Getting Outside to Get Beneath the Surface

Seattle and the Puget Sound lowlands have no shortage of stunning mountain and coastline vistas. But if you look closely, there is an equally impressive story being told right beneath your feet, one that makes the region unlike almost anywhere else—and that has tremendous implications for the practice of environmental consulting.

Matthew von der Ahe, Geologist, explains the history and appearance of the Blakely Formation in West Seattle.

“‘It’s more complicated than that’ - I’ll probably end up saying that a lot today.” It’s a brilliant sunny Friday in late May and Matthew von der Ahe, a geologist in Aspect’s Bellingham office and former college geology instructor, has just guided his latest “class” of colleagues to their first stop on a day-long geology field trip. Matthew has been offering these field trips for the last decade to educate colleagues across the firm about the fascinating and often quite complicated geological world we work and live in.

Observing layers of glaciation at Discovery Park.

The day begins with a hike out onto a West Seattle beach, a rare spot where the 35-million-year-old Blakely Formation is visible at the surface. Here, and at other stops around town, the group observes evidence of the fascinating forces that have shaped the Puget Sound lowlands, a unique combination of glaciation and fault activity. Along the way, they see firsthand evidence of the different layers of glacial sedimentation, and gain a better understanding of the context for much of their work, from construction to remediation. One stop in Magnolia, where landslide activity swept three homes into Puget Sound and left another sitting condemned, plainly illustrates how important it is to understand the forces at work at each site.

Seeing the map come to life.

The dynamic nature of this region offers exciting opportunities for geotechnical, environmental, and water resources work, and while there are numerous resources available through a consultant’s laptop, there’s nothing quite like getting out in the field to see how the different facets of this fascinating landscape are connected. “It’s so valuable to see these things you’ve been thinking about,” says Senior Principal Geologist Dave Cook. “You could never see it enough, whether you’re in your third year or your thirtieth.”  Maya Morales-McDevitt, a professional at Gradient, echoed that sentiment: “Experiencing this reminds me of all the possibilities in consulting.”

The day ends on the south slope of Queen Anne, taking in a view of Seattle’s rapidly growing built environment, with Mount Rainier sparkling in the distance. After a day spent in the field, the landscape makes sense in new ways. Everything feels connected. “I keep waiting for someone to say, ‘I can’t believe we’re paying you to do this,” Matthew says, “but instead, they keep saying, ‘I wish you’d do this more.’” You can tell from Matthew’s enthusiasm that he hopes this is the case.

Viewing the elusive Lawton Clay on the beach at Discovery Park.

Dave Cook Delves into Ecology’s Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program at MTCA Law Seminar

Senior Principal Geologist Dave Cook, LG, CPG, will be a part of a seminar on Thursday, December 7 focused on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). First adopted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) in 1991, MTCA is now in its 33rd year regulating cleanup of contaminated sites in our state.

The site of the future Maddux North building being readied for redevelopment in 2020. The property formerly housed a dry cleaner, which left contamination in the surrounding soils. Cleanup of the site followed regulations per MTCA.

Dave and Ali Furmall, LHG, Brownfield Program Lead at Ecology, will present “Community Investment: Overview of Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program and Other Brownfield Program Resources.” Their talk will give an overview of Ecology’s Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program, which helps organizations purchase and remediate sites across Washington to build affordable housing.

Since the program’s start in 2016, Dave and Aspect have actively collaborated with Ecology, real estate developers, legal teams, and nonprofit housing groups to get projects funded and properties ready for cleanup. Our work now spans Bellingham, Ellensburg, and several sites in Seattle, including the launch pilot-project Mt. Baker Housing Association’s Maddux development. The project built two buildings with 203 total units on the site of a former dry cleaner and gas station/auto repair shop.

Maddux North, funded in part by the Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant program, welcomed residents in March 2023.

The day-long seminar hosted by Law Seminars International will spotlight other aspects of MTCA, including an overview of the recent updates—the first major updates in over 20 years—covering new decision-making criteria and other requirements that will impact future cleanup projects.

For the full seminar agenda and information how to register, visit the Law Seminars International website.

Bellingham Bay Estuary Awakens as Restoration Project Nears Completion

At Little Squalicum Park along the Bellingham waterfront, bicyclists and dog walkers are rolling and strolling on new trails and over a new pedestrian bridge spanning Little Squalicum Creek. Under the bridge, the creek is now flowing freely into Bellingham Bay, mingling with the salt water as tides ebb and flow. These improvements are part of this City of Bellingham (City) restoration project that has created a new intertidal estuary to expand habitat for salmonids and other species.

According to a recent story in The Bellingham Herald, the $5.7 million restoration project removed a culvert that restricted creek flow and blocked fish passage, re-routed the creek, added trails and the pedestrian bridge, and created needed habitat along this stretch of the waterfront.

Construction of the new estuary at Little Squalicum Park, January 2023

Aspect worked closely with the City and as a subconsultant to Coastal Geologic Services, who designed the estuary and new route for the creek. Our focus was identifying and characterizing contamination that had migrated from the adjacent Oeser Company wood-treatment facility Superfund site onto the area. Principal Hydrogeologist Steve Germiat led Aspect’s team, working with Project Geologist Matthew von der Ahe to characterize the chemical quality of the future estuary sediment surface, which was over 10 feet below the original grade, and the soil to be excavated to reroute the creek channel to the bay. Once the site characterization was complete, they wrote the contaminated material management plan and construction specifications for managing excavated material and water produced during dewatering of the large excavation. During excavation for the estuary and rerouted creek, Staff Scientist Bo Ward oversaw screening and sampling of the excavated soil and Project Engineer Matthew Eddy helped profile and arrange final disposition of the materials.

Construction of the elements of the park and estuary are ongoing and scheduled to be completed in October 2023. Learn more about the project history on the City of Bellingham’s project site.

Aspect Teams with Ecology on Innovative Conservation Effort

In a recent post, the Department of Ecology celebrated a successful pilot project with the Auvil Fruit Company in Vantage, WA. The project created two water banks and helped the orchard reduce their water demand by 50%. Aspect partnered with Ecology on the water rights permitting as well as the bank development efforts, but it was an innovative strategy developed by Auvil that led to this water-saving achievement.

Shade cloth installed at Auvil Fruit Company.

The solution was to cover Auvil’s orchards with shade cloth, which has multiple water savings, worker safety, and fruit quality benefits. Aspect and Ecology used two high-tech weather stations to monitor water loss: one in the area of the orchard covered by shade cloth, and one in an adjacent, uncovered area. According to Ecology, the effectiveness of the shade cloth was striking:

We found that shade cloth improved a number of growing conditions. The coverage greatly increased relative humidity, drastically reduced wind speed, stabilized soil moisture, and cooled the air temperature. Combined, all these changes now help Auvil use much less water to produce fruit. 

A weather station positioned beneath shade cloth at Auvil Fruit Company. 

The shade cloth was so effective that Auvil was able to remove windbreaks made of water-hungry poplar trees. The study also led to other water-saving strategies, such as installing soil moisture monitors and replacing overhead sprinklers with a drip system that delivers water directly to the root zone of the trees. Both of these systems communicate with one another to regulate water in real time. Water savings from the project are being used to reduce drought risk on Auvil’s interruptible water rights, and for instream flow benefit for fish. Auvil continues to be a leader and innovator in irrigation practices and Aspect’s permitting and technical skillset is making the most of these water savings.

For more details, check out Ecology’s website!

Aspect’s Geologists Converge in Portland for AEG 2023

Aspect’s Infrastructure Practice will be well represented at the annual meeting of Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG), taking place September 20-22 in Portland. Here’s a roundup of our staff who will present over the course of the meeting.

Technical Sessions

Site Explorations on the Swinomish Bluffs

Chip Barnett, LEG, and Aaron Fitts, LEG’s presentation Application of Sea Level Rise Estimates to Slope Stability Evaluation of Marine Bluffs, Swinomish Indian Reservation, La Conner Washington covers Aspect’s collaboration with Blue Coast Engineering and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to assess and understand geologic and slope conditions on over 100 residential lots on tribal land impacted by localized landslide failures. The project focuses on identifying the cause and mode of the failures, assessing coastal erosion, determining how those hazards will be worsened by rising sea levels, and prioritizing areas for monitoring and mitigation to protect the slopes and homes.

Aerial view of Swift Creek area

Aaron will also present on Managing Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Landslide Sediments and Debris Flows – Swift Creek, Whatcom County, Washington. Aaron is the lead geologist on this project for Whatcom County Public Works to address chronic sedimentation issues from landslide material containing naturally occurring asbestos within Swift Creek in rural Whatcom County.

Rock & Gravel quarry in the Wenatchee Mountains

Alec Melone, GIT, will also discuss naturally occurring asbestos in his presentation, Preliminary Naturally Occurring Asbestos Screening for Quarry Expansion: Field and Structural Studies in the Ingalls Ophiolite Complex, Central Cascades, Washington. Alec will share Aspect’s approach for assessing the contaminant and structural hazards within the Ingalls Tectonic Complex to support a 50-acre quarry expansion in the central Cascades’ Wenatchee Mountains.

Poster Presentations

Studying trees at Rialto Beach

Chelsea Bush, LG, and Monica Hill, GIT, are part of a group presenting a poster on the Landslides, Tectonic Uplift, and Coastal Erosion of the Past Several Hundred Years at Rialto Beach, Washington: Geologic Evidence and Implications for Geohazards along the Northwest Coast. The poster delves into some of the mysteries the group is trying to solve on this stretch of beach. When the project began in 2017, the main focus was the origin of a rapidly eroding terrace on the back beach, several feet above the modern beach surface, and whether it may have been formed during the 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Part of that work centered on determining the age of Sitka spruces on the terrace. When they learned the trees were much younger than they expected, things got interesting. Their ongoing work will help geologists determine how shoreline forests react to and recover from large-scale storms and seismic events.

Chelsea and Monica both got involved with the project as part of their master’s studies at the University of Washington. Chelsea started in 2017, focusing on landslide mapping and carbon dating of wood in the beach and landslide deposits. Later, Monica joined the group to conduct shoreline change assessment as they studied the effect that a nearby jetty/dike system at the mouth of the Quillayute River has on the rapidly eroding terrace. The poster will present an overview of the work they and many other UW Ph.D. and masters’ students have contributed to the study.

Stabilization measures in place at Washington Boulevard

Chelsea also has a poster on Aspect’s Washington Boulevard Landslide Stabilization Project with Kitsap County Public Works. Aspect worked with the County for over a decade to assess, monitor, and ultimately stabilize a roadway—and sole access to services for over 22 homes— traversing a dead-seated landslide complex along a steep coastal bluff in Kingston, Washington. The project won the American Public Works Association’s 2022 Project of the Year Award in the Disaster or Emergency Construction Repair (less than $5 million) category.

Associate Engineering Geologist Mark Swank, CEG, LEG, is the AEG Secretary, a member of their Executive Council, and a co-chair of this year’s meeting. Chip Barnett was recently elected to the AEG Board of Directors for the Pacific region and coordinated the poster sessions as part of the meeting’s planning committee. Aspect is proud to sponsor technical sessions on Collecting Geologic Data for Assessment of Potential Hazards Using Multiple Surface and Subsurface Methods Symposium, the Young at Heart Student/Young Professional Event, and the all-important All Day Coffee on Tuesday.

Aspect’s Dan Haller Weighs in on Water for Washington’s French-Fry Boomtown

Aspect’s Dan Haller was recently quoted in a Washington Post story about Othello, central Washington’s self-proclaimed french-fry “boomtown.” As climate change has impacted the potato business in other parts of the country, Othello has become an industry leader, but the key to sustaining this success going forward will be water.

Groundwater supply concerns have been in the news this summer (notably in this comprehensive New York Times article). Only a few years ago, Othello’s water future seemed in doubt, as the city faced decreasing yields from its wells. Aspect was brought in to evaluate the City’s well yield and determine the causes of declining groundwater supplies. Working with the City, the Washington State Department of Ecology, Office of Columbia River, and the US Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Aspect helped develop an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) program that would support long-term growth and provide stable water supplies. The ASR program, which was first tested in 2021, operates by diverting and treating canal water to drinking water standards, then introducing (recharging) that water to the declining aquifer using existing wells. This artificially recharged and stored water combats the declining groundwater issues and can be later recovered by the City for municipal supply.

This work has been vital to Othello’s success, but as Dan points out in the Post article, the well system that farmers rely on was only ever supposed to be a temporary solution. Othello’s use of BOR canal supplies is a step towards the original vision for primary water use in the region: transitioning away from groundwater and connecting to the Columbia Basin Project, a government-funded program that stores Snake and Columbia river supplies. As Othello’s wells begin to run dry, this water will be critical to the town’s survival. The good news is there’s plenty of supply to be had; according to the Post article, the Columbia has only been tapped for 3 percent of its available water flow. Building out this infrastructure will be essential for Othello’s continued reign at the top of the french-fry world.

Removing a Dam and Building Back Habitat and Water Supply on the Hoquiam River

Over the last 20 years, the City of Hoquiam has worked towards both removing their West Fork Hoquiam River Dam (used as a surface water diversion for City water supply) and replacing the City’s water supply with groundwater wells. The City and other local stakeholders want this nearly 70-year-old dam removed for a number of reasons – it’s aging past its design life, it blocks salmon habitat, and replacing the City’s water supply with groundwater wells will improve the water supply and water quality for the City’s customers. In 2023, predesign and feasibility is underway -- with help from a $1.2 million grant from NOAA -- and actual dam removal anticipated within the next five years.

Dive deeper into the exciting progress in the accompanying Story Map for this project.

The Path to Professional License: Chelsea Bush, LG

In the science and engineering industry, seeing a “PE”, “LG”, “PMP”, or other initials behind someone’s name shows that person went through years of work experience that culminated in a substantial test to confirm the right to practice their area of technical expertise. Many go through this licensing journey but few outside that group know what the process is really like.

We’re telling those stories here. Aspect’s professionals are writing a series of articles that capture the trials and successes of studying for and receiving these career-defining milestones.

Chelsea Bush, Licensed Geologist (LG)

Date you took the test: March 17, 2023

Date Awarded: May 4, 2023

Chelsea working at Rialto Beach.

Where did you start with your test prep?

I find that studying with a good friend is the best way to learn and retain information. I chose my bestie Mary Alice, who was taking the test at the same time, and we met up at a restaurant/bar every weekend for 3 months. Good food and a beer helped us relax and enjoy our study time, instead of dreading it.

Together, we went over the practice tests and graded each other, and we taught each other all of the different sections outlined in the Reg Review study materials. We decided that we should prepare our “lessons” on the material we are least familiar with, then go over our findings together.

What should a person gearing up to do this know about the mental, physical, and social challenges of test prep?

Studying for the test is stressful—at first it is very overwhelming and it seems like you will never get through all the study materials. But if you break down the sections and consider your comfort level with each subject, it helps put the test in perspective.

I focused heavily on hydrogeology and engineering geology review, and spent a day on each of the subjects (like economic geology, which I have no background in) reading through all of the material and attempting study questions. I suggest learning basic hydro equations, how to calculate weighted averages, and review your three-point problems (applicable to both structural and hydro questions). Don’t freak out if you don’t know some things! You only need a 70 percent grade to pass.

Chelsea with her cat, Elvira.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

I was really nervous! To prepare for the exam I ate a solid breakfast, drank a lot of water, and took a few deep breaths.

When I got to the testing center in Mountlake Terrace, I ran into Bodie McCosby from Aspect and recognized a few other people, which made me feel less stressed out.

It is important to follow the instructions given by ASBOG (the National Association of State Boards of Geology) and make sure you have all required documentation and identification before entering the testing center. It is a little odd, but they use a metal detector and pat you down before you enter the testing area to ensure you aren’t cheating, so be prepared to feel like you are going to board an airplane.

How did you feel when you got the results?

Because this was the first year that the test was given online, we had a lot of questions about how the results would come out, and when. I know all of us were obsessively checking our emails. It took about 45 days to receive our test results, a slightly longer wait than previous years with the written test. When I got the email that I passed, I was at home after work—I was really excited and relieved! The first thing I did was call my mom and dad to share the news, and that evening my husband took me out to dinner to celebrate.

What lessons did you learn that you’d want others to know?

I think the best thing to do is study in a way that helps you—not everyone studies well with a friend and a cheeseburger like me. I reflected on the best methods I used during grad school, and relied on those. Reaching out to others who have taken the test and experienced it is also very helpful for understanding the level of effort you should take.

King County and the City of Kent Celebrate the Lower Russell Levee Setback

One of the new picnic shelters in use.

King County recently held a celebration to mark the end of the Lower Russell Levee Setback Project and the reopening of City of Kent’s Van Doren’s Landing Park. Principal Geotechnical Engineer Henry H. Haselton, who served as Aspect’s project manager on the project, was in attendance at the culminating event.

At $58M, the Lower Russell Levee Setback Project is one of the largest multi-benefit flood control/ecosystem restoration projects in Washington. It replaced an aging flood control system along an approximately 1.4-mile corridor of the Green River in Kent with a new levee and river revetment system. This new system meets current US Army Corps of Engineers standards, is FEMA certifiable, and strengthens flood protection for nearby homes and businesses. Fish and other river dwellers benefit from the increased water conveyance and shallow, slow water areas created by the new levee setback, engineered log jams, and off-channel embayment, while those on land can enjoy enhancements to the adjacent park, including new play structures, picnic shelters, and a wildlife lookout tower.

New observation tower on the bank of the Green River.

New Mt. Rainier play structure at Van Doren’s Landing Park.

Henry led Aspect’s geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and hydrogeologic services as part of a multidisciplinary design team led by HDR. Our work spanned from reviewing existing site data and mapping in April 2014 through developing levee design alternatives to overseeing geotechnical aspects of construction in late 2022. During that time, our team:

  • Conducted two round of subsurface explorations to supplement existing site data and mapping 

  • Collaborated with the design team to identify and address geotechnical project cost drivers, such as reuse of on-site soils and construction dewatering strategies

  • Developed geotechnical design and construction recommendations for the new setback levee and flood walls

  • Collaborated with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants to design log jams and other aquatic restoration features

  • Provided geotechnical design criteria to the Berger Partnership for new park facilities

  • Evaluated stormwater infiltration feasibility for the park via large-scale pilot infiltration tests

The project’s success is the result of years of close collaboration between King County’s Water and Land Resources Division, the City of Kent, the Muckleshoot Tribe, and the design team. Congratulations to all who contributed to this project with multiple benefits for the environment and community.

Why a Record-Breaking Winter Doesn’t Solve Western Water Issues

Did this year’s record-breaking snowpack officially end the megadrought? (Spoiler alert: it did not.) What solutions exist to face the challenges of western water management?

 Animas River in Durango, Colorado flowing in May 2023

A Record-breaking Winter in Western US

It’s no secret that winter 2022/2023 was exceptionally snowy, and - quite literally - record-breaking in the western US. Throughout the winter we read news headlines that quickly progressed from “epic snow year” to “potentially record-shattering” and finally to “largest-ever snowpack”. These bold headlines in the media were validated by the US National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) SNOTEL network, which revealed that  snow water equivalent (SWE) values sky-rocketed well above normal in nearly all western US basins. This positive outlook continues through late spring for southern states in the west — the snapshot from late May shows an above-normal snowpack for many basins in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

Western US Snow Water Equivalent values are above normal for southern states in the West and below normal for northern states.

Digging Out From a Big Hole

This prodigious snowpack couldn’t have come at a more desperate time. Last summer, drought conditions across the western US reached all-time severity with numerous regions reaching D3 (Extreme) and D4 (Exceptional) drought stages. Many states experienced major losses to crops and pastures, and numerous water shortages and restrictions were put into place. With winter 2023 in the rear view mirror and summer just ahead, it’s difficult to imagine that, in just a few months’ time, much of the western US will return to a dry, drought-stricken landscape, but unfortunately, that’s the reality we face. Even a record-breaking snowpack cannot make up for numerous years of back-to-back drought conditions.

The tension created between the ongoing drought and this year’s snowfall demonstrates the challenges of western water management and how one good snow year can create an illusion of water security.

The Endless Winter Fights Back

While this extraordinary winter won’t completely erase the megadrought, the short-term drought outlook has improved significantly.  A drought summary posted by the National Drought Mitigation Center on May 23, 2023 shows a dramatic improvement for most of the western US over the last year, with most area’s drought classifications downgraded by one or more classes.

Changes in drought classifications across the US.

But as welcome as this improvement is, it’s going to take more than one good snow year to dig ourselves out from the deep hole we are in. Much of the US is still categorized as either D0 (Abnormally Dry) or D1 (Moderate Drought) with some select regions continuing to worsen, even after this winter. The following two images show recorded drought conditions almost exactly one year apart.

Drought conditions comparing May 2022 to May 2023.

The New and Fragile Normal for Water Supply

Water managers rely on forecasts to predict the volume of available water supply for the upcoming spring and summer months. Generally, a bigger snow year means a better forecast and more water availability. But total snowfall is only one piece of the water supply puzzle, and other factors, mainly brought about by a more volatile climate and our changing society, can create additional challenges.

Some of the challenges today’s water managers face include:

  • Higher overall demand for water and more consumptive uses brought about by population growth.

  • Difficulty with the management of the timing of runoff (earlier melting) – warmer-than-average spring temps and more dust-on-snow events (which expedites melting) are causing severe flooding and other adverse impacts. Overall, severe runoff is less beneficial for water supplies as it overwhelms water storage infrastructure and is difficult to capture (something stormwater experts are grappling with as they look to design infrastructure for a changing climate).  

  • Thirsty soils – already dry soils take up less water than saturated soils, leading to more runoff and less water supply capture.

  • Previously depleted groundwater resources and surface water reservoirs – “digging out of a hole”.

Water Managers Look to Variety of Strategies to Harness Retimed and Excess Water

These challenges, combined with a volatile climate, mean that one wet winter won’t be enough, and leave water managers facing a difficult task.

Fortunately, solutions such as water banking, watershed planning, and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), can be deployed to combat these challenges and capitalize on the periods of excess runoff water. And thanks to the unprecedented volume of available funding opportunities for water sustainability, conservation, and efficiency projects, these solutions are becoming more widespread and are proving to have effective implementation.

Aspect is heavily involved in water banking, watershed planning, and ASR, helping western clients with short-term and long-term water supply projects. Additional detail about Aspect’s past and current involvement with these strategies can be found below:

Estelita’s Library Receives Grant to Move Forward with New Community

May 7-13 is Affordable Housing Week, championed by the Housing Development Consortium to highlight the role affordable housing plays in stabilizing our communities. See a recent affordable housing story below and more of Aspect’s Affordable Housing work here.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell recently announced $13.5 million in grant funding awards though the City of Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) to help community groups among Seattle’s diverse cultural communities purchase properties in neighborhoods where they are at high risk for displacement due to gentrification and redevelopment. The funds are designated “for site acquisition and major capital projects, as well as capacity-building support to organizations that are still developing their plans for permanent spaces in Seattle.”

Among the recipients is Estelita’s Library, a local nonprofit that will receive $2,375,000 to complete purchase of a property to expand their community hub. 

“Estelita’s Library is a social justice library, bookstore, and cultural hub focused on uplifting our most marginalized communities,” said Edwin Lindo, co-founder of Estelita’s Library, in the City’s press release. “It has been serving South Seattle through literature, space for communities to organize and build, and fighting gentrification through culture. With this support, Estelita’s Library will be able to fulfill its commitment to acquire property in Beacon Hill; expand its services, space, and library; and ultimately fulfill its vision and commitment of building affordable housing that is grounded in and uplifts community.” 

Aspect’s environmental team, led by Associate Geologist Ali Cochrane and Principal Geologist Dave Cook, assisted Estelita’s Library with purchase negotiations and environmental due diligence to assess property conditions. Soil and groundwater at the site is contaminated with petroleum from the property’s decades-long use as gas stations and auto repair shops.  

Drill rig installs a monitoring well at the property Estelita’s Library is looking to purchase for their new community space. Aspect will sample these wells to gauge the level and extent of contamination in site groundwater.

Our team helped Estelita’s Library procure over $125k in planning grants from Ecology’s Brownfields Grant program to fund these efforts. We will support them through the upcoming application process for a grant from Ecology’s Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant program, which will fund the planning and design phases of the cleanup in concert with property redevelopment.

Groundbreaking Celebrates the Start of Affordable Housing Along the Bellingham Waterfront

May 7-13 is Affordable Housing Week, championed by the Housing Development Consortium to highlight the role affordable housing plays in stabilizing our communities. See a recent affordable housing story below and more of Aspect’s Affordable Housing work here.

Staff from Aspect’s Bellingham and Seattle offices were on hand for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the first phase of the Millworks development, which will bring affordable housing to the Bellingham waterfront.

Banners at the construction site announcing both Phases of the Millworks redevelopment

Millworks is a partnership between the Port of Bellingham, Whatcom Community Foundation, and Mercy Housing Northwest (Mercy). Phase 1 of Mercy’s development includes 83 units of workforce and family rental housing plus a YMCA early learning center. The development should be ready to welcome residents next year.

Mercy Housing Northwest’s project manager Ellen Lohe (left) emceed the groundbreaking event, and Port Commissioner Michael Shepard (right) delivered remarks.

The Millworks development sits on 2.3 acres at the corner of the larger 67-acre Georgia-Pacific West cleanup site. Once home to a pulp and tissue mill, the site has undergone massive cleanup and redevelopment over the last decade, including the City of Bellingham’s popular Waypoint Park. Aspect’s environmental, geotechnical, and stormwater teams have worked extensively within the former mill’s footprint.

The building’s foundation is in place with framing starting, only 4 months after cleanup completion. Photo courtesy of Mercy Housing NW.

For the Millworks project, Aspect completed a pre-design investigation, developed a cleanup action plan, oversaw a formal public comment period, authored the engineering design report, executed an excavation compliance monitoring plan, reviewed construction plans/specs, and provided bid support. We provided oversight on the soil removal project, which also accomplished the substantial grading and site prep needed to start work on the new building. All of this occurred within a highly expedited 12-month schedule to meet Mercy’s funding requirements.

Principal Hydrogeologist Steve Germiat, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, managed Aspect’s project team, which includes Adam Griffin, Jane Gregg, Matt Eddy, Nikolai Carroll, and Baxter Call. They worked in close coordination with the Port, RMC Architects, and the rest of the Mercy team, as well as the Washington State Department of Ecology, to reach this key milestone.

Whatcom Community Foundation’s planned Phase 2 development will include more affordable housing units and a local food campus featuring a commercial kitchen for use by food trucks and nonprofits like Meals on Wheels. Phase 2 construction is expected to begin in 2025.

Kitsap County’s Washington Boulevard Landslide Stabilization Project Honored at AWPA’s Spring Conference

Aspect joined staff from Kitsap County Public Works (County) at the American Public Works Association (APWA) Spring Conference in Tacoma to celebrate the County’s Washington Boulevard Landslide Stabilization project, which earned the APWA’s 2022 Public Works Project of the Year award in the Disaster or Emergency Construction Repair (less than $5 million) category.

Members of the Washington Boulevard Stabilization team accepting their award (from left to right): Andrew Nelson, Kitsap Public Works Director; Tina Nelson, Kitsap Senior Program Manager; Joe Rutan, Kitsap County Engineer; Tim Beachy, Kitsap Project Manager; David Dinkuhn, Parametrix Civil Engineer; Andrew Holmson, Aspect Consulting; Steve Nichols, Kitsap Construction Manager; Tom Abplanalp, Sound Pacific Construction; Phil Struck, Struck Environmental; Paije Abplanalp, Sound Pacific Construction.

Washington Boulevard traverses a steep coastal bluff along the eastern Puget Sound shoreline in Kingston, Washington, leading into the town center and regional ferry terminal. Part of the road crosses a large deep-seated landslide complex that for decades suffered failures after heavy rains, frequently cutting off the sole access to the town and emergency services for 22 homes along the road. The Washington Boulevard Landslide Stabilization project constructed a horizontal drain system, stormwater improvements, and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) slope to stabilize the roadway and provide a reliable path to the town and services for residents.

Roadway damaged after slope movement in 2011.

Temporary roadway protection measures in place.

In the winter of 2006, a period of extreme rainfall triggered significant landslide movement and damage to the roadway. Kitsap County engaged Aspect to complete detailed geologic investigations to characterize the nature of the landslide, conduct emergency monitoring, help the County decision-makers understand the risks the landslide posed to the roadway, and to develop viable stabilization alternatives. After over a decade of active monitoring and management, the increasingly frequent road closures and need for repairs due to landslide movement prompted County decision-makers to start design and construction of the preferred stabilization alternative.

Horizontal Drain Drilling (HDD) near the steep bluff.

Aspect led design of the horizontal drain system to dewater the body of the landslide, roadway stormwater improvements to enhance collection and conveyance of stormwater on/near the roadway, and a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) slope to achieve grade transitions at the landslide headscarp and support the roadway embankment. This solution struck an elegant balance between effective stabilization targeting the root cause of instability (elevated groundwater), an environmentally permittable, sustainable, and beneficial design, and cost.

Roadside Drainage Improvements and Roadway Base Preparation.

Final paving of road reconstruction with guardrail.

Aspect and the County worked in close collaboration with Parametrix for civil design and Struck Environmental for environmental permitting to deliver a pragmatic design meeting the project objectives, schedule, and budget. The project was successfully constructed by Sound Pacific Construction with key support from Jensen Drilling, Inc.

Senior Associate Geotechnical Engineer Andrew Holmson, PE, who has worked on the project since 2008 alongside over a dozen Aspect geologists and engineers, joined Tim Beachy, Tina Nelson, Andrew Nelson, and Joe Rutan from Kitsap County; David Dinkuhn from Parametrix; Phil Struck from Struck Environmental; and Tom and Paije Abplanalp from Sound Pacific Construction for the awards ceremony.

The full list of this year’s APWA Washington Project of the Year winners and project photos are available on their website.

From Mills to Maritime: Restoring Everett’s Working Waterfront 90 Years Later

Caption: The newly redeveloped Norton Terminal, in the top left of the photo, allows the Port of Everett to double their cargo space and revive this dormant piece of their working waterfront.

Photo Credit: Port of Everett

Decades after pulp and paper mill operations first began on the same spot, the Port of Everett’s Norton Terminal – a new 40-acre marine cargo facility – opened in December 2022 to once again make this piece of Everett’s waterfront a working site. As the first all new cargo terminal on the West Coast since 2009, the Port estimates that terminal will restore almost 1,000 jobs – hundreds of which were lost when the original mill shuttered in 2011 – and help support the nearly 40,000 jobs generated by surrounding seaport operations from the Port and U.S. Naval Station Everett. This restoration success story was over a decade in the making after the mill shut down and left subsurface contamination on-site.

Cleaning Up 90 Years of Pulp and Paper Mill Operations

Caption: Though ownership changed hands throughout the years, this was a steady working mill for over eight decades, up until closure in 2012.

Photo Credit: City of Everett library digital collections

The original mill became operational in the 1920s – milling pulp and creating paper products – and continued active operations until it shut down in 2012. Left on the site were heavy metals and petroleum, including releases from fuel bulk storage facilities that pre-dated the mill. Aspect, working on behalf of the owner, Kimberly Clark, led the Washington State Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) upland cleanup process. This involved a years-long remedial investigation to understand the extents of soil and groundwater contamination across 55 acres, a feasibility study to assess cleanup options, and three cleanup actions to expedite the overall cleanup and redevelopment. The main remediation culprits at the site were heavy metals and petroleum, including releases from fuel bulk storage facilities that pre-dated the mill.

300,000 Tons of Material and One Cap Later = Terminal is Open for Business

Caption: Over 300,000 tons of material removed to clear the Site for the environmental cap

Photo Credit: Aspect Consulting

The first two interim cleanups excavated and landfilled more than 56,000 tons of contaminated soils, permanently removing the primary sources of contamination to groundwater. Approximately 250,000 tons of crushed concrete and brick generated during mill demolition were also hauled away, clearing the site and removing a major source of alkaline pH to site groundwater. The finishing step was putting a 9-inch-thick asphalt layer across most of the site, which does double duty as an environmental ‘cap’ and a surface sturdy enough for 40-ton cargo containers to sit on. The environmental cap also includes a state-of-the-science stormwater treatment system to protect the adjacent East Waterway.

Six years after demolition of the former mill infrastructure and considerable cleanup work, Kimberly Clark sold the property to the Port of Everett, supporting the Port’s plans of doubling their marine cargo capacity so West Coast container ships can more quickly get import/export goods to market. Congratulations to the Port for reviving this important piece of the Everett waterfront—restoring both jobs for the regional economy and the site environmental conditions to protect human health and habitat.  

The Path to Professional License: Hannah Cohen, LG

In the science and engineering industry, seeing a “PE”, “LG”, “PMP”, or other initials behind someone’s name shows that person went through years of work experience that culminated in a substantial test to confirm the right to practice their area of technical expertise. Many go through this licensing journey but few outside that group know what the process is really like.

We’re telling those stories here. Aspect’s professionals are writing a series of articles that capture the trials and successes of studying for and receiving these career-defining milestones.

Hannah Cohen, Licensed Geologist (LG)

Date of Test: October 2022

Date Awarded: November 2022

Hannah sailing a wooden boat (sloop-rigged Blanchard Junior) on Lake Union.

Where did you start with your test prep?

I had kept my study manual from my Fundamentals of Geology (FG) exam (the exam one takes to gain Geologist-in-Training [GIT] status) that I took back in 2017 as well as many of my course readers and notebooks from school. Going over all the basics was a good start, but I found the LG exam required more specific knowledge in each of the topics, which can often be found in textbooks and regulatory publications.

One of the next things I did was take the Reg Review weekend online course in August. It was a good way to figure out exactly how the test was structured, what topics were emphasized, and which subjects I knew the least about (it was Economic Geology for me). I would recommend people take the course more like 6 months before their test instead of when I did…which was only 2 months before. Oops.

What should a person gearing up to do this know about the mental, physical, and social challenges of test prep?

You’re going to feel stressed about it and you will probably have to decline or cancel many of your weekend plans (sorry). I noticed the stress of the exam bleeding into all the other parts of my life, no matter how hard I tried to prevent it. It happens! When I felt myself getting tense and anxious, I would try to go for a walk or watch some terrible reality TV (Love Island always gets me to laugh and relax).

Test prep is going to occupy all your time for a few months, but if you give yourself some grace and find ways to positively motivate yourself to study, you can—and will!— make it through.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

I took the test at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. I tried to sleep in as much as possible (I couldn’t) and made sure to have coffee and eat some breakfast. I remembered packing a few snack bars for me to have just before or during the test, but I was way too nervous to eat them.

The test was scheduled for 1 pm, after the FG test was administered. I arrived at the test center around noon, planning to go over some flash cards before heading into the test (I didn’t; I was too jittery). When I found the right floor in the convention center, I checked in with some very nice middle-aged ladies, got my sealed test booklet, and went into a large, brightly lit conference room. It’s notable that I took the last paper test that ASBOG is offering for the LG; it will be a computer exam starting in March 2023.

It’s a four-hour exam and it took me (and many of the other candidates in the room) about three and a half hours to complete. I remembered feeling pretty confident for the first 5 to 10 questions, but by the time I reached the halfway point, all of that was confidence gone. When I finished the exam and left the convention center, I felt almost certain I didn’t pass.

I drove home in complete silence, wondering desperately what had happened to me and how in the world they thought up some of those questions (try not to do this). When I got home, my partner was very supportive and encouraged me to have some wine, pat myself on the back for being done, and then think about literally anything other than the test (I would recommend doing this).

How did you feel when you got the results?

Forty-one days later, I was shocked, surprised, delighted, and relieved. I received two back-to-back emails informing me that I had “successfully completed the ASBOG exam(s) and all requirements for [my] Washington State geologist license” with the PDF license attached. I was so stunned that at first, I couldn’t quite parse if I had passed the exam because neither email say so explicitly. I was also in the middle of the 8-hour HAZWOPER refresher course with a dozen or so of my fellow Aspect folks, so it felt very surreal. I turned to my right, showed the email to (Aspect Senior Geologist) Ali Cochrane, and asked her, “Does this mean I passed?” She said yes, obviously. Thanks, Ali! 

What lessons did you learn that you’d want others to know?

  • Don’t spend time fretting over your practice test scores or trying to calculate the final score of your real exam. I remember pacing around my house trying to figure out if my scores on the practice tests I took would be considered passing scores—don’t do this -it doesn’t matter!! The exam review process is complicated and a little mysterious, and every exam is completely different from the one before. I’m a big overthinker, so I struggled with this. Feeling nervous and stressed is totally normal, but try not to let it eat you up. Use your stress to motivate you to get a few more hours of studying in.

  • I found the Reg Review practice tests to be much different (and less difficult) than the real exam, so if I hadn’t passed the first time, I would have used what I could remember of the exam to study for the next one.

  • Study with at least one other person. It’ll keep you focused during study sessions, and you won’t feel as alone. I usually studied along, but when my partner could help with the flashcards, it felt better. And when you feel your mind wandering or you get stuck on a practice question, you’ll have someone to turn to for help and support.

The Path to Professional License: Henry N. Haselton, PE

In the science and engineering industry, seeing a “PE”, “LG”, “PMP”, or other initials behind someone’s name shows that person went through years of work experience that culminated in a substantial test to confirm the right to practice their area of technical expertise. Many go through this licensing journey but few outside that group know what the process is really like.

We’re telling those stories here. Aspect’s professionals are writing a series of articles that capture the trials and successes of studying for and receiving these career-defining milestones.

Henry N. Haselton, Professional Engineering (PE) License

Date of Test:  October 2021

Date Awarded: December 2021

Henry at a residential reconnaissance site.

When did you start with your test prep?

I think around July, but I didn’t hit it too hard until August.

What were your study tactics? How did you get started?

Lots and lots of practice exams was my study tactic. I started by talking with Aspect folks and other friends that had just taken the exam to see what worked for them in terms of studying techniques and planning. A big first step I did in July was to outline on a calendar what days I would study and the number of hours I would spend each day to get myself up to 100 hours of study time. I don’t think I hit my exact goals, but this gave me a good outline and schedule to hold myself to.

What should a person gearing up to do this know about the mental, physical, and social challenges of test prep?

Just try to not get stressed out about the test prep and studying. At first it is intimidating because a lot of the material you review is on topics you haven’t seen since college, but in reality most of the material in the general civil category involves very simple calculations.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

I don’t have any unique tips for the big test day, just the classics of get a good night sleep, try to stay relaxed and not stressed, and trust your studying and intuition. Test day for me was pretty funny as I showed up in a dark parking lot to see people with wheelbarrow-sized carts full of books walking across the street like zombies while I just had a little bag of books. Once I got signed into the test center and placed at my desk, I went to the bathroom while we were waiting for them to pass out tests and got scorned for doing that without permission. So overall not the best start, but it still worked out.

How did you feel when you got the results?

New PE Henry in Mexico.

It was a huge relief for sure, because you take the test and afterwards it is hard to gauge how you did or what the passing grade will be, then a couple months go by before you know anything. It’s worth mentioning though that there is no shame in not passing it on your first go; it’s just a reminder to study a little more next time around and come in more prepared and relaxed. My great friend from college who is an excellent engineer ended up failing the same test I took but passed it the next time around and is better for it. 

What lessons did you learn that you’d want others to know?

For many of us, academic life was a huge series of tests that determined your grades and continuation in school. This is just one more test in a long series, and possible the last major one you ever take. So enjoy that feeling of walking out of a big exam that you were well-prepared for. That amount of closure can be hard to find in the professional world.

Perspectives on Stormwater Design and Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest

During the 2022 NEBC Stormwater Conference, which focused on emerging stormwater practices in the Pacific Northwest, a city engineer asked if the next update for Western Washington’s Hydrology Model (WWHM) will consider global warming factors. Climate change has been a prominent topic of conversation in the stormwater world recently, prompting industry professionals across all levels to ask similar questions in how tools like WWHM will accurately model future conditions so stormwater designs effectively protect water quality, communities, and habitat.

Floodwaters covered Iowa Street in Bellingham after historic rainfall in November 2021. (Image Credit: City of Bellingham)

Stormwater engineers design and size facilities using past hydrologic event models and observations – for example, western Washington uses precipitation records starting in 1948 through water year 2009 to estimate total rainfall and peak events. While this calculation method was suitable in the past, the impact on stormwater runoff due to more recent changes in precipitation and air temperature suggest that drainage infrastructure designed to manage storms based on historical data may be undersized for future storm scenarios.

According to the April 2022 Stormwater University “Climate Change Impacts to Stormwater” webinar led by Clear Creek Solutions, Inc.’s co-founder Doug Beyerlein, engineers should consider the following factors when calculating stormwater runoff in order to effectively design for future climate conditions: (1) expected changes in rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration, and (2) expected changes in evaporation and evapotranspiration. Anticipating future climate conditions at the design phase will help reduce the risk of unmitigated stormwater causing flooding, erosion, and threatening the health of aquatic species and their habitat.

Stormwater in Washington State

Stormwater management is heavily scrutinized in Washington state. The state helped jump-start the nation’s development of municipal stormwater permit programs in the 1990s and continues to be at the forefront of modern stormwater management approaches. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) issues water quality permits to cities, counties, and the state’s department of transportation (WSDOT) to ensure that stormwater runoff is being regulated and managed. These public agencies are then responsible for making sure that projects comply with permit requirements through the development and enforcement of flow control and stormwater treatment standards. Stormwater experts routinely use hydrologic models (such as WWHM) to help permit applicants and public agencies monitor stormwater conditions and forecast how stormwater will behave in the future.

Current Stormwater Calculation Methods in Washington State

From a stormwater perspective, Washington state is a tale of two lands. Western Washington (defined, regionally, as land west of the crest of the Cascade mountains) gets annual precipitation between 30 and 200 inches per year depending on location. Within this area is the Puget Sound region, home of the state’s densest population and urbanization. It receives a lot of rainfall, thus impacting runoff and stormwater management codes that influence water quality in receiving waters like the Puget Sound. Eastern Washington, the state’s more arid region, receives from less than 10 to 60 inches per year depending on location.

Washington State Annual Precipitation Map. (Image Credit: Washington State Department of Commerce)

Due to the unique climate and rainfall pattern differences between western and eastern Washington, two separate stormwater design manuals were developed for each region outlining different stormwater calculation methods (i.e., continuous simulation (applying to western WA) vs. single-event hydrology (applying to eastern WA)). Analysis of precipitation data and patterns within Washington define these two methods:

Click to Enlarge Summary of Commonly Used Hydrologic Analysis Methods and Software in Washington State

  1. Rainfall in western Washington often occurs over longer (multi-day) time frames and with relatively moderate intensities compared to eastern Washington. To accurately model and compare pre and post development runoff, it is important to account for the influence of preceding storm events and longer durations of continuous precipitation. Therefore, continuous simulation modeling is required for designing flow-based stormwater quality treatment systems and flow control systems in western Washington. Conveyance systems and some erosion and sediment control systems in western Washington can be sized using either continuous or single-event modeling.  

  2. Rainfall in eastern Washington usually occurs in shorter (often under 1 day) time frames and with relatively high intensities (like during a thunderstorm) compared to western Washington. Therefore, single-event modelling is used to size all stormwater quality treatment systems and flow control systems in eastern Washington. Conveyance systems and erosion and sediment control systems in eastern Washington are typically sized using single-event modeling.

Current Challenges to Adding Climate Change Assumptions to Stormwater Design

The design of our current drainage systems is often based on a traditional assumption that storm events are static or unchanging (also referred to, statistically speaking, as ‘stationarity’ where assumptions for future events are based on past data). However, recent studies conducted by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (UW CIG) indicate that storms are expected to become more severe with climate change. These projected changes in extreme precipitation in the Pacific Northwest due to a changing climate can be visualized using UW CIG’s online tool, as shown below. The example here shows that a 6-hour-long, 25-year storm event in Seattle will likely increase in intensity by 27 percent by the 2080s relative to the 1990s, assuming a high greenhouse gas scenario.

This tool provides extreme precipitation projections as a function of decade, duration, and frequency.

In order to accurately capture changes in heavy rainfall events, engineers may consider the projected changes in extreme precipitation for single-event modeling. For use in a continuous stormwater simulation like WWHM, engineers may need to incorporate the climate model projections that have been bias-corrected to match the statistics of a particular rain gauge. Click here for hydrologist Jeff Burkey’s presentation about possible impacts to King County’s stormwater design standards from projected increases in storm sizes due to climate change.

What’s Next for Stormwater Prediction Methods in Washington State?

Engineers attempting to design conveyance, treatment, and flow control systems to account for future conditions are currently stuck in a gray area. With climate change, the assumption of stationarity and exclusive reliance on historical observations for estimating future conditions is questionable.

While updates to continuous and single-event modeling techniques can be implemented using UW CIG’s regional climate model projections, software developers and public jurisdictions have limited resources and funding to quickly do so. Therefore, the current pace of change will likely continue to rely on public agencies (like Ecology and King County) to update guidance for stormwater design manuals, evaluate the capacity of their existing infrastructures to focus on locations to prioritize needed upgrades, and find ways to optimize the effects of retrofit facilities to help mitigate climate change impacts to stormwater.

Contact Stormwater Engineer Cleo Pineda to learn more.