San Diego County Water Authority selects Dudek to create wetlands mitigation banks

• Firm to design habitat preservations in two San Diego County locations.

ENCINITAS, CA, April 25, 2006 -- Dudek, a leading Southern California engineering and environmental consulting firm, today announced its selection by the San Diego County Water Authority to help plan and design two wetlands mitigation banks to be comprised of created and enhanced wetlands habitat in San Diego County. The new wetlands project, one of the largest restoration projects in San Diego County, will mitigate environmental impacts resulting from pipeline and facility construction projects within the water authority's service area.

"Dudek's approach demonstrated a unique understanding of the intricate nuances of the project we envisioned and truly addressed our concerns," said Tim Cass, project manager with the San Diego County Water Authority. "We're excited about creating thriving habitats that San Diego residents will enjoy for years to come."

"This is a forward-thinking project being undertaken by the water authority to establish two mitigation banks that will contain enough wetlands to satisfy resource agency requirements for the next 25 years," said Mike Sweesy, Dudek's principal landscape architect and senior habitat restoration specialist. "Our team will work closely with the water authority staff to establish wetland communities that incorporate habitats such as freshwater marsh, willow scrub and southern cottonwood-sycamore forest."

A challenge for the design team will be to develop plans that effectively alleviate high soil salt levels at the 32 acre mitigation site located within the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park near the California/Mexico border. The goal is to establish freshwater wetlands. Additionally, the second mitigation site along the San Luis Rey River in North San Diego County will be studied to overcome unique hydrological challenges and maximize the wetlands creation and enhancement potential. To achieve success in establishing new wetlands mitigation banks, Dudek's staff will need to:

• Conduct field investigations, hydrology and laboratory analysis
• Design and prepare a conceptual wetlands plan
• Prepare long-term management plans and cost estimates
• Prepare and negotiate mitigation banking agreements

Dudek (http://www.dudek.com/ad-23.aspx) is a leading Southern California-based engineering and environmental consulting corporation that creatively solves regulatory challenges for municipal agencies and major land owners. The firm helps clients plan, design, construct and manage successful infrastructure and environmental projects that balance regulatory mandates and technical requirements within financial and scheduling goals. Founded in 1980, Dudek is headquartered in Encinitas in San Diego County with offices in Orange, Riverside and Santa Barbara counties.

Also see:
-- "Dudek's Ray Miller receives AWWA '2006 Outstanding Service Award'"
-- "Huntington Beach selects Dudek to provide civil engineering services"

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