommert completed the plan and profile sheets for roughly 4,000 feet of reinforced concrete storm sewer. Plan and profile sheets were also developed for existing and proposed inlets along the alignment. Modifications to the outlet into the South Platte River were also prepared.
Denver International Airport (DIA) Drainage Master Plan Update and Digital FHAD (DFHAD), Colorado. Mr. Ommert was the project manager for developing updated hydrology and hydraulics for the eight watersheds within the DIA boundary. The first phase was to update the Third Creek Watershed, whose tributary area encompasses the Main Terminal and the South Terminal Expansion project area. Our hydrology work was recently accepted and the DFHAD portion of the project has begun. Preliminary floodplain delineations have been completed using HEC-GeoRAS.
DIA Terminal Water Quality Basin, Colorado. As a project manager, Mr. Ommert was responsible for designing a water quality basin to treat existing and future development of the DIA Main Terminal and South Terminal Expansion and hotel area. The project included analyses of the Third Creek floodplain and Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) submittal. Airport security concerns and wildlife attractants were addressed in the design.
MEGAN BURKE, PHD, CFM Project Manager and Postfire Hydrologist
OVERVIEW Dr. Burke is a civil engineer wit a strong theoretical background in hydrology and water resources, geochemistry, and environmental law. Her experience includes hydrologic and surface-water quality modeling, as well as surface-water quality monitoring and geospatial and statistical analyses. TECHNICAL EXPERTISE Water Quality Modeling / TECHNICAL EXPERTISE Hydrologic Modeling / Water Quality Modeling. Dr. Burke has developed several hydrologic and water quality modeling Statistical and Geospatial Analyses / applications using the HSPF watershed modeling package. These models are, in turn, used to guide Surface-Water Data Collection and / watershed assessments, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development, and implementation planning. Instrumentation She has applied the HSPF model to a wide range of hydrologically complex watersheds to quantify EDUCATION impacts of both natural and anthropogenic processes, including wildfire. For example, before joining PhD in Civil Engineering, specializing in RESPEC, Dr. Burke developed an HSPF model application to assess the impacts of southern California’s / hydrology and water resources, University 2009 Station Fire on trace metal delivery to the Los Angeles River to provide recommendations to the city of California, Los Angeles, CA (2012) of Pasadena and the Los Angeles Department of Public Works on how to best mitigate potential water MS in Civil Engineering, specializing in quality problems resulting from wildfire at the urban fringe. / hydrology and water resources, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (2008) Dr. Burke has worked extensively with the RESPEC modeling group to establish a comprehensive quality BS in Environmental Physical Science and assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program for all HSPF model applications. She has also helped develop / Art, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, and implement an internal training program and conduct external workshops on model development, SD (2006) calibration, and application. REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES Hydrologic Modeling. Dr. Burke has worked with several hydrologic models beyond HSPF, including HEC- Certified Floodplain Manager / HMS, HEC-RAS, MODFLOW, SAC-SMA, TR55, AND FERGI. She conducted project work for the US Forest HONORS & AWARDS Service (USFS) to provide guidance on post-fire hydrologic modeling of peak flows and sediment delivery EPA Challenge Award for Exceptional / for Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessments. Models that were evaluated include US Service on Gold King Mine Spill Emergency Geological Survey (USGS) Regression equations, TR55, HEC-HMS, and FERGI. Response (2015) National Science Foundation (NSF) / Statistical and Geospatial Analyses. Dr. Burke routinely incorporates ESRI’s ArcGIS into her modeling Graduate Fellowship in K-12 Education: projects to perform extensive geospatial analyses, computations, and mapping. She regularly applies UCLA Science and Engineering of the statistical analyses to aid in hydrologic and water quality data interpretation (i.e., flood frequency Environment of Los Angeles (SEE-LA) GK-12 analyses, and analyses of variance). She has also used statistical tools to identify changes to hydrologic Program (2009, 2010) flowpaths following wildfire (principle component analysis) and aid in refining hydrologic model University of California Natural Reserve / applications by using appropriate objective functions to calibrate each part of the hydrograph System (UC-NRS) Mildred E. Mathius (autocalibration of SAC-SMA). Graduate Student Research Grant (2007)
Association for Women Geoscientist / Surface-Water Data Collection and Instrumentation. Dr. Burke designed and coordinated field Outstanding Student Award (2005) campaigns for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Hydrological Sciences, USFS BAER, and University National Aeronautics and Space / of California Natural Reserve System (UC-NRS) funded projects. She trained team members to collect Administration (NASA) Space Grant samples (soil, sediment, and aqueous) and perform basic laboratory analyses (total suspended solids Scholarship (2004) [TSS] and total organic carbon [TOC]) according to standard methods. Dr. Burke also trained laboratory WORK HISTORY technicians to measure mercury (solid and aqueous, by using a Milestone Direct Mercury Analyzer, and RESPEC (2011–Present) / Brooks Rand Total Mercury System Model III). University of California Los Angeles / (2006–2011) She installed, maintained, and trained others in using numerous types of field equipment, including Meade County Department of Weed and velocity and current meters, rain gages, water level loggers, autosamplers, water quality meters (pH, / Pest (2006) dissolved oxygen [DO], and turbidity), infiltrometers, GPS devices, and surveying equipment to collect, Black Hills State University (2005–2006) compile, and ensure quality of hydrologic and water quality data. /
MEGAN BURKE // 2
RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE Wyoming Water Development Commission Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments. Dr. Burke recently completed municipal watershed wildfire Hazard Mitigation Assessments for the cities of Buffalo and Cheyenne. She served as the project manager for both projects, overseeing project administration, coordination with stakeholders, reporting, and public outreach. Dr. Burke also led the postfire hydrologic analyses which identified locations most likely to produce sediment laden floods if a wildfire were to occur within the municipal watersheds.
The assessments address potential wildfire impacts the water supply for the cities of Cheyenne and Buffalo, which rely on surface-water reservoirs in forested, fire-prone watersheds. The HMAs identified locations for site-specific forest management treatments that can minimize impacts to municipal water sources and facilities following forest fires. The HMAs focused on technical analyses of expected wildfire impacts (i.e., FLAMMAP fire behavior modeling) and postfire hydrologic response (NOAA/USGS Debris Flow Task Force regression models) to identify areas that present a risk to municipal water supply. A prioritization matrix was developed to prioritize potential treatment locations based on the hazard analyses as well as factors related to project implementation (e.g., permitting, habitat, operability).
Results from the HMAs are currently being incorporated into forest management planning. The HMAs were funded through the Governor’s office and administered by Wyoming Water Development Office. Collaborating entities included the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, City of Buffalo, Wyoming State Forestry Division, Wyoming Game and Fish Division, US Forest Service, and US Bureau of Land Management.
Wyoming Water Development Commission Powder/Tongue and Northeast River Basin Plan Update Level 1 Study. Dr. Burke was the lead author on the Watershed Fire Information Report of the Powder/Tongue and Northeast River Basin Plan Update. While not a typical component of these studies, this task was included to address water supply protection recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Forests. Dr. Burke developed datasets to help identify water supply reservoirs and their associated drainages that are the most vulnerable to water quality degradation caused by wildfire and identified a method to quantify potential postfire water quality impacts. This information was compiled to assist developing cross-jurisdictional watershed protection plans that focus on proactive management to preserve and enhance water quality.
The remainder of the Powder/Tongue and Northeast River Basin Plan Updates Level 1 study is currently underway. The study area includes the Powder, Tongue, and Little Bighorn River Basins and the Little Missouri, Belle Fourche, Cheyenne, and Niobrara River Basins. The plan updates will include an extensive literature review; a basin surface-water use profile update for the following use categories: agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational and environmental, and water use from storage; a summary of water law and water administration throughout the basins; a determination of available surface water under a range of climate and operating conditions; a project of future water demands and concerns, including shortfall predictions and alleviation opportunities; a recommendation of strategies to ensure that future water needs of the planning region are met; and the facilitation of Basin Advisory Group and Stakeholder meetings to engage agencies, entities, and individuals throughout the plan update process.
USEPA Superfund Technical Response Team (START)–California Wildfire and Gold King Mine Emergency Response, EPA, Napa County, California. Under subcontract to Weston Solutions, Dr. Burke was deployed to California after nearly 7,000 residential and commercial parcels were affected by wildfires in Sonoma and Napa Counties. She assessed burned structures for asbestos containing materials (ACM) and monitored air quality during removal of ACM from burned properties.
While on response in Colorado, Dr. Burke documented construction activities and water treatment in response to the Gold King Mine spill, which released 3 million gallons of acid mine drainage into Animas River tributary. She developed monitoring and data Standard Operating Procedures, provided daily data summaries to EPA coordinators, oversaw water quality instrument deployment, and set up an on-scene laboratory to evaluate treatment effectiveness.
Chris White Project Co-Manager and Wildfire Subject-Matter Expert
Mr. White is the Chief Operating Officer of Anchor Point Group LLC. This team of professional fire consultants specializes in hazard and risk assessments, the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, National Wildlife Coordinating Group (NWCG) training, and operational pre-attack planning.
EDUCATION Mr. White has specialized in Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Management BS, Environmental Resource for over 20 years. He started his fire career in 1987 working with both the Management, Penn State University US and Colorado State Forest Service. After taking on the responsibility of pre-planning for approximately 1,100 subdivisions for wildland fire hazards REGISTRATIONS and developing mitigation plans to reduce wildfire impacts, Mr. White Nationally Certified Structure became Colorado’s first county-level Wildland Fire Coordinator in Summit Protection Specialist; County. Nationally Certified Firing/Burn Boss Mr. White has been a member of the Western Governors Association PROFESSIONAL (WGA) Federal Fire Policy Review Committee, WGA Prescribed Fire Policy MEMBERSHIPS Committee, NWCG Hazard and Risk Assessment Methodology International Code Committee, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Wildland Fire Committee; Certified Committee. He also represented the International Association of Fire Instructor – WUI Code; Berthoud Fire Protection Chiefs (IAFC) on a new national initiative to integrate structural firefighters District into the wildland fire management arena.
INDUSTRY TENURE Mr. White offers additional technical expertise as a Structure Protection 29 years Specialist to Type 1 and 2 National Incident Management Teams. As a certified Structure Protection Specialist, he is responsible for integrating YEARS WITH FIRM fire-behavior modeling and structure protection tactics to develop structure 18 years protection plans for large fire events throughout the US.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Community and ecosystem vulnerability assessments: Wildland Coordinator Berthoud Fire Protection • Definition of critical areas for mitigation and management District – Berthoud, CO • (2006–Present) Community and stakeholder meetings Boulder County Senior Fire • Forest management, project layout, and design Management Specialist – Boulder, CO (1996–2002) • Application of remote sensing for vulnerability assessments. Summit County Fire Code Officer – Breckenridge, CO Fire management: (1993–1996) • Wildfire and incident management training
• Community protection planning • Watershed analysis and planning • Public information • Air resource management.
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Rod Moraga, FBAN Fire Behavior Analyst
Mr. Moraga has been with Anchor Point Group LLC since 1998 and is currently the CEO of the firm. He leads the ecosystem management and wildfire planning divisions, as well as development and implementation of comprehensive ecosystem management plans. Concurrent with his work with Anchor Point, Mr. Moraga serves as the Fire Behavior Analyst for the US Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain National Incident Management EDUCATION Team and has served as the Prescribed Fire Manager for the City of BS, Natural Resource Boulder, Colorado. His experience and strong background in fire Management (Forestry), operations, fire ecology, forestry, and Wildland-Urban Interface ensures Cook College of Agriculture, that recommendations are viable and practical to the end user. Rutgers University Mr. Moraga further offers technical expertise in fire-behavior modeling to REGISTRATIONS the USFS Rocky Mountain National Incident Management Team. As a Nationally Certified Fire- certified Fire-Behavior Analyst, he is responsible for predicting fire behavior Behavior Analyst (FBAN) and spread during large fire events throughout the US. Long-Term Fire Analyst, Division Group Supervisor, Firing/Burn Boss, and At Anchor Point, Mr. Moraga’s primary focus is on combining advanced Prescribed Fire Manager fire-behavior modeling and sound silvicultural practices to enhance ecosystem health, while mitigating the Wildland-Urban Interface fire threat. PROFESSIONAL In this role, he oversees the fire-behavior analysis for hazard and risk MEMBERSHIPS assessments, prescribed burns, and wildfire protection plans, as Society of American Foresters summarized below.
INDUSTRY TENURE Fire-behavior analysis and management: 29 years • Hazard risk assessments • YEARS WITH FIRM Fuels and fire modeling 18 years • Prediction and interpretation • PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Wildland Fire Decision Support System Analysis City of Boulder Prescribed • Operational briefings Fire Manager – Boulder, CO (1998–2002) • Division group supervisor/technical specialist on non-fire incidents City of Boulder Open Space • Ecosystems and forest management. Forest and Fire Ecologist – Boulder, CO (1996–1998) Prescribed fire management and protection planning:
• Coordination of prescribed fire program • Wildfire and incident management training • Community protection planning • Forest management planning and implementation.
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Mark McLean, PhD GIS Analyst and Fire Modeler
Dr. McLean joined Anchor Point Group LLC in 2005, and he currently serves as the GIS division manager for hazard assessments. His duties encompass fire-behavior modeling, supervision of spatial database creation and manipulation, production of cartographic products, and geographic data analysis.
Dr. McLean has been working on wildland fire applications of geospatial EDUCATION technology since 2003. His current role at Anchor Point includes both GIS PhD, Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder program management and hazard assessment analysis, as summarized below. MS, Geography, University of Florida GIS program management: BA, Aquatic Biology/Physical Geography, University of • Manage all GIS/cartographic operations for Anchor Point California Santa Barbara • Provide guidance for Anchor Point on current science and best REGISTRATIONS practices that involve all aspects of wildfire hazard and risk Instructor in physical assessment and mitigation geography and geographic • techniques – University of Serve as technical liaison between Anchor Point and client technical Colorado, Boulder personnel • Document internal GIS/cartographic methodology and quality control PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS procedures GIS Colorado • Develop new methodologies and products as part of Anchor Point’s product lineup. For example: INDUSTRY TENURE 22 years • Analyze proximity to closest fire station • Map time until fire arrival YEARS WITH FIRM 13 years • Use National Hazard and Risk Model (No-HARM) used in the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Instructor, Landscapes and Prescribed fire management and protection planning: Water, University of Colorado • Perform more than 80 Community Wildfire Protection Plans – Boulder, CO (2003–Present) (CWWP) or related wildfire/risk hazard assessments GIS Project Manager, Red Zone Software _– Boulder, • Assemble and develop GIS files required for modeling analyses CO (2003–2005) • Process Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) data Staff Cartographer, University of Florida – Gainesville, FL • Produce short-term predications of fire perimeters and behavior (1995–1998) • Analyze historical fire occurrence • Generate wildfire behavior modeling results • Construct visualizations to facilitate communication of results.
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ALAN J. LEAK, PE Water Quality and Water Treatment Facilities
OVERVIEW Before joining RESPEC in 2013, Mr. Leak served as the President of WRC Engineering, Inc. (WRC) in Denver, Colorado, and other roles for WRC since 1981. Mr. Leak has extensive and comprehensive experience in all aspects of water resources engineering, including stormwater, drainage, and flood TECHNICAL EXPERTISE control; water supply, transmission, distribution, and wastewater collection; and expert water rights Water Rights / engineering services. His responsibilities include business development, project management, and Reuse Plans leading teams of RESPEC employees in solving critical water-resource engineering problems. / Water-Resources Planning Mr. Leak’s experience in water and wastewater infrastructure includes project management; water and / Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses wastewater master planning; planning and designing water transmission and distribution lines, / wastewater collection and interception lines, pump stations, and wells; capital improvements planning Substitute Water Supply Plans / and management; and water and wastewater systems management. Mr. Leak has also provided expert Water-Rights Accounting / testimony before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission regarding municipal water quality Augmentation Plans / issues. Expert-Witness Services / Stormwater Management Mr. Leak’s experience with water rights includes evaluating and analyzing water resources projects and / Stormwater Manuals water rights and preparing comprehensive plans for acquisitioning and implementing water rights for / raw and treated water supplies. Mr. Leak has also served as an expert witness in several water-related Storm Drainage and Water Quality Criteria / Development court proceedings. These water rights support services have included investigating claims and determining facts; engineering analyses; producing expert reports; preparing and answering discovery Major Drainageway Planning / requests, including interrogatories and document production, strategy preparation, and assistance to Outfall Systems Planning / council; giving depositions; exhibit and trial preparation; participating in settlement negotiations; and Floodplain Delineation / providing expert testimony at hearings and trials. Drainage Plans / Drainage Facility Design Mr. Leak’s stormwater management responsibilities include project management, stormwater master / Construction Management planning, stormwater and water quality criteria development, drainage design and construction, / floodplain modeling and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map revision processing, and Floodplain Management / hydrologic and hydraulic analysis for various water resources projects. He has also developed and EDUCATION assessed different alternatives for drainage improvements. Mr. Leak has provided expert testimony BS in Civil Engineering, Colorado State / before the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission regarding municipal water quality issues. He has University, Fort Collins, Colorado (1981) authored and coauthored over 25 stormwater and floodplain manuals throughout the United States. REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES Professional Engineer in Colorado and / PROJECTEXPERIENCE Nevada Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority (ACWWA), Arapahoe County, Colorado. Mr. Leak PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS currently serves as the authority engineer for the ACWWA. In this role, Mr. Leak provides engineering American Counsel of Engineering support for their water and wastewater activities, including master planning, design, and constructing / Companies (ACEC) capital improvement projects as well as advising the Board of Directors on engineering matters. Mr. Colorado Association of Stormwater and Leak’s role has included oversight of the evaluation of different treatment options for returning the / Floodplain Managers (CASFM) Authority’s Joint Water Purification Facility to a reverse osmosis treatment facility which had not been Colorado Water Congress (CWC) used as such for over 8 years due to brine selenium discharge issues. Mr. Leak also supports ACWWA’s / Water Resources Engineer in managing the portfolio of water rights. In this role, Mr. Leak managed the WORK HISTORY due diligence activities for reviewing a proposed water rights portfolio comprised of shares and water RESPEC (2013–Present) / rights in over 15 ditch and reservoir companies on over 30 farms, which, in aggregate, would yield an WRC Engineering, Inc. (1981–2013) / average of 4,400 acre-feet of fully consumable water for the ACWWA.
Brook Forest Water District, Evergreen, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the project engineer who developed a water augmentation plan for the Brook Forest Water District by acquiring senior water rights, completing engineering services for an augmentation reservoir, and helping secure a court decree that allowed ALAN J. LEAK // 2
Brook Forest Water District to meet its future water demands. Mr. Leak has also served as the water engineer for planning, designing, and supervising construction of the Brook Forest Water District water supply, including wells, tanks, and water distribution system.
Forest Hills Metropolitan District (FHMD), Jefferson County, Colorado. Mr. Leak currently serves as the FHMD’s water rights engineer and monitors and oversees their water rights accounting. Mr. Leak developed and provided the engineering support for the FHMD’s water augmentation plan and prepared technical input and expert testimony in support of the application filed in the Water Court of Water Division 1 for the plan’s approval. Mr. Leak also provided engineering design management for installing and operating the now complete water supply system, water distribution system, and wastewater collection and treatment facilities.
Chase Street Improvements, City of Black Hawk, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the principal-in-charge of designing the complete reconstruction of Chase Street and Dubois Street to allow construction of a 100-year storm sewer and remove several residences from the 100-year floodplain. The project included designing 2,000 linear feet of 66-inch storm sewer and laterals with a debris control entrance structure and a baffled energy dissipater; 2,500 linear feet of sanitary sewer main; 4,400 linear feet of 12-inch raw water and potable water mains, raw water infiltration gallery, and 3 cubic feet per second (cfs) pump station; 2,400 linear feet of street improvements, including landscape and aesthetic features; a 4,400-square-foot face; 5- to 20-foot-high rock faced retaining wall; coordinating the replacement of gas, electric, cable, and telephone lines; two mine waste tailing remediation areas; and easement and right-of-way (ROW) acquisition needs.
Wildhorse Reuse Pipeline, Pueblo West, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the principal-in-charge of this reuse water pipeline project. The project consisted of a series of pipelines which collect reusable return flows from several of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District (PWMD)’s measurement points as well as the water reclamation facility. The total pipeline length is approximately 40,000 feet with pipe sizes ranging between 12 inches and 18 inches, including 1,500 feet of 4-inch force main, two aerial crossings, and a bore under SH 45. Diversion structures were designed at locations where return flows were collected.
Jennie Adair Regional Water Quality Improvements, Aspen, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the project manager in charge of providing compete planning, design, and construction management services for this project. Project facilities entailed storm sewer lines, two pretreatment sedimentation vaults, and a water quality/detention pond. The storm sewer portion included approximately 300 feet of 54-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and 240 feet of 38-inch × 60-inch horizontal elliptical RCP. The project entailed establishing and restoring critical riparian and wetland habitat adjacent to a degraded section of the Roaring Fork River corridor. This project was the subject of an article written in the 2008 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Annual Magazine and received 2008 awards from the Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA). Design services included conceptual, preliminary, and final design; bidding assistance; construction management; and inspection services. The project was a joint effort with the City of Aspen’s Parks and Open Space Department.
Colorado Floodplain and Stormwater Criteria Manual, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), Denver, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the lead author and project manager for the CWCB’s statewide manual project. The manual was prepared to establish minimum uniform standards for identifying and designating all floodplains in Colorado. The statewide manual also contains engineering and management guidelines for other related floodplain and stormwater topics. These guidelines are provided to help local agencies establish standards in dealing with drainage and floodplain issues.
Drainage Criteria for the City of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Mr. Leak was the principal-in-charge for preparing the Section 5.0 Drainage Criteria portion of the City of Steamboat Springs Engineering Standards. The specific issues that the City of Steamboat Springs wanted addressed in the Drainage Criteria were a review of precipitation/frequency data for a selection of design storms and time/intensity/frequency curves; preparation of uniform rainfall/runoff analysis requirements, standard details for stormwater facilities, and standard stormwater specifications; and evaluation and recommendations for analyzing, designing, and implementing construction and post-construction stormwater quality BMPs. Mr. Leak participated in several review meetings where the various sections of the criteria were reviewed, discussed, and revised. One of the unique standard details developed for these criteria was for a ditch check drop that could be installed along the steep roadways in the developed areas of the city.
Cucumber Creek Water Rights and Water Quality, Breckenridge, Colorado. Mr. Leak conducted hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality studies and developed mitigation plans to alleviate water quality problems that resulted from grading the ski area in Breckenridge. Mr. Leak provided expert testimony in a temporary restraining order (TRO) hearing and in the civil case.
LEE D. ROSEN, PE, CFM Stakeholder Engagement
OVERVIEW Mr. Rosen has 11 years of engineering, planning, and design experience. He has worked on multiple projects in support of the Hayman Fire Burn Area restoration, developed hydrology masterplans for watersheds throughout Colorado, and guided Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy projects in TECHNICAL EXPERTISE Minnesota. Lee has unique communication and leadership skills that combine responsiveness and the Hydrology and Hydraulics / ability to explain complex engineering subjects to people with different backgrounds. Floodplain Analyses / Water Quality BMP Design / PROJECTEXPERIENCE Stream Restoration Various Projects for the Hayman Fire Burn Area, Douglas County, Colorado. Projects for Douglas County / Sediment and Erosion Control included the Trail Creek Restoration, Trail Creek Monitoring, Trail Creek Check Dams (coordinated with / Design and Construction Plans Rosgen), and the Trail Creek Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The projects analyzed an area that was / impacted by the Hayman Fire in 2002 and had undergone geomorphic changes. Mr. Rosen performed Specification Development / hydrology using HEC-HMS, hydraulics using HEC-RAS, floodplain analysis and permitting coordination Bid-Phase Services / with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), development of a GIS database for the Trail Creek Construction Management / Watershed, coordination and reporting for 319 grant funding, and helping to develop a remote EDUCATION monitoring alert system for the County. BS in Civil Engineering, University of / California, Los Angeles, CA (2007) Flood Response Program, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Region 4, Colorado. Mr. Rosen was responsible for developing scour repair designs and construction plans as part of the CDOT’s flood REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES response and recovery efforts from disastrous floods in northern Colorado in 2013. The four bridges Professional Engineer in CO, CA, MN, SD, / consisted of SH 7 Over North St. Vrain Creek (D-15-A) in Boulder County, SH 93 Over the Bear Creek and NE Ditch (E-15-A) in Boulder County, SH 287 Over the Little Thompson River (C-16-DK) in Larimer County, Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) / and I-25 Over St. Vrain Creek (D-17-EQ/ER) in Larimer County. Countermeasures consisted of riprap bank PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS and abutment protection and guidebanks. In addition, he provided support to the larger program by American Council of Engineering helping develop the plans, reports, and other documents for the 31 flood-damaged bridges that RESPEC / Companies completed across seven Colorado counties. Chi Epsilon Engineering Honor Society / Colorado Association of Stormwater and Jennings Bay Wetland Restoration Project, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Minnesota. Mr. Rosen / Floodplain Managers was the project manager for a wetland and floodplain restoration project to improve water quality, reconnect the floodplain, improve habitat, provide native wetland vegetation, enhance aesthetics, and Engineers Without Borders / increase floodplain storage. The project restored several acres of open space in the city of Minnetrista, WORK HISTORY adjacent to Jennings Bay (part of Lake Minnetonka). Mr. Rosen was responsible for coordinating with RESPEC (2018–Present [Denver, CO]) / stakeholders, collecting data, designing, engineering, permitting, preparing the bid, and construction Atkins North America (2016–2018) management. / RESPEC (2013–2016 [Roseville, MN]) / (2011–2013 [Denver, CO]) Two Rivers Lake Targeted Conservation Practices Plan, Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation Moser & Associates Engineering District (SWCD), Minnesota. Mr. Rosen was responsible for leading the urban portion of the project to / (2007–2011) identify the most cost-effective projects in the city of Albany to reduce nutrients flowing into Two Rivers Lake. RESPEC developed a P8 model for the entire city to have a detailed understanding of the existing conditions’ yield and export and to model potential projects. Potential projects included pond modifications, bioretention systems, iron-enhanced sand filters, and various other water quality BMPs. The projects were ranked based on a cost benefit, and treatment train combinations were run separately to help guide the SWCD and City of Albany to make informed project implementation decisions.
Big Fork Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies, Koochiching SWCD and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Minnesota. Mr. Rosen is the project manager responsible for extending the Big Fork Watershed HSPF model and writing the restoration and protection strategies report. This LEE ROSEN // 2
project aims to incorporate recent monitoring data; plan and develop the total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for impaired waters; support the determination of natural background and reclassification of currently listed impaired waters if applicable; develop watershed restoration and protection strategies; lead civic engagement meetings and supporting activities; and provide project administration, coordination, and fiscal management. The project provides an opportunity to assess and leverage the local community’s capacity to engage in watershed management and to adopt protection and restoration practices.
Lake of the Woods (LOW) Nutrient TMDL Study, Lake of the Woods SWCD and MPCA, Minnesota. Mr. Rosen is the project manager for the extension of the LOW nutrient TMDL study approach that will (1) identify water quality standards and goals for the Minnesota portions of the LOW and Rainy River Watershed, (2) recommend nutrient allocations to achieve TMDLs where waters do not meet water quality standards, and (3) provide opportunities for stakeholders and local communities to engage in the watershed management planning process to adopt protection and restoration practices.
Minnesota Stormwater Manual Update (Pretreatment), MPCA, Minnesota. Mr. Rosen is the project manager responsible for leading the team to update the Minnesota Stormwater Manual to include a section on pretreatment items. The information will be used by stormwater practitioners to implement the most effective and cost-efficient practices for managing stormwater runoff volume and pollutants and to meet regulatory requirements associated with stormwater permits. The sections will focus on hydrodynamic separators, underground settling devices, filters, vegetated filter strips, and forebays.
Pena Boulevard Water Quality Study, Denver International Airport (DIA), Colorado. Mr. Rosen was the project engineer responsible for developing a master plan of permanent stormwater quality features along Pena Boulevard, from Tower Road to the Terminal. The study evaluated the existing infrastructure and the future water quality needs. Conceptual designs and cost estimates were developed for the entire tributary area. One of the projects identified in the study consisted of an extended detention basin upstream of Third Creek to treat runoff from the terminal area at the DIA which was used as an enabling project for the Terminal Expansion and Train Station. The designs accounted for airport-specific regulations that included an enclosed micropool to eliminate potential wildlife attractants.
Erosion Mitigation Assessment Plans, DIA, Denver, Colorado. Mr. Rosen prepared construction plans and specifications for several sites throughout the DIA with innovative permanent erosion-control test sections. He researched and developed customized revegetation specifications for the DIA, which included soil amendment, seeding, and blanketing. As part of the project, he performed an airport-wide site analyses and developed a GIS database of erosion problems to help understand the reasons behind the erosion problems. He also provided bid phase and construction oversight for the project.
South Platte River Bank Stabilization, UDFCD and Adams County, Colorado. Mr. Rosen prepared the design and construction documents for a bank stabilization project along the South Platte River. The stabilization was required to stay within the limits of the nationwide 404 permit and to have no negative effects on the floodplain. Mr. Rosen also performed the hydraulic analysis and floodplain modeling to ensure there were no negative effects on the floodplain.
Tributaries C and D, Gambel Ridge, and Douglas Lane Watershed Masterplans, Town of Castle Rock, Colorado. Mr. Rosen was responsible for developing the hydrologic and hydraulic models for the four watersheds’ Master Plan. The purpose of this Master Plan was to determine the drainage, flooding, and erosion problems and identify a strategy to minimize or eliminate these problems. The overall master plan provides guidance and estimated costs for implementing the required stormwater management improvements within the study area watersheds. During the planning process. Mr. Rosen attended routine progress meetings with the Town of Castle Rock to ensure that all design issues were addressed and presented in a manner that conformed to project intent and standards.
CDOT Permanent BMP Inspections, CDOT and CH2M Hill. As an engineer on the project. Mr. Rosen was responsible for inspecting all MS4 implemented permanent water quality features within CDOT Regions 1 and 6. The project required researching construction plans and drainage reports, coordinating field visits with CDOT maintenance personnel, compiling field inspection forms and reports, and developing maintenance manuals.
Four Mile Canyon Creek Low-Flow Channel Improvements, UDFCD and City of Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Rosen prepared construction plans and specifications for the low-flow channel and restoration of a disturbed area within the reach using bioengineered solutions. He held a public meeting and worked with local residents to provide a design that fit within the community. As part of the design process, he performed a sediment analysis study and prepared a formal report for a channel reach that was experiencing excessive aggradation.
WILLIAM R. DREYER, PE Water Quality Engineer
OVERVIEW Mr. Dreyer has more than 18 years of experience in engineering project management from inception through construction. Before becoming an engineer, he worked in the construction industry where he learned unique insights into avoiding construction problems. His previous projects include work in rest TECHNICAL EXPERTISE area site design, subdivision planning and permitting, various-sized wastewater and water treatment Rest Area Site Design / facilities, electrical substation site design, fire protection design, specification preparation, and general Subdivision Planning and Permitting site design. / Water and Wastewater Treatment Facility / Design PROJECT EXPERIENCE Electrical Substation Site Design / Montana Rail Link (MRL) Wastewater System Design & Permitting, Logan, Montana. Mr. Dreyer provided Fire Protection Design engineering services to design a new wastewater system to facilitate a new employee shop for MRL. His / Specification Preparation responsibilities as the project engineer included preparing an engineering report, conducting a / floodplain evaluation, submitting an application to the Gallatin County Health Department, preparing EDUCATION design drawings, and performing overall project construction management. BS in Civil Engineering, Montana State / University, Bozeman, MT (1998) Fire Protection Consulting and Design, Gallatin County, Montana. Throughout his years of design REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES experience, Mr. Dreyer has been involved in various fire protection and design projects in Gallatin County, Professional Engineer in MT (since 2006), Montana, including the following: Central Valley Fire Training Facility, Beaver Creek Fire Improvements, / ID (since 2011), and SD (since 2016) B-Bar Ranch Wildland Interface Fire Protection, Greenhills Ranch Fire Fill Site, Eagle Ridge Subdivision Gallatin County Registered Site Evaluator Fire Fill Site, and Lazy TH Home Owner’s Fire Pond Modifications and Certification. Throughout these / (1999–Present) projects, Mr. Dreyer worked closely with the different fire districts to find a safe and reliable fire protection CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING design that is unique to each site.
40-Hour OSHA HAZWOPER / Journey Church Civil Services, Bozeman, Montana. This project consisted of developing a 4-acre site and CPR and First Aid / providing an on-site well system, septic system, and on-site storm management system. Services WORK HISTORY included site survey; AutoCAD drafting, planning, and design for water, sewer, storm, grading, and RESPEC (2017–Present) utilities; and construction staking. Journey Church includes a multipurpose indoor facility, classrooms, / DOWL (2005–2017) offices, and a kitchen. All facilities are serviced by public water and wastewater systems. The / responsibilities included preparing the engineering report, submitting the application to the Montana C&H Engineering and Surveying, Inc. / (1999–2005) DEQ and Gallatin County Health Department, preparing design drawings and specifications, and performing overall project construction management. Engberg Construction (1994–1998) / Battlefield Rest Area Phase IB, Crow Agency, Montana. Project manager responsible for executing the project schedule and activities with specific emphasis on water and waste water development, site conceptual plan as well as public stakeholder s involvement.
Greycliff Rest Area Rehabilitation, Greycliff, Montana. Mr. Dreyer prepared the design documents for MDT for reconstruction of a rest area along MT 90. Phase I consisted of design services including site evaluation/analysis, final design/permitting for a new water supply and wastewater treatment system, and preliminary plans for developing a design-build project.
Bridger Rest Area Public Well Permitting, Bridger, Montana. Mr. Dreyer assisted the Billing MDT district in permitting an existing irrigation well to a public use well. This included design for modifications, PWS 5 report, PWS 6 report and As-built plans/Certifications.
Gold Creek Rest Area, Gold Creek, Montana. Mr. Dreyer assisted with the evaluation and recommendations of the Gold Creek rest area. The rest area has been closed for several years due to WILLIAM R. DREYER // 2
maintenance concerns. During this evaluation water, wastewater facility conditions and traffic safety were inspected. From the site evaluation, a cost estimated was developed to help with future determination of the rest areas status. These estimates were developed to address rehabilitation, total closure/abandonment or rehabilitate to truck parking facilities.
Civil Design Scobey Land Port of Entry, Scobey, Montana. This land port of entry was reconstructed to a micro port design with a new port building, two staff housing units, new water and wastewater systems, and new parking and roadway facilities. Services provided include site plan design, road design, grading, storm drainage, on-site wastewater collection and disposal, on-site water system with treatment, and dry utilities coordination. As the project engineer, Mr. Dreyer’s responsibilities included preparing the engineering report, submitting the application to the Montana DEQ and Daniels County Health Department, preparing design drawings and specifications, and performing overall project and construction management.
Civil Design Wild Horse Land Port of Entry, Havre, Montana. This land port of entry was reconstructed to a small port design with a new port building, two staff housing units, new water and wastewater systems, and new parking and roadway facilities. New structures required additional property to upgrade the water and sewer systems. Mr. Dreyer assisted the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with the property transfer process and performed all of the civil engineering within the station upgrade. Services provided include site plan design, road design, grading, storm drainage, on-site wastewater collection and disposal, on- site water system with treatment, and dry utilities coordination. Mr. Dreyer’s responsibilities as the project engineer included preparing the engineering report, submitting the application to the Montana DEQ and Hill County Health Department, preparing design drawings and specifications, and performing overall project and construction management.
Fort Belknap Detention Facility, Harlem, Montana. Mr. Dreyer provided civil site design for the new detention facility on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The design included site grading and drainage, on-site utility services, an exterior courtyard design and evaluation, tie-in connection design for the new detention facility and existing facility, and a lighting plan. Mr. Dreyer was also responsible for design surveys and easement evaluation. As the project engineer for the design and construction of the Fort Belknap Detention Facility, Mr. Dreyer was responsible for hydraulic design of site storm water, water main extensions, signage plan, plan development, and coordination with the architect.
JOHN C. IMHOFF Water Quality Scientist
OVERVIEW Mr. Imhoff has more than 35 years of professional experience in water resources research and application projects. His specialized experience has focused on four concerns: (1) surface and groundwater resources analysis and planning; (2) chemical fate, transport, and exposure assessment; TECHNICAL EXPERTISE (3) watershed modeling; and (4) computer software design and application. He has been heavily involved Surface and Groundwater Resources / in project work for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Analysis and Planning Agency (FEMA), and his project clients have included the US Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Chemical Fate, Transport, and Exposure / Defense (DoD), World Bank, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the US Air Force (USAF), the Assessment National Science Foundation, and several planning commissions and counties. Watershed Modeling / Computer Software Design and Application Mr. Imhoff has had extensive involvement in all aspects of project development, including technical / guidance, client relations, project review, management and administration, proposal writing, and report EDUCATION writing. In addition to project work, his professional activities have included technical training of Honors Cooperative Program in Civil / personnel and clients in formal workshops in the US and on-site training in Yugoslavia, serving as a Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, lecturer for a graduate course in water quality modeling at Stanford University, and authoring or CA (1975–1979) coauthoring many publications. His publications have included book chapters on hydrology and water BS in Biological Sciences, Stanford / quality for Hydrology for Engineers, modeling rural nonpoint source pollution for Agricultural University, Stanford, CA (1974) Management and Water Quality, modeling watershed water quality for Environmental Hydrology, EPA’s PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) for Computer Models of Watershed Hydrology, the Water Environment Federation / history and evolution of watershed modeling derived from the Stanford Watershed Model for Watershed Colorado Foundation for Water Education Models, and continuous simulation for Handbook of Applied Hydrology. / Tri-County Water Conservancy District / Board of Directors PROJECT EXPERIENCE HONORS & AWARDS Development of a Watershed Modeling System Using the EPA BASINS Framework, Fort Benning, Georgia. United States Presidential Scholar The overarching objective of this 4-year project that was funded by the Strategic Environmental / Research and Development Program (SERDP) was to identify, adapt, and develop watershed National Merit Scholar / management model(s) for Fort Benning. The resulting model needed to address impacts on watershed WORK HISTORY hydrology, water quality, and related ecosystem processes and outcomes that result from military RESPEC (2015–Present) / activities and natural resources management. As a component of this project the impacts of Fort AQUA TERRA Consultants (1987–2015) Benning’s prescribed burning program were modeled using HSPF. Mr. Imhoff had primary responsibility / Anderson-Nichols & Co. (1979–1982) for identifying and refining the model enhancements and developing the Enhancement Plan that guided / integrating three major enhancements to the EPA’s HSPF: (1) a hybrid modeling capability that enables Hydrocomp, Inc. (1974–1979) / HSPF to run in parallel with more detailed models that have greater process and spatial detail; (2) model integration that provides improved methods for modeling channel flow and sediment phenomena; and (3) modeling capabilities that can represent a multilayer forest canopy compartment.
Evaluation of Contaminated Sediment Fate and Transport and Chemical Bioaccumulation Models. The ORD, National Environmental Research Laboratory (NERL), and Ecosystem Research Division (ERD) currently support the EPA's Office of Emergency Response and Remediation (OERR) by addressing priority research needs that relate to assessing the fate and transport of pollutants via contaminated sediment and bioaccumulation. Mr. Imhoff was the project manager for a study team that evaluated, in two separate work assignments, the currently available numerical models useful for assessing (1) the fate and transport of contaminated sediments and (2) chemical bioaccumulation. Through an objective and reproducible process, a small number of models were identified for each of these model groups and were judged to be superior to all others in their promise as analysis tools over a broad range of water body environments. To provide ERD with a basis for which to compare these models and select one or more as the "chassis" into which model enhancements may be built, a comparison of the models was developed JOHN IMHOFF // 2
by applying a high level of scrutiny to both model science and model usability. The studies considered the issues and strategies involved in model linkage in multimedia frameworks.
Use of Hydrodynamic, Runoff, and Fate and Transport Models Assessment of Availability. Mr. Imhoff was the project manager for a model evaluation that was performed for the Water Environment Research Foundation. He coordinated efforts related to evaluating watersheds and receiving water models, and he designed an automated decision matrix that enables users to identify appropriate models for specific applications. At the conclusion of the project, Mr. Imhoff presented his results at a training workshop that was sponsored by the Water Environment Research Foundation.
Evaluation of Water Quality Modeling Components for TMDL Assessments, Athens, Georgia. Mr. Imhoff was the project manager for this project for the EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia. The project investigated and evaluated the current generation of eutrophication models for receiving waters. Mr. Imhoff, in conjunction with HydroGeoLogic, Inc., developed and carried out a study methodology that was composed of the following elements: developing evaluation criteria, identifying candidate models, establishing and applying minimum model requirements, performing detailed model evaluation; documenting models, and making model recommendations.
Development of Water Quality Simulation Package for EPA HSPF Model. The initial HSPF development project required a 2-year effort by a team of five engineers and programmers. Mr. Imhoff was responsible for water quality algorithm development and incorporating algorithms into the model according to IBM structured programming procedures. In addition, he coordinated the preparation of user documentation for all of the physical process modules that are contained in the HSPF system.
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS Donigian, Jr., A. S.; N. H. Crawford; and J. C. Imhoff, 2017. “Continuous Watershed Modeling,” Handbook of Applied Hydrology (Second Edition), V. P. Singh (ed.), McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY. Imhoff, J. C.; P. B. Duda; and A. S. Donigian, Jr., 2016. Demonstration and Validation of BASINS Watershed Modeling System Enhanced for Military Installation, Demonstration of BASINS.MIL Capabilities for Evaluating Climate Non-Stationarity, RSI-2684, prepared by AQUA TERRA Consultants, Mountain View, CA, for ESTCP, Arlington, VA. Imhoff, J.C., P. B. Duda and A.S. Donigian, Jr., 2016. “Demonstration of BASINS.MIL Capabilities for Evaluating Climate Non- Stationarity,” Project No. RC 201307, prepared for DoD Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, Alexandria, VA. Duda, P. B.; P. R. Hummel; A. S. Donigian, Jr.; and J. C. Imhoff, 2012. “BASINS/HSPF: Model Use, Calibration and Validation,” Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 1,523−1,547. Donigian, Jr., A. S.; J. C. Imhoff; A. Mishra; P. N. Deliman; and E. C. Regan, 2010. “A Watershed Modeling Framework for Military Installations: Assessment of the Hydrologic and Sediment Washoff Impacts of Military Management Alternatives,” Proceedings, Joint Interagency Conference on Sedimentation and Hydrologic Modeling, Las Vegas, NV, June 27−July 1. Donigian, Jr., A. S.; J. C. Imhoff; A. Mishra; P. N. Deliman; and E. C. Regan, 2009. “A Watershed Modeling Framework for Military Installations: A Preliminary Approach and Baseline Model Results,” Proceedings, Water Environment Federation Total Maximum Daily Load 2009, Minneapolis, MN, August 9−12. Bicknell, B. R.; J. C. Imhoff; J. L. Kittle, Jr.; T. H. Jobes; and A. S. Donigian, Jr., 2005. Hydrological Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF), User’s Manual for Release 12.2, prepared for the US EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory, Athens, GA, in cooperation with the US Geological Survey, WRD, Reston, VA. Imhoff, J. C., J. S. Clough, R. A. Park, A. Stoddard, and E. Hayter, 2005. “Comparison of Chemical Bioaccumulation Models to Assist in Model Selection for Ecological Assessments and TMDL Development,” Proceedings, American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental & Water Resources Institute Watershed Management Conference, Williamsburg, VA, July 19−22. Imhoff, J. C., A. Stoddard, and E. M. Buchak, 2003. Evaluation of Contaminated Sediment Fate and Transport Models: Final Report, prepared for the US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Ecosystems Research Division, Athens, GA. Fitzpatrick, J. J., J. C. Imhoff, E. Burgess, and R. Brashear, 2001. Water Quality Models: A Survey and Assessment, Final Report for Project 99-WSM-5, prepared by HydrolQual Inc., Mahwah, NJ for the Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, VA. Imhoff, J. C. and A. S. Donigian, Jr., 2000. “Watershed Runoff Models,” Pre-Conference Workshop on Assessment of Availability and Use of Water Quality Models, Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference 2000: 73rd Annual Conference on Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment, Anaheim, CA, October 14−18.
RUSSELL A PERSYN, PE, PHD, CFM Water Quality Engineer
OVERVIEW Dr. Persyn has over 19 years of professional experience in engineering in water quantity, water quality, and waste management projects. He currently serves as RESPEC’s Texas Area Manager and is responsible for financial and operational programs, client relationship development, business TECHNICAL EXPERTISE development, overall project oversight, personnel management and recruitment, and market strategy. Program Management / Stormwater Management As the Watershed Engineering Manager at the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), Dr. Persyn managed / Construction Administration over 25 engineers and technical staff that oversaw a variety of engineering and construction functions to / Water Supply & Wastewater Treatment support SARA’s water and wastewater utility. As an Engineer III and Senior Engineer in the Technical / Services Division, he oversaw the San Antonio River Improvements Project–Mission Reach, which is a Waste Management and Composting / large-scale urban restoration project. Previously, with a large plumbing and utility subcontractor, he EDUCATION provided engineering and cost-estimating on large commercial projects such as schools and hotels. PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Civil / Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA Dr. Persyn also spent several years in the academic community where he developed research and (2003) outreach programs related to water quantity and water quality (e.g., stormwater, watersheds, rainwater MS in Agricultural Engineering Texas A&M / harvesting, onsite wastewater treatment and reuse, composting, and waste management). His research University, College Station, TX (2000) and extension programs were funded through grants with state and federal agencies and resulted in BS in Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M / many research and outreach publications. Dr. Persyn also has experience in classroom instruction and University, College Station, TX (1998) has served in several leadership roles in his professional society activities. REGISTRATIONS & LICENSES Professional Engineer in Texas, South PROJECT EXPERIENCE / Dakota, and Iowa Wastewater Treatment Expansion Project, City of Castroville, Castroville, Texas. The City of Castroville is Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) upgrading the capacity of its wastewater treatment facility to a 0.9 MGD permitted average daily flow and / PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS a 2.7 MGD design peak 2-hr flow. The installation of unit operations and supporting piping, mechanical, electrical, and administrative items are occurring while maintaining plant operation. RESPEC is serving as American Society of Civil Engineers / the Resident Project Representative to assist the owner with project delivery. This project is being American Society of Agricultural & / delivered via alternative delivery using Construction Manager at Risk. Dr. Persyn is the project manager. Biological Engineers
Texas Floodplain Management Association / Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Permit (MS4) Support, Town of Hollywood Park, Hollywood CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING Park, Texas. RESPEC is subcontracted to Civil Engineering Consultants to provide permit compliance and Certified Floodplain Manager reporting support. The Town of Hollywood Park holds a Phase II MS4 general permit from the TCEQ. / RESPEC staff documents permit compliance, maintains manuals and mapping, and inspects best HONORS & AWARDS management practices (BMPs). Dr. Persyn serves as project manager. Engineer of the Year, Texas Section ASABE, / 2015 Westside Creeks Restoration–Alazan Creek Trail, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio, Texas. The WORK HISTORY Westside Creeks Restoration Project includes environmental enhancements, water quality enhancement, RESPEC (2015–Present) flood-control improvements, bank stabilization, erosion control, and habitat creation and retention for / San Antonio River Authority (2008–2015) fish and wildlife. Dr. Persyn is serving as project manager for the detailed design and construction-phase / KS Persyn Plumbing and Utility services to create a 2-mile linear park with a hiking and biking trail along Alazan Creek. / (2007–2008) South Dakota State University (2005–2007) Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration & Recreation, San Antonio River Improvements Project, San / Texas A&M University (2003–2005) Antonio, Texas. Dr. Persyn served as the Project Manager for this project that involved designing and / constructing the 8-mile ecosystem restoration and recreation project along the San Antonio River. He Iowa State University (2000–2003) / provided design oversight and QA/QC of the hydrology and hydraulic modeling, managed construction Texas A&M University (1998–2000) / of the first two phases of construction, and managed the staff on the remaining 6 miles of construction. He coordinated and managed the relocation and project connections to the San Antonio Water System.
MICHAEL J. BANNISTER Watershed Hydraulics Engineer OVERVIEW Mr. Bannister is a water resource engineer with 4 years of experience in hydrologic and hydraulic analyses and floodplain modeling. His representative work includes developing alternatives for floodplain management and stream restoration, preparing design plans and specifications, and performing TECHNICAL EXPERTISE hydrologic and hydraulic analyses that support flood studies for local and state clients. Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling / Floodplain Management PROJECT EXPERIENCE / Channel Restoration Grange Hall Creek Major Drainageway Plan, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD), Adams / County, Colorado. Mr. Bannister developed a hydrologic model using the Colorado Urban Hydrograph Geospatial Analyses / Procedure (CUHP) and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) SWMM. Many detention basins EDUCATION in the study area were modeled by combining SWMM and UD-Detention. He used the hydrology as the BS in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia / basis for developing a hydraulic model in HEC-RAS. Two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic modeling using Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (2002) SRH-2D was used to assist in setting up the HEC-RAS model in areas of complex topography. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Colorado Association of Stormwater and Technical Reviews of Flood Hazard Area Delineation Studies, UDFCD, Denver Metropolitan Area, / Floodplain Managers (CASFM) Colorado. Mr. Bannister provides ongoing technical support for the UDFCD and performs reviews of one- dimensional (1D) and 2D hydraulic floodplain models and mapping submitted by other consultants. He WORK HISTORY has developed multiple GIS and Python tools to quickly and accurately ensure that the floodplain model RESPEC (2013–Present) / and mapping meet UDFCD and Federal Emergency Management Agency technical and accuracy criteria. As a result of contracting with RESPEC, the UDFCD has seen both a substantial decrease in the time required to review submittals and an increase in accuracy of the review results.
Denver International Airport (DIA) Floodplain Delineation, City and County of Denver, Colorado. Mr. Bannister updated hydrologic and hydraulic models of major drainages within the DIA. He delineated floodplains using GIS and CAD software.
Coal Creek and Rock Creek Major Drainageway Plan, UDFCD, Boulder and Weld Counties, Colorado. Mr. Bannister developed a hydraulic model by using HEC-RAS and delineated 100-year floodplains using GIS and CAD software. He created a conceptual design of flood-mitigation strategies that balanced the needs of multiple jurisdictions.
City Park Channel and Nissen Reservoir Channel Letter of Map Revision Request, City and County of Broomfield, Broomfield, Colorado. Mr. Bannister developed a detailed hydraulic model of the City Park Channel and Nissen Reservoir Channel Watersheds. Because of the complicated flow routing, he used FLO-2D to assist in setting up and verifying the results of a HEC-RAS model.
Sedalia Drainage Study, Douglas County, Colorado. Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey and GIS software, Mr. Bannister updated a legacy CUHP/SWMM hydrologic model of the Sedalia, Colorado, area to more accurately represent existing and future conditions.
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Water Quality Inspections, Denver Metropolitan Area, Colorado. Mr. Bannister created individual, site-specific maintenance manuals for 87 stormwater quality best management practice (BMP) sites. He performed site inspections and provided recommendations to ensure future BMP functionality.
CDOT Bridge Scour Program, Colorado. Mr. Bannister created hydrologic models using GIS and HEC- HMS to calculate peak flows at hydraulic structures. He also performed ground surveys to construct hydraulic models. Respec.com