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.

New Grant Funds Help Fuel Fish Passage for City of Hoquiam

The City of Hoquiam (City) recently received $1.2 million dollars from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve salmon habitat while strengthening the City’s drinking water supply. The project was one of 10 funded in Washington state, and 36 funded nationwide.  

Funding from NOAA’s Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal grant will go towards the City’s West Fork Dam Removal and Groundwater Source Replacement project. The West Fork Dam is a major barrier to salmon—in fact, it is the second-highest priority fish barrier within the Chehalis Basin. Removing the dam will restore the ecosystem to its natural floodplain and allow salmonids unimpeded access to additional habitat and cooler waters upstream. Reducing diversions from the river will also provide increased flows needed during drier seasons.

A Win for Salmon Thanks to Chehalis Basin Stakeholders

The City has been making plans to remove the West Fork Dam for more than 20 years due to the high maintenance costs, elevated potential for contamination of the West Fork surface water source, and aging infrastructure. The project has local support from groups such as the Chehalis Basin Partnership and Chehalis Basin Habitat Work Group. The Partnership’s and Work Group’s diverse memberships consist of cities, counties, the Quinault Indian Nation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, along with water purveyors, state and federal agencies, and citizen stakeholders.

Work under this project phase includes developing predesign of the dam removal, developing a groundwater well field source, and permitting the water rights needed for the new groundwater source. The City also maintains the dam as a drinking water diversion to serve the City’s water service area.

Aspect’s Project Geologist Kelsey Mach, Principal Water Rights Specialist Jill Van Hulle, and Associate Hydrogeologist Jon Turk began working with City Manager Brian Shay in 2019 to support the planning and permitting process for the dam removal and groundwater source replacement. They helped the City identify and apply for the NOAA grant, which was awarded in December 2022.

Congratulations to the City of Hoquiam for securing funding to move forward with this critical project.

A New Perspective for Conservation Districts in Washington State

On a recent Sunday near Moses Lake, drones soared over Rocky Fork Creek, one of the few riparian habitats in the Columbia Basin area and home to a variety of native animal and fish species. The drones, taking pictures of the meandering waters below, were being guided by members of conservation districts around the state. The districts are seeking to add drones to their data collection tool kit for a variety of uses—from collecting eye-catching footage to share with project stakeholders and the community, to collecting multispectral and thermal imagery over farms to support irrigation efficiency efforts. Aspect Project Geologist Kelsey Mach, LG, is teaching them how to do it.

Kelsey is a licensed FAA Part 107 drone pilot and an adjunct professor at Big Bend Community College (BBCC) in Moses Lake for their Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Certification Program. BBCC recently partnered with the Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD) to put on a week-long hybrid virtual/in-person class to help conservation district employees get prepared to take their Part 107 drone license exam, learn some drone basics, and get resources for starting and maintaining a drone program.

Representatives from several Washington State conservation districts took part in the class, including employees from the Grays Harbor, Pacific, Klickitat, Pend Oreille, Snohomish, Columbia Basin, and Cascadia conservation districts, the Executive Director of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts, and the North Central and Northeast regional manager for the Washington State Conservation Commission.

Peer Praise: Staff Shoutouts and Celebrations

We all work with a team. Our project and client and career successes rely on each other. Here are some stories where we put a spotlight on our peers that help us shine, as told by their colleagues. There are so many great tales like this and we’ll keep telling them in this ongoing series.

Daniel Babcock, Project Geologist

Shoutout by Jasmin Toro, Project Engineer

How does your colleague help you?

Daniel is one of the most positive young professionals at Aspect I’ve been around. He supports a variety of environmental cleanup projects and is now exploring new territories as the Environmental Health and Safety representative. This is a key role that keeps our staff safe and our projects on point. He is also learning the ins and outs of project management while remaining closely engaged with the environmental field staff group. Without him, it’s unlikely we would have as strong a commitment in the field staff team in our environmental group.

What do you appreciate the most about your coworker?

Daniel is an available shoulder to lean on. Even when he’s well beyond a full work week, he’s available to help. Daniel is always a pleasure to communicate with; is proud of his work; and happy to share his skills with others. He does exactly what Doug Hillman – a recently retired Aspect owner – encourages us all to do: “Empower Others.”

Any other ways they stand out to you?

Across many projects this year – whether sampling a well or being patient with a hurried call from field staff or a client – Daniel leans into the unknown and embraces it. He’s fearless and wears many hats and wears them very well.

Carla Hanafee, Contract Specialist

Shoutout by Owen Reese, Principal Water Resources Engineer

How did your colleague help you?

Carla is a true specialist in one of my least favorite parts of project management – evaluating and negotiating contract terms. We’re all excited to get going on a project, but first there’s the hurdle of insurance, and limitations on liability, and other contract terms.

All critically important, but not particularly fun (at least for me). Carla’s always there to help me through this phase thoughtfully and quickly.

What do you appreciate the most about your coworker?

I really appreciate the care and ownership Carla brings to the contracting process – she proactively works to propose solutions to sticky contract terms and follows up with clients to see those changes through.

How else do they stand out?

We consistently get workable contract language that’s fair to the client while protecting Aspect from undue risk – all because of Carla’s help in sorting through the details.

Jill Van Hulle, Sr. Associate Water Rights Specialist

Shoutout by Kelsey Mach, Project Geologist

Jill (on the left) and Kelsey (on the right) at MLK volunteer event in January 2022.

How did your colleague help you?

Jill is my sounding board and often second brain when it comes to water rights projects. It’s a regular occurrence that I say “Jill, I got a puzzler for you” and she always seems to have thoughtful and helpful insight to provide.

What do you appreciate the most about your coworker?

Jill is good at having my back. I appreciate the feedback but also the overall support and unwavering confidence in me and my abilities.

How else do they stand out?

Ultimately, she helps to not only make my work environment better, but also to make the quality of work we produce at Aspect better.

Meet Becky Dilba and Kelsey Mach

Aspect recently welcomed Becky Dilba and Kelsey Mach to our Olympia office. Here are Five Questions we asked to get to know them better.

Becky Dilba, Staff Scientist

Becky making her way upwards in Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I grew up primarily in northwest Arizona and southern Oregon but have also lived in many other stops along the way. I attended college at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and earned my geology degree. After graduating in 2014, my husband and our two dogs relocated sight unseen to Olympia after he got a job with the state, and it has been our home ever since.

2. What inspired you to pursue geology? What made you curious about it?

Growing up on the side of a mountain, I spent most of my childhood outside collecting rocks and venturing into abandoned mine shafts. I now realize how dangerous that was, but as a kid it was so cool to see what it was like inside of a mountain. My grandpa continued to feed my curiosity, taking me on road trips to places like the Grand Canyon and Canyonlands National Park. After he passed away, I continued to explore on my own, visiting Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and Zion National Parks. I always wanted to be outside and always wanted to learn more about what shaped those places. After talking with my former geology high school teacher, I decided that pursuing a career in geology would allow me to continue to feed my soul, be outside, and always be learning.

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I have always enjoyed the field work life, even with these soggy Pacific Northwest winters. I find that you must be a problem solver and quick to adapt to because what is written on paper rarely translates to what is actually on site. I also enjoy learning about all the latest remediation technologies and putting them to practice—knowing that I am doing my part, no matter how small, to protect this small piece of Earth I have chosen to inhabit.

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I am currently working towards starting my own guided hiking company so that has been a focus for me as of late. Typically, you can find me hiking in the mountains, paddleboarding on the Sound, or volunteering for my non-profit rescuing neglected and stray dogs.

5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

Iceland is high on the “where to next” list. I hear that food and drinks are very expensive, which means I will have to BYOS – Bring My Own Snacks.

Kelsey Mach, Project Geologist

Kelsey hiking Dog Mountain along the Columbia River Gorge

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I’m originally from central Pennsylvania, but I’ve moved around the country after graduation to Cody, Wyoming, El Paso, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado, before settling in for the last 4 years in western Washington which is my favorite place I’ve ever lived. I originally moved out here to join my now-husband who was stationed at JBLM, but now that he’s done with his contract, we’ve decided to make Washington our long-term home.

2. What inspired you to pursue geology ? What made you curious about it?

I was initially going to school for art, and after a year of art school I decided it wasn’t for me. I changed my major to environmental science because I was interested in learning more about the negative affects that humans have on the environment and how to counteract them. In my environmental science program, I met several geology students who spent their weekends mineral hunting, hiking, camping, and climbing and I decided those were my people. So, I finally settled on a degree in geology and have been nerding out about rocks and dirt ever since.

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I really enjoy getting to work on projects that have a tangible goal with a direct impact. I love being able to meet and collaborate with the people who are affected by the projects I work on, and work together with them to come to a mutually beneficial solution. I also get excited by identifying and researching technologies that can make our work more efficient and effective.

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Besides spending time with my husband and dog (a blue heeler/bull terrier mix named Billy), I have too many hobbies. I enjoy crafting (sewing and knitting clothes, building things, embroidering), looking at junk (thrift stores, estate sales, antique stores, beach combing), cooking and eating good food, travelling, gardening, and being outdoors (hiking, backpacking, camping). I also teach GIS and drones as an adjunct professor at a local community college.

5. Where would your dream house be located?

My dream house would probably be a renovated 1920s farmhouse with a gothic roof barn, located on 20ish acres, somewhere near a river or stream and rolling hills.