Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Rivers Edge Levee Setback Project Wins ASCE LOCEA Award

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) honored the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s (JST) Rivers Edge Levee Setback project with its 2022 Local Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (LOCEA) in the Geotechnical category.

The project replaced an aging, constricting levee on the Lower Dungeness River near Sequim with a new levee setback designed to meet modern flood protection standards and aligned to restore the area’s natural floodplain and salmon habitat. Work completed on a compressed, whirlwind schedule. JST acquired the land and started preliminary design in mid-2020, and by September 2021, they’d completed final design, successful navigation of a complex series of permit applications and design reviews, and substantial construction—a monumental feat in just 14 months.

The new levee was constructed in part with gravel from a nearby quarry pit, limiting the cost, time, and environmental impact of importing materials to the site. The project was done in tandem with an adjacent similar levee project by Clallam County, and together they will open up 143 acres of reclaimed floodplain and habitat. You can learn more about the Rivers Edge project in our previous blog post.

Aspect led geotechnical engineering design and construction of the levee as a subconsultant to Pat McCullough and his firm Engineering Services Association (ESA), alongside WEST Consultants for hydrology and hydraulics.

Aspect’s Project Manager and Lead Geotechnical Engineer Andrew Holmson and Project Geotechnical Engineer Mari Otto gave a short presentation on the project during the LOCEA virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 9.  

Other LOCEA Winning Projects

Aspect was also on the winning teams for two projects as geotechnical subconsultants to our frequent teaming partner Osborn Consulting:

• The City of Kenmore’s new boathouse on the Sammamish River won in the Small Projects and Non-Construction Studies category. We provided foundation redesign support and services during construction of the two-story prefab metal building that is the new home for the Kenmore Community Rowing Club and Northshore School District rowing programs.

• The City of Sammamish’s Ebright Creek Fish Passage Culvert Replacement was honored in the Water Resources category. Aspect led the geotechnical evaluation for design and construction of two new 30-inch-diameter culverts along busy arterial East Lake Sammamish Parkway. Replacing the outdated culvert was a priority for the City of Sammamish to enhance fish passage and habitat for kokanee salmon. Construction was completed in fall 2021, and the City has already seen an increase in returning kokanee and other fish species passing through this stretch of the creek.

This year’s other LOCEA winners honored during the ceremony were:

• Climate Pledge Arena Renovation (Thornton Tomasetti) – Structures

• Northgate Link Extension (MJA) – Transportation and Development

• 2021 Airfield Pavement Replacement + Infrastructure Upgrade Project (HNTB) – Transportation and Development

• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport North Satellite Modernization (AECOM) – Transportation and Development

20+ Years in the Making: Levee Sparks Dungeness River Restoration

On the Olympic Peninsula in Northwest Washington, the Lower Dungeness River Floodplain Restoration project restores habitat and natural river processes that are confined by various levees and dikes constructed in the 1940s through 1960s. The lower reaches of the Dungeness River have been constricted on the right bank by an existing 2.4-mile-long levee built in the 1960s by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). However, the USACE levee is ‘under-designed’ for anticipated flood events to come.

Aerial view of the 2,600-foot setback levee

Photo credit: Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST)

Twenty years ago, the Lower Dungeness River Floodplain Restoration project was conceived with the goal of building a new setback levee and reconnecting the Dungeness River with its historical floodplain; improving habitat conditions; and restoring riverine processes and functions. The project was split into two parts: the Clallam County (County) levee setback project from River Mile (RM) 0.8 to 1.75, and the River’s Edge Project between RM 1.75 to 2.7. The County project started in 2015, but then the floodplain restoration work hit a standstill – until the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST) brought the River’s Edge Levee Setback project to life.

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Rebuilds a Floodplain to Restore the Region

For thousands of years pre-colonialism, the JST nurtured the land and many saltwater bays and freshwater rivers. Today, the JST takes an active role in community environmental projects, including participating in the Dungeness River Management Team and implementing habitat restoration projects such as this levee project, which is a part of the Lower Dungeness River restoration efforts.

JST purchased farmland along this stretch of the Dungeness River (with a strong show of support from local community members) with the understanding that the purchased land would be used for conservation efforts. JST secured funding support from Washington state’s  Floodplains by Design grant and brought on Engineering Services Association (ESA) to lead the project design. ESA in turn brought Aspect in to be the geotechnical lead, as well as several other key team members like WEST Consultants (hydrology and hydraulics) and Johnston Land Surveying.

The River’s Edge project will renew historical riparian habitat and boost the overall health of the ecosystem, including salmon recovery for key species like Chinook salmon, summer chum, bull trout, and steelhead. The new setback levee will also double as a walking path to be used by all members of the community.

Early Detective Work in a Floodplain Leads to Success

Rivers deposit soils in highly varied and complex ways. To set up the 2600-foot-long setback levee for success and understand the subsurface conditions, Aspect led a two-phase subsurface exploration program that included six soil borings (2 with vibrating wire piezometer installations), 11 test pit excavations, 13 hand-dug explorations, and 4 cone penetrometer explorations. Using this information we created a profile of subsurface conditions to power smart levee design.

Levees Need to Be Made of the ‘Right Stuff’

Nearby gravel pit that ‘fed’ the levee

Photo credit: Krazan & Associates

A key driver in any levee project is the availability of material. This levee was made up of over 37,000 cubic yards of gravel and sand. ESA identified a material source only two minutes away and Aspect and ESA tailored the levee design to make sure the material available from the gravel pit could be successfully used to build the levee to meet design standards. Having a material source so close to the Site helped save budget, time, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Finishing a 2,600-Foot Levee in Under Two Years: A Win !

Floodplain restoration without River's Edge Levee Setback project (on the left) and WITH River's Edge Levee Setback Project (on the right).

Photo credit: North Olympic Land Trust

Aspect collaborated with ESA, JST, and USACE to design the setback levee in just under one year, with construction of the project hot on the heels of the final design submittals. Construction then started and the new setback levee was built in just over 2 months!

In summer 2022, the existing levee will be removed to allow the Dungeness River to reclaim 56 acres of floodplain. The Clallam County project will eventually tie into the River’s Edge Setback Levee to open up an additional 87 acres for a combined 143 acres of reclaimed historical floodplain and habitat for salmon, birds, and wildlife.

The hard work and dedication of the River’s Edge project team helped realize the JST’s desire to create a quality setback levee that meets the latest and greatest safety standards, within their desired schedule – and underbudget!

The Path to Professional License: Mari Otto, 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. A professional license is a proof statement that communicates that the people charged with designing roads and buildings; solving water supply challenges; cleaning up contaminated soil and water; and successfully managing project quality are qualified and ethically accountable professionals. 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.

Mari Otto, Professional Engineering License

Test: October 2020

Awarded: December 2020

Mari on the Skyline trail at Mt. Ranier

Where did you start with your test prep?

I started thinking about my PE test early in 2020 when I was making my New Year’s resolutions (Item 1: pass the PE). I did a bunch of Googling to see what people were saying about the exam – there’s a lot out there (Editor’s note: including Aspect’s own License Prep Series!) Some people say you need 300-400 hours of study, some people say you barely need to study at all – it was a little overwhelming, but I figured I could find a happy middle somewhere.

I spent some time outlining everything I’d need for my test application and researching study materials. The Washington State Board of Registration requires you to submit an application with an engineering law review exam, proof of experience (including transcripts from school and an experience verification form signed by a supervisor PE), and pay an application fee before you are approved for the exam. I decided to get my application in and buy my study materials early (like, in July) so later on I could focus just on studying. I’m grateful that Aspect is very supportive of the PE process and I was able to expense all my study materials and application fee. Thanks Aspect!

I started studying in earnest in late August 2020 for my exam on October 23, 2020.

What was the best piece(s) of advice you got from others who’d done this before?

• Do as many practice exams as you can.

• Do the actual test in passes:

Pass 1 = Go through the entire exam and answer the questions you know how to answer quickly.

Pass 2 = Go through the exam again and answer the questions you know how to answer but will take more time.

Pass 3 = Review any remaining questions.

This strategy helped me because I wasn’t panicking during the exam. I could look at my answer key and have a good idea of what my percentage score would be for that portion of the exam. Building up my score early on helped reduce anxiety as the clock ran down.

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

I initially tried studying after work so I could keep my weekends free. That plan unraveled pretty quickly. It just wasn’t sustainable for me to work a full day and then hit the books. If you can make that work for you, then great! But go into it knowing that unless you’re a superstar time manager, you’ll probably have to give up at least some of your weekends to studying. That being said, I found it was really important for me to rest between long study sessions.

My schedule generally followed this timeline:

• Saturday: Practice exam (full 8-hour practice test)

• Sunday: Rest day – go on a nature walk or do a water activity

• Throughout the week: light practice problems if schedule allows

• Saturday and Sunday: ~4 hours study sessions to review practice exam and study weak material. Prep for another practice exam the next week.

• Repeat

I’m lucky that the people in my life had just the right mix of being understanding of my study schedule and being pushy enough to drag me outside every once in a while.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

The test was in Puyallup, so I got a hotel nearby and got a good night’s rest before the exam. I woke up early and did some light stretches and ate some yogurt and fruits. I made sure that I had my lunch packed and that I had plenty of water and granola bar snacks.

I felt pretty well-prepared for the exam from all my practice exams, so I just took my time and did my best. It actually wasn’t too bad. During lunch, I had a great big salad and took a walk around the neighborhood and listened to a podcast. I made friends with a neighborhood cat on my lunch walk, so that felt auspicious.

After the exam, I drove home and had vegetarian burgers and beer and just chilled. It was great. I then took that Friday off for a long weekend trip down to the Oregon coast for some surfing.

How did you feel when you got the results?

I did my best to put the test out of my mind after taking it, knowing that it would be a couple months before I got my results. When I finally got my results in December and saw that green “Pass” icon, I felt a huge sense of relief and gratefulness – I could relax! It was the middle of a winter week during COVID-times, so I really went wild with my celebrations – I spent the evening drinking peanut butter whisky and watching Schitt’s Creek.

Any parting advice for those getting ready to take the PE?

1. Lots of people love to talk about the PE and share their experience / give advice. I loved hearing people’s stories, but I found it important to not compare myself to others too much, ESPECIALLY when people talk about how many hours they are studying/have studied. You can listen to what worked for others, but in the end, you’ll have to find what works for yourself.

2. I spent a lot of time at the beginning of my studies trying to do a deep dive into the subjects that would be on the breadth morning exam – it was NOT necessary. When I started doing practice exams, I noticed that the Geotech questions on the breadth exam were really basic. It’s reasonable to assume that the breadth questions for the other subjects would be considered really basic by someone who specializes in that particular subject. Realizing that helped me relax about the breadth exam – I identified common questions using the NCEES Examinee guide (use it - they tell you exactly what kind of questions will be on the exam) and used that to guide my breadth studying. It helped me to not get too into the weeds subjects that were not Geotech.

3. Do lots of practice exams. The NCEES practice exam is the closest you’ll get to the actual exam. I did that exam at the beginning of my studies in late August and again at the end of my studies the weekend before the exam. I found other practice exams online. I took practice exams every other weekend and tried to simulate exam conditions – quiet environment, 4-hour morning exam, 1-hour lunch break, 4-hour afternoon exam. I even wore my facemask during my later practice exams to make sure I was used to having it on.

4. In addition to the huge CERM book, I would recommend getting the little CERM Quick Reference. It has 99% of the equations you might need for the morning exam and probably like 60% of the equations you might need for the afternoon exam (at least for Geotech).