Client: Orange County Water District

Location: Prado Dam, CA

Highlights

• Corps Feasibility Study and EIS/EIR
• Ecosystem Restoration
• Water Conservation
• Regulatory permitting and compliance
• Within a Corps flood control facility
• Restore Santa Ana sucker habitat and hydrologic/ hydraulic character of SAR
• Multi-jurisdictional agencies coordination

Brief

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) and US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) are developing a feasibility study to address the increase of water conservation and ecosystem restoration within Prado Dam basin. Ruth Villalobos & Associates (RVA) is responsible for drafting the Feasibility Study and assisting the OCWD and Corps team in preparing integrated feasibility study and EIS/EIR. The complex ecosystem restoration and water conservation and project includes sediment management activities, the second largest riparian forest in Southern California, Santa Ana sucker, flood forecasting and triggers, dam safety and flood risk management, and upstream and downstream physical and operational impacts.

Several criterion for evaluating the technical merits for ecosystem restoration will include habitat scarcity, biodiversity, status and trends, special status species, hydrologic and geomorphic character, connectivity and limiting habitat.

RVA developed options for Corps authorities and funding, selected the most appropriate one to move forward, developed alternatives, participated in the biology evaluation methodologies, and supporting OCWD as the liaison to the Corps.