Working closely with Tulare County Resource Management Agency (Tulare RMA) and Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group, QK served as the primary consultant in the preparation of the field review and Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance through Caltrans for the project area that included a rural bridge site, equipment staging areas, and temporary water crossing accessed through the riparian habitat.

Throughout the project duration, our team actively managed the environmental permitting and compliance process including the completion of environmental studies and consultation with regulatory agencies. QK biologists completed field surveys for sensitive wildlife and plant species, and habitat. Technical documents included a Natural Environment Study (NES), water quality technical memorandum, cultural resources report, hydrology report, and restoration plan for riparian habitat as required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA compliance. Federal and State permit applications were also submitted and approved, and QK provided biological monitoring in compliance with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) requirements during construction to ensure no impacts occurred within the river or sensitive riparian habitat.

During construction, a temporary crossing was erected downstream from the new bridge for County residents and emergency vehicles. To mitigate construction impacts on the Kaweah River, QK’s environmental team recommended alternatives to some work within the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM), and revisions to bridge design to reduce the number of trees that required removal and trimming.

The Mountain Road 319 Bridge replacement was awarded 2013 “Project of the Year – Large” by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Cen-Cal Chapter and a 2014 Engineering Excellence “Award of Merit for Small Firms” by the California American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC California).