Using guidance provided by Douglas County personnel and their architectural consultants, R.O. Anderson adjusted the FLO- 2D model to block out cells impacted by the proposed structure and filled are of the parking lot. Using the revised bathymetry, the model was operated and results extracted. R.O. Anderson determined that a northwest-southeast orientation of the long dimension of the footprint results in less impact on the Cottonwood Slough than a more north-south orientation. However, potential impact to the floodplains of the Cottonwood Slough and Martin Slough was such that a rise in base flood elevation of about 0.1 feet could occur to those structures downstream from the site and adjacent to Lampe Park. Because these structures are impacted by the effective SFHA, no increase in water-surface elevation is permitted by FEMA.
R.O. Anderson analyzed several potential alternatives that could be used to mitigate the downstream impacts on the Cottonwood Slough/Martin Slough floodplain and presented these findings in a report to the Douglas County Parks Department. A more thorough analysis will be required to prepare an application for a CLOMR based on the selected alternative in the future.
Harrison Avenue is a small commercial corridor that parallels U.S. Highway 50 in the City of South Lake Tahoe, CA. The site is challenged with respect to providing adequate parking and access to serve existing businesses located along this corridor, along with drainage, erosion, snow removal and maintenance issues. The City has chosen R.O. Anderson to assist them with addressing the challenges of the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Project. The purpose of the project is to fulfill a number of strategic priorities, including:
Located on the historic 800-acre River Fork Ranch near Genoa Nevada, the River Fork Ranch project, lead by The Nature Conservancy, included the planning and design of a five-phase trail system with the goal of providing educational and active opportunities for the general public while maintaining minimal disruption to the sustainable agriculture, and restored native wetlands, floodplain, water ways, and habitats The Nature Conservancy practices on the site.
CEQA/NEPA Compliance with TE Grant Funding: The City of Bishop is a small, incorporated town located within the Owens Valley portion of Inyo County. In 2009, R.O. Anderson was selected to assist the City in preparing environmental and final design documents for a 1,000 foot long multi-modal trail connecting the City’s park to an adjacent neighborhood. Since Federal Transportation Enhancement funds were being utilized (Caltrans is the pass-through agency for the grant), it was necessary to prepare documentation to satisfy both CEQA and NEPA. R.O. Anderson served as the overall project manager. Working with environmental sub consultants to perform the required special studies and environmental documents, R.O Anderson, JBR Environmental and RMT, Inc. prepared the CEQA Initial Study in compliance with CEQA and a Categorical Exclusion with Studies for the purpose of NEPA compliance. The preparation of the Initial Study included consultation with responsible agencies, assessment of potential impacts to biological and cultural resources, field verification of potential impacts regarding wetlands and sensitive plant species and development of proposed mitigation and monitoring program for the project. Special studies conducted as a result of NEPA included a Visual Impact Assessment and Land Use and Community Impact Assessment Memorandum. R.O. Anderson conducted a public information campaign, conducted a public workshop regarding the proposed trail, collected comments received at the workshop and assisted in preparing the final Initial Study, the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration and the Notice of Determination regarding the project.
The number of proposed projects along Martin Slough and post-FIRM changes to the Martin Slough floodplain were such that Douglas County, Nevada engineers determined that updated maps of the regulatory floodplain for Martin Slough were necessary. Martin Slough is a distributary of East Fork Carson River and receives flows from East Fork Carson River (through Cottonwood Slough) and from shallow Pine Nut Creek flows during extreme hydrologic events. The critical event is considered to be a cloudburst hydrologic event in the Pine Nut Mountains over the Pine Nut Creek watershed. Flows leave the mountains and are distributed over the valley floor as sheet flow or shallow overland flow and enter Martin Slough near the upstream end of the drainageway just north from Toler Avenue.
Roadway realignment and Roundabout – In 2007 the functional classification of the master planned roadway, Muller Parkway, was upgraded from a major collector to a minor arterial in the Douglas County Transportation Plan. Later in that year, Douglas County adopted a revision to the Douglas County Design Criteria and Improvement Standards (Design Manual), which required separation of collector and arterial roadway intersections to be a minimum distance of 1,320 feet. This resulted in an inconsistency between the Transportation Plan for the Pinenut Road/Muller Parkway intersection and the Design Manual’s traffic requirements.
