Photo Credit (JLJA)

FCE developed engineering design plans and specifications for LID projects at six sites in the Monterey Bay region: the Santa Cruz City Hall Annex, City of Watsonville City Hall, Santa Cruz County Anna Jean Cummings Park, City of Salinas El Dorado Park, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s Seaside High School and Del Rey Woods Elementary School. The design work included conducting percolation tests to verify infiltration rates and site surveys, and delivering preliminary and final engineering plans and specifications. All the designs were developed with funding from a regional Proposition 84 stormwater planning grant through Ecology Action. All six sites were initially selected through a regional mapping effort to identify parcels with suitable LID characteristics, including slope, soil type, and proximity to existing stormwater infrastructure.

Fall Creek Engineering (FCE) was retained by Architectural Resource Group (ARG) to prepare civil engineering design plans for the GFNMS Lifeboat Station and Boathouse Building Restoration project within the Presidio in San Francisco, California. FCE prepared civil engineering design plans including site grading, drainage, erosion control, and all site utilities. FCE designed the site utilizing Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) including grass lined swales and subsurface stormwater infiltration. FCE also designed a hybrid parking lot that utilized impervious asphalt concrete (AC) paving in the driving aisles and pervious pavement in the parking stalls to reduce impervious area at the site. The storm water system routed all of the runoff from the roofs of the new buildings to large capacity subsurface infiltration chambers located adjacent to the buildings in the native sandy soils.

Fall Creek Engineering (FCE) was retained by Architectural Resource Group (ARG) to prepare a drainage assessment of the surface drainage conditions along the historic perimeter wall and the main subsurface drainage system located within the courtyard of the Cooper Molera Adobe State Park in Monterey, California.

FCE prepared recommendations and engineering details for both the surface drainage around the historic wall and for the subsurface drainage system. FCE recommended repair and replacement of sections of the subsurface drainage system. In addition FCE recommended repairs and grading to limit further erosion of the historic adobe walls. Project Client: California State Parks

The Parkhurst Terrace property is a redeveloped 68-unit affordable housing development. Fall Creek Engineering (FCE) was retained by the Mid Peninsula Housing Coalition as the project civil engineer and as such developed the complete civil and environmental engineering design plans, specifications and estimates. FCE provided construction supervision services through the construction of the project.

The site is located in a groundwater recharge area and as such both the storm water and wastewater systems are designed to enhance groundwater recharge to the maximum extent possible. Civil site design elements included a comprehensive storm water system that utilized a variety of LID BMPs. The storm water system routed all of the runoff from the roofs of the new buildings to large capacity subsurface infiltration chambers located adjacent to the buildings. Porous pavement was used in several parking lots throughout site to retain runoff and to recharge the underlying groundwater. Overflow from the infiltration chambers and road drainage network was collected and conveyed in a storm drain system that is connected to a Vortechnic’s storm water treatment system designed to remove sediment, debris, oil and grease prior to runoff exiting the site.

Pogonip Open Space District is a scenic 640 acre open space park that includes many sensitive ecosystems such as coastal meadows, woodlands, and several creeks. FCE was retained by the City of Santa Cruz to restore several gullies and improve access for approximately one mile of multi-use public trails in the open space district. FCE utilized LID and biotechnical approaches to manage runoff and erosion at the site with a combination of turf reinforced matting, boulder step pools, and paver lined ford creek crossings to slow down runoff, reduce sedimentation to downstream drainages, and improve access.

FCE has completed designs for the County of Santa Cruz for three groundwater recharge projects at the Polo Grounds Park in Aptos, and Brommer Street Park in the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz. The objectives of both projects are to collect, treat, and retain stormwater runoff to recharge groundwater. FCE has designed recharge facilities at each park that collects runoff from the existing parking lots and routes the runoff into bioretention swales that treat the runoff before it is discharged to deep gravel filled seepage pits. The Pologrounds project was installed in the summer of 2011.

FCE in collaboration with Joni L. Janecki & Associate Landscape Architects prepared civil engineering design plans and specifications to improve the Natividad Creek Park. The 64-acre Park is located within Salinas and provided opportunities for stormwater detention/flood control, habitat restoration, and community experience. The projects within the Park included rehabilitation of lower Natividad Creek and the installation of community activity spaces and an Interpretive Nature Trail with bilingual signage. FCE designed an 18 acre freshwater wetland facility incorporating a multi-use trail around the wetland. The trail allows bicyclists and pedestrians the opportunity to safely access viewpoints and native species around the wetland.

FCE designed the improvements for the dIsk golf course located in DeLaVeaga Park located in Santa Cruz, California. The improvements were intended to limit erosion and improve stormwater quality in two new parking lots. The improvements included installing shallow storm water detention areas on the low lying areas in the south east corner of the meadows, Bioretention swales along the parking areas, and improvements in the “Tee-Box” and “Greens” areas.