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City of Sunny Isles Beach: Special Inspection Services RFO No. 11-07-11 C Desiqn Proiect #3 - Cape Sable Earthen Dam Replacements, EverQlades National Park, FL URS Corporation was retained by the National Park Service (NPS) in 2006 to conduct an engineering analysis and feasibility study to evaluate the best approach to repair and/or replace the East Cape and Homestead Canal bulkhead dams in the Cape Sable backcountry region of the Everglades National Park. The projects are located in the remote wilderness backcountry of Everglades National Park (ENP) in the very southwest corner of the State of Florida. The dams play a critical role in protecting the pristine remote t>* I wilderness backcounty area of the Park and of Florida Bay. The 0 restoration efforts were of critical importance to ENP to arrest the degradation of environmental habitat and species in the overall Cape Sable region. Due to the remote location of the failed dams which are only accessible by small shallow draft boats or helicopter, logistics played a keyed role in designing a feasible and cost effective solution. URS was subsequently retained by NPS to complete an Environmental Assessment (EA), perform site Geotechnical Assessments and prepare detailed final Engineering Design drawings and specifications for the projects. The design efforts included the incorporation of a coastal wetland habitat restoration into the design, obtaining Agency permits, preparing bid documents and overseeing construction operations as the Owner's engineering representative. The project design was complicated by not only the remote site location but also by the presence of very shallow shoals in the access routes leading to the dam sites through Florida Bay and along canals leading to the dam sites. The shallow shoals were investigated and evaluated for Bathymetry and Benthic resources as an early component of the design phase work. ,.. ~ During the EA and throughout the permitting process, URS worked closely with numerous regulatory agencies (USACOE, FDEP, SFWMD, NMF, FWC etc), to ensure all concerns were appropriately identified and addressed early on in the design and permitting process. Some of the technical assessments performed by URS included Mangrove and Wetland Evaluations and Mitigation Assessments; preparation of an Essential Fish Habitat Assessment, Contamination study; Endangered Species Biological Assessment; air and noise pollution assessments; social and economic assessments; and comprehensive Benthic Surveys of offshore staging areas, evaluation of alternative locations and installation methods that addressed stakeholder concerns. c 2-16 I P " S e URS