DENVER, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nature
Conservancy selected CH2M to manage the monitoring, permitting and
design of a 6.5-mile restoration project, which will help restore a
healthy, functioning oyster habitat in East Bay near Pensacola, Florida. The Pensacola East Bay
Oyster Habitat Restoration Project is the first phase in a
multi-year effort to restore this critical estuarine habitat system
that has been significantly reduced from its former range across
the Gulf's bays and estuaries.
Phase 1 of the project, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, provides for 3 years of
pre-restoration monitoring, project design and permitting to
develop the most effective and efficient blueprint. Reef
construction will follow in later phases of the project. The
project is being implemented by CH2M, Ecology and Environment and
the Conservancy. These organizations will apply their proven
strategy of close collaboration among engineers, ecologists and
area stakeholders in this oyster restoration project.
"Most oyster restoration projects are small scale. The Pensacola
East Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration Project will be a model for
large-scale coastal habitat restoration," said Jeff DeQuattro, Gulf Program Manager for the
Conservancy. "Science and engineering will drive the solutions,
with full-scale design and modeling, to ensure lasting resilience
and durability."
Healthy oyster reefs and other estuarine and marine habitats
help protect coastlines from wave damage and erosion, but 85
percent of oyster reefs have been lost worldwide, largely through
overharvesting, pollution, habitat loss and other factors, making
them the most severely affected marine habitat on Earth. The
Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay
region are no exception. This restoration project, the most
significant on the Gulf Coast and the largest CH2M has designed,
will begin to restore oyster reefs in East Bay where they were once
plentiful while also providing shoreline protection, nursery and a
foraging habitat for other aquatic life. Reef restoration is also
expected to complement the commercial oyster reefs and industry
that have been hit hard over the years.
"By designing and constructing oyster reefs, we'll promote
oyster settlement on the reef, provide for an additional aquatic
habitat and reduce shoreline erosion," said David Stejskal, CH2M's project manager. "The
coast will see great restoration benefits such as enhanced fish and
bird habitat and more sea grasses, and protect the vulnerable
shoreline." Stejskal and the CH2M team have been providing
preliminary assistance to the Conservancy on this project since
February 2015.
Sharing a passion for natural infrastructure as a viable way to
increase coastal and climate change resilience, the Conservancy and
CH2M are creating groundbreaking collaborations with scientists and
engineers on these types of projects and opportunities to examine
and compare nature-based solutions for risk reduction. The
Conservancy selected CH2M for this project because of its in-house
ecology, modeling, coastal engineering and design experience on
oyster habitats and living shoreline projects, combined with its
local homegrown knowledge of the Gulf of
Mexico.
CH2M plans to complete design and permitting of the project by
early 2018 while working in conjunction with Ecology and
Environment, Inc., who will conduct baseline and water quality
monitoring for the Conservancy. With monitoring estimated to be
complete by November 2018, the
Conservancy will seek additional funding for construction from a
variety of sources.
About CH2M
CH2M leads the professional
services industry delivering sustainable solutions
benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with
the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way,
CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design,
engineering and management services for clients in
water; environment and
nuclear; transportation;
energy and industrial markets,
from iconic infrastructure to global programs like the Olympic
Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top
firms in environmental consulting and program management, CH2M in
2016 became the first professional services firm honored with the
World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing
sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at
www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn;
Twitter; and Facebook.
Contact:
Marie Gettel-Gilmartin
CH2M, Marketing & Communications
+1 503 736 4254
marie.gettel-gilmartin@ch2m.com
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