Must-See Guide to the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference.
- EQR EQR
- Sep 8, 2017
- 3 min read
The 2017 Mid Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference is quickly approaching and if you are a stream professional, researcher or practitioner, this is one conference you don’t want to miss. This year’s theme is “Building a Better Bridge between Science and Practice” where we will explore the science, engineering and technology behind stream restoration in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. There will be three days filled with presentations, workshops and panels from many top industry influencers including three of our own employees! Chris Choppin, Katrina Emery, Steve Loughry and Mike Aust are all presenting on various environmental best practices at this year’s conference.
Drones Are Here to Stay Workshop
On September 20th, Mike Aust will be teaching stream practitioners about how to implements drones into your work the most effectively. Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) have been on the commercial marketplace for many years; offering stream restoration professionals a variety of benefits. The workshop will discuss the means and methods to implement these systems as a stream practitioner. There will also be a discussion on how to use this cost-effective tool to enhance a variety of tasks including communication, assessment, and monitoring.
Success Breeds Success: The Relationship Between Designer and Contractor
Chris Choppin, our Vice President of Operations will be presenting at a rapid-fire panel about effective communication between a designer and contractor with RK&k’s Patrick DiNicola. This session will elaborate on the importance of solid communication of ecological designers and contractors to create successful and effective restoration projects. This panel will take place on September 20th.
Cost Management in Environmental Restoration
Katrina Emery will be talking about material management as a major cost driver in environmental restoration through analyzing our stream restoration project from White Marsh. This presentation will begin by discussing the major factors that affect materials management at a project site, for both stream restoration and LID construction projects. Suggestions will be presented for best management practices when developing a construction sequence and selecting project access, staging, and stockpile areas. Through over 25 years in stream restoration and environmental construction, EQR crews and project managers have developed several production strategies for varied sizes and types of projects. However, this flexibility and ingenuity was tested when EQR was contracted to construct almost $14 million dollars of stream and sanitary sewer restoration in just over one year. Don’t miss this presentation on September 21st.
Legacy Sediment in the Ultra Urban Environment
In 2016, the District Department of Energy and Environment executed a stream restoration project on Nash Run, a tributary of the Anacostia River using legacy sediment removal design techniques in an urban area. Originally, the project was supposed to be an 800 foot stream restoration project but after discovering that a downstream culvert created a flood hazard the District worked with property owners and the design team to expand the project to a 1400ft project. In total, the project required working on public property and over twenty different private property lots to remove over 10,000 cubic yards of soil to create a low floodplain bench along the stream. Additionally, the project required the installation of a trash trap and the installation of new enlarged culvert halfway through the project reach.
Steve Loughry will be presenting Thursday, September 21st about the challenges the original plans presented, the negotiations with the District to reconfigure the site’s layout, and the challenges presented throughout the construction process.
We hope you see you there and to connect with our fellow stream practitioners!
