Water Resources Civil Engineering Services

Overview

The discipline of Water Resources Engineering (Hydrology and Hydraulics) is fundamental to Civil Engineering itself. The vast majority of all Land Development improvements are dependent on the identification and mitigation of stormwater flows to protect lives, property, and infrastructure and prevent flood damage from storms. In recent years, the need for highly trained Water Resources engineers and specialists has become extremely evident, as local, regional, and federal agencies impose more stringent demands and requirements on development projects with respect to stormwater mitigation, flood protection, and water quality preservation. Subsequently, the need for comprehensive hydrology reports, floodplain studies, and water quality plans has become a reality for most development projects, regardless of size and scope.

JBA has remained cognizant of the correlation between Water Resources and the other facets of development and has continued to support and expand its Water Resources Department accordingly over the last few decades. We have long been recognized as a leading specialist in Water Resources Engineering, due to our portfolio of high-profile Water Resources projects, our in-house hydrology/hydraulics software development efforts, our relationships with various public agencies, the technical proficiency of our staff, and the overall quality of our work.

JBA has completed a multitude of Water Resources projects in Southern California. Our high-profile projects include the Meadowbrook Redevelopment Project, the original “H” Street Storm Drain in San Bernardino, the design of the Reche Canyon Channel in Colton, the design of the Verdemont Channel in San Bernardino, and a Drainage Master Plan for the City of Victorville.

JBA’s sister company, CivilDesign® Corporation, is an industry leader in the development of hydrology/hydraulics software applications. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, Kern, and Los Angeles have all approved some or all of CivilDesign’s applications for Water Resources calculations. JBA uses CivilDesign® software as our primary application for hydrology and hydraulics calculations and continues to support CivilDesign’s long-term development efforts. In fact, some of our Water Resources engineers and specialists also play an active role in the development of our software.

Our Water Resources Department enjoys excellent professional relationships with public agencies throughout Southern California. These relationships help expedite our Water Resources projects and give us a higher level of efficiency than other firms in the area. Many of these agencies also utilize our hydrology/hydraulics software for their own projects; CivilDesign® generally provides this software, as well as technical support, at a reduced cost. We believe that by familiarizing local agencies with our software, we help to expedite our Water Resources projects with those agencies, ultimately saving our clients time and money. We are also extremely familiar with all agency requirements, standards, and recommendations with regard to Water Resources.

Primary Services

Storm Drain Facilities Design & Analysis

JBA has literally decades of extensive experience in the design and analysis of storm drain and flood control facilities, including pipe systems, culverts, improved and unimproved channels, detention/ retention/infiltration basins, percolation and spreading basins, debris basins, ponds, streams, dams, levees, and weirs.

Hydrology & Hydraulics Studies

The majority of development projects require the preparation of a Hydrology & Hydraulics Study. These studies are the backbone of the services provided by our Water Resources Department and involve the examination of existing hydrology conditions versus proposed or developed conditions to determine the correct sizing and implementation of storm drain facilities. JBA uses the hydrology and hydraulics software developed by our sister company, CivilDesign® Corporation, to perform the calculations necessary for these studies.

Drainage Master Plans

Large-scale developments may require the preparation of a comprehensive Drainage Master Plan (examples include Master Planned Communities, Specific Plan Areas, and cities requiring a new or revised Hydrology Study for all or a significant portion of the city itself). These Master Plans generally do not include the level of detail characteristic of a singular development, but rather provide the general calculations necessary to locate and design large-capacity channels, flood control basins, and other regional drainage facilities.

LOMRs, CLOMRs, & Floodplain Analyses

When a development is proposed within an identified floodplain, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) often requires a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) and/or Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) for the project. These documents require a floodplain analysis to substantiate how proposed improvements will alter the delineation of the existing floodplain and subsequently protect the development from potentially catastrophic floodwaters.

Water Quality Management Plans (WQMPs)

The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Santa Ana River Regional Office requires the majority of development projects within the Santa Ana River Watershed to prepare a Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) that identifies and designs the post-construction Best Management Practices (BMPs) and associated Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activities for the project. These BMPs are designed to reduce the impact of the project’s stormwater runoff to the existing municipal storm drain system as well as treat the stormwater for pollutants prior to release from the site.

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs)

While the WQMP addresses post-construction stormwater treatment and mitigation, the Storm Water Pollution and Protection Plan (SWPPP) addresses BMPs during the construction phase of a project. Almost all construction projects are required by the State of California to prepare an SWPPP as well as a Notice of Intent (NOI) to satisfy National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements.

References

Experience