To compensate for impacts to vernal pool habitats as a result of landfill expansion, the project’s Endangered Species Act Biological Opinion required the creation of 5.67 acres of vernal pool habitat within the 167-acre mitigation and preservation area adjacent to the existing and proposed landfill. Foothill Associates prepared preliminary wetland construction plans and conducted soil feasibility analyses on prospective vernal pool construction sites. Site analysis and soil studies provided crucial data to develop and refine detailed construction plans. Foothill Associates' field staff oversaw all aspects of the vernal pool construction project, including the harvest and stockpile of vernal pool topsoil, layout of new vernal pools, excavation of vernal pool basins, distribution of wetland topsoil, finish grading of the pools, and revegetation of haul routes and other areas disturbed by construction activities. Annual monitoring of the constructed vernal pools is ongoing and includes fairy shrimp surveys, floristic surveys, and hydrologic monitoring.

Nearly ten acres of constructed seasonal marsh and seasonal wetlands were constructed for this project. Foothill Associates provided wetland design, layout and construction supervision, and monitoring for this project. These wetlands were constructed along Carson Creek and many wetlands required careful placement to take advantage of creek overtopping to ensure inundation. This project is in its third year of monitoring, and all wetlands are performing as expected.

Foothill Associates was the task leader responsible for the collection of watershed biological field data, which included conducting a landscape-level wetland delineation, riparian habitat mapping, and a wetland functional assessment for the entire 170 square mile watershed in San Diego County. Foothill Associates developed the methods, coordinated the field effort, collected and analyzed the data, developed a watershed database, directed geographic information system (GIS) analyses, and prepared the technical reports. To refine the assessment methods, Foothill conducted numerous field tests of the methods and data collection sheets to improve the data collection process. To increase the consistency of data collection between field biologists, all data collection was performed in groups of two, and training sessions were also conducted at the beginning of this effort to train all staff working on the assessment. Following the collection of field data, Foothill Associates served as task leader responsible for the preparation of the watershed existing conditions report. Foothill Associates is currently assisting the project team of hydrologists and engineers to develop the watershed stressors report.

Laguna Stonelake is a 453-acre mixed-use development project in southern Sacramento County. The development includes primarily single-family residential areas, with a mix of multi-family units, office/industrial uses, parks, and trails. To mitigate for the loss of wetlands in the development area, the project includes a 742-acre wetland preservation and compensation area and a 93-acre floodway corridor, both of which will be preserved in perpetuity. Foothill Associates created a series of interpretive signs within the community park area, educating passersby about the wetland preserve, stormwater and drainage, the detention pond area, and local species and habitats.

Foothill Associates evaluated the performance of the Caltrans Scenic Highway Program. Our evaluation included the survey of local jurisdictions to determine their level of understanding, document review of local corridor protection plans, and field review of the officially designated scenic highways in California. We reviewed and assessed the overall effectiveness of the scenic highway program for achieving the legislature intent, developed a database to manage and prioritize scenic highway resources, and provided long range planning goals in making improvements to the program.

To facilitate the communication of relationships between elements in the design of the bike and equestrian trail along Laguna Creek in Elk Grove, California, Foothill Associates technical staff created a 3D model of a section of the trail. The paths were propagated in the modeling software along vectors from the CAD base data, with trees, shrubs, and grasses populated at specific points.

Foothill Associates developed the Dry Creek Greenway Master Plan with the Placer County, CA, Planning Department. The Dry Creek Greenway is a multi-jurisdictional open space and park system providing resources to the local communities in southeastern Placer County and the surrounding region. The project included a significant public participation element and required extensive interaction and coordination with resource agencies and local jurisdictions to successfully develop the Greenway facilities, policies for management and operations, adoption by local jurisdictions, and public stewardship. The key concepts encompassed multiple uses of the Greenway including flood control, habitat, water quality, recreation, cultural resources, education, and transportation opportunities. See http://www.foothill.com/greenway/ for additional information.

The Foothill Associates project team is currently preparing the Florin Road Streetscape Enhancement Master Plan and Phase I Construction Documents for the Florin Road Corridor from Stockton Boulevard to Elk Grove-Florin Road in Sacramento County. Planning objectives include: 1) Engage various community and governmental representatives in a comprehensive planning process to enhance portions of Florin Road to retain and attract desirable business and commerce; 2) Prevent blight and further deterioration within the corridor; 3) Stimulate economic revitalization within and adjacent to the corridor; 4) Create Community Identity through the development of streetscape design guidelines, standards, and taking advantage of historic and community resources; 5) Work cooperatively on the proposed improvements to the corridor with the Florin Road Merchants Association and the area home owners associations; 6) Develop streetscape design guidelines and standards that will enhance and improve the quality of life, environment, and visual appeal for the residents, businesses and visitors to the corridor; 7) Facilitate the availability and use of Public Transportation and alternative forms of transportation to improve economic condition, environmental quality, and public convenience; and identify, enhance, and bring together the various community resources found within the corridor to enhance social, cultural, and economic well being of the community.

Foothill Associates provided landscape architectural services and managed the civil engineering, electrical engineering, and architectural design work for Don Nottoli park. This 21-acre community park has a wide range of amenities and is designed to be beautiful, functional, and connected to adjacent resources. Foothill Associates designed the site master plan layout and prepared complete construction documents along with custom details. Products included the landscape planting and irrigation plans, the final bid document, specifications, and cost estimate. Foothill Associates also provided construction review services during the actual construction of the park.

Foothill Associates conducted an independent evaluation of all-existing biological resources reports and studies for their objectivity and suitability for purposes of the EIR and analyzed pertinent information for compilation in the EIR. The planning area spans approximately 25,570 acres, ranging in elevations from 5,840 feet to 8,780 feet. Foothill Associates performed a record search of the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) to determine the project site’s potential to support rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive species and prepared a map overlay showing the recorded locations of sensitive habitats and species locations for inclusion in the EIR. We conducted site surveys identifying general biological conditions, migration corridors and surveys for special-status plant species. Mitigation measures for all identified impacts were developed in consultation with county staff and representatives.

Foothill Associates is working with the City of Sacramento Environmental Planning Services and the Parks and Recreation Department on the Two Rivers Bike Trail project to provide public outreach, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and environmental coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Two Rivers Bike Trail is a planned 2.5 mile bike trail along the south side of the American River from Tiscornia Park at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers to Sutter's Landing Park at 28th Street and is an integral part of the City's Bikeway Master Plan.

Foothill Associates implemented a feasibility study on Arcade Creek to examine the health of a section of the Creek and recommend strategies for restoring the stream corridor to a healthier state. This study occurred in three phases: inventory, analysis, and schematic design. The inventory phase involved developing a set of data collection protocols to classify the health of the riparian, stream channel and aquatic systems, classification of the stream into reaches, and collection of data on those reaches. The analysis phase consisted of classifying the data based upon four main goals of decreasing floodwater damage, improving water quality, enhancing habitat, and providing recreational opportunities. The schematic design phase involved a work-session to examine the data and analysis to identify restoration opportunities in the four goal areas followed by field work to refine the restoration designs.

Foothill Associates developed the Pleasant Grove and Curry Creek Ecosystem Restoration (ERP). The ERP identifies goals and objectives of the restoration effort, provides background information and baseline data regarding the project site, and discusses specific ecosystem restoration goals, opportunities, and requirements for implementation within the planning area. Implementation of the ERP will contribute to habitat improvement for anadromous fish including steelhead, spring-run Chinook salmon, fall-run Chinook salmon as well as other native fish species. In addition to improving fish habitat, the restoration of these watersheds will improve habitat conditions for numerous wildlife species that use the streams and adjacent riparian and upland habitats.

Foothill Associates developed the Roseville Creek and Riparian Management and Restoration Plan (RCRMRP). The goal of the RCRMRP is to characterize the condition of the City's riparian habitat and creek channels and to develop a comprehensive approach to preservation, restoration and community-based stewardship for these resources. The Existing Conditions and Assessment Report (ECAR) component of the project presents the results of the inventory and review of baseline information and plans, the hydrologic and geomorphic study, and the riparian vegetation and habitat characteristics phases of this project. Health of the stream system was examined in three areas: channel structure and stability, riparian vegetation and wildlife habitat, and aquatic habitat. Field protocols were adapted from standard United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and California Native Plant Society (CNPS) protocols to collect data in each of these areas to aid in assessing the health of the stream ecological systems, determining major causes of degradation, identifying particularly degraded sites, and laying the groundwork for the restoration and management plan. The final plan also provides conceptual restoration strategies, specific project recommendations, public outreach strategies, maintenance and regulatory recommendations, and a discussion of funding and implementation.

Foothill Associates developed a plan to provide a baseline assessment of watershed conditions and to identify high priority projects for future implementation. GIS was used to analyze and map soils, topography, land use, sensitive habitats, pollutant loading, hydrology, and recreational facilities. This information was then used to assess existing conditions and to create realistic goals and strategies for the enhancement of water quality, habitat, control of flood related damages, and recreational opportunities.

As a component of an overall natural resource inventory at the 458-acre Delta Meadows State Park, Foothill Associates performed a comprehensive water sampling and analysis program designed to evaluate the quality of park waters for recreational use. Foothill Associates crafted the sampling and analysis plan so that it would capture the temporal and geographic variability of water quality within the park. Four different sampling dates where chosen, once during each season, and six geographically distinct sampling locations were selected. Foothill's staff performed field measurements at each site including turbidity, pH, conductivity, and temperature, and logged each sample point using GPS. The remainder of the samples were analyzed in a laboratory for various metals, pesticides, herbicides, and water quality parameters.

Foothill Associates is currently conducting water quality monitoring (sampling, testing, and reporting) for Yolo County, California, on Lower Cache Creek at four sites located between the Capay Bridge and I-5. Monitoring is conducted three times a year to capture the first flush, a typical winter runoff event, and late summer low flows. Samples are analyzed for a wide variety of water quality parameters including metals, organics (herbicides and pesticides), coliform (bacteria) and nutrients. Results are compared to regional water quality goals and a final report following each sampling is provided to the County.