Projects - Arroyo Environmental Consultants

Jurisdictional Determination and Wetland Delineations

admin — Sun, 24 May 2015 13:52:15 +0000

Clean Water Act (CWA) Sections 404 and 401 and the Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 provide a regulatory framework for regulating the dredge and fill of waters of the United States, including wetlands. Permitting is administered by the USACE. Arroyo staff have completed numerous stream/wetland assessments, wetland determinations and wetland delineations. The field data collected during these studies satisfies requirements set forth in the CWA Sections 404 and 401, and the Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 permits. Projects have been located throughout Texas, from coastal regions (Beaumont, Houston and Corpus Christi) to North Texas.

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Threatened and Endangered Species Assessment

admin — Sun, 24 May 2015 13:50:25 +0000

Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements are part of numerous State and Federal permit processes. Arroyo Staff have completed studies which fulfill ESA requirements. Work has included summarizing data and information from numerous State and Federal databases, literature review and onsite data collection. Arroyo staff led field efforts to determine Threatened and Endangered Species presence and evaluate essential habitat. Field efforts included: biological surveys of terrestrial, aquatic and wetland vegetation; wildlife surveys; and qualitative and quantitative surveys of essential habitat. All work conducted satisfied ESA requirements associated with State and/or Federal permits.

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Instream Flow

admin — Sun, 24 May 2015 13:48:02 +0000

Arroyo staff have supported The Brazos River Authority (BRA) with instream flow studies as part of a Water Management Plan (WMP) under the current draft of the System Operation Permit. Arroyo staff have worked with the BRA and other state environmental resource agencies to design and execute an effective work plan that identifies necessary environmental studies to be conducted over the next three to ten years. The studies in the Work Plan will allow development and submittal of a WMP to Texas resource agencies. Initial tasks include preliminary hydrology and biology field studies and analysis. This field effort was conducted in support of BRA initiatives to collect baseline data on current conditions of the Brazos River.

Arroyo staff continue to assist Trinity River Authority (TRA) staff with work on the Trinity River. This work supports the Senate Bill 2 Texas Instream Flow Program. This involves data collection and sampling for the long term channel migration and stability of the Trinity River, and the Trinity River channel’s direct effect on Lake Livingston. This study also includes classification of instream meso habitat and the establishment of long term monitoring cross sections at various locations within the Trinity River.

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Environmental Restoration

admin — Sun, 24 May 2015 13:44:06 +0000

Staff at Arroyo worked to improve critical habitat for the Comal Springs Riffle Beetle, a federally endangered species in Spring Run 3 and Landa Lake in New Braunfels, Texas. This work included: bank stabilization and re-profiling, construction of erosion control structures, exotic vegetation removal, revegetation of the native riparian plant community, fine sediment removal from select underwater areas, and routine sediment and biological monitoring (i.e. vegetation within planted areas, endangered species and spring openings). This restoration work increased the amount of usable habitat and available food sources by reducing existing sediment deposits in Spring Run 3 and Landa Lake, reducing sediment runoff to spring openings and shoreline areas, and enhancing the native riparian plant community.

Arroyo staff have been working with representatives from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and members of the Lake Wichita Study Committee to begin planning and developing a habitat restoration project plan for Lake Wichita, begin USACE Section 404/401 permit pre-application meetings, US Fish and Wildlife consultation, as well as submit the USACE Section 404/401 permit application. The main focus of this project is to identify and characterize essential reservoir fish habitat, wetland areas, recreational area public access needs, etc. Initial studies will include wetland delineation of the project area, water supply analysis, sediment load analysis, water quality modeling (specifically chlorides), soil sample analysis for dredge material disposal, mitigation requirements and topographic survey.

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