Chronicles of Streamtopia II: Forming a Synergistic D/B/M Team for Branch Ave, Washington, DC
Donna An, PMP
Actaeon, LLC
Beltsville, MD
Joe Arrowsmith, PE
Straughan Environmental, Inc.
Columbia, MD
Authors: Donna An, PMP, Joe Arrowsmith, PE
DOEE’s Stream Restoration at Branch Avenue Park exemplifies the unique challenges, constraints, opportunities, and uplift potential along an ultra-urban stream located in a small triangle park in Southeast, D.C. Prior to restoration, this perennial headwater tributary to Oxon Run flowed through a short, steeply sloped (7-10%) conveyance ditch inset 15-20 feet deep into the landscape and surrounded by a mature stand of forest. The stream was devoid of pool habitat, had no adjacent wetland habitat, and was further stressed by leakage from adjacent sanitary sewer infrastructure and a rapidly eroding side gully sloped at ~25%.
This presentation is about organizing a specialized team, aligning it around a shared vision, and executing a plan for success. Our design-build-maintenance team will discuss our unique approach to problem solving and project implementation under these unique constraints. We will outline our lessons learned and identify secrets to success in ultra-urban restoration. We will discuss our “place-centric” design approach balancing community value with the highest potential for stream function. Our team will review our assessment and design approaches and how they resulted in a functional constructed site. We will outline our approach to permitting including partnership and cooperation with local agencies resulting in the fastest permitted stream project in the history of the District; identify tradeoffs to stream design and construction; explain how we incorporated feedback into design; outline tips for successful preservation of existing forest; feature adaptive management actions; demonstrate our community outreach and engagement approach; and share keys to maintenance success. Finally, we will showcase our construction journey, a process that included constant stakeholder dialogue, a specialized construction crew, and team centric approaches to problem solving.
About Donna An, PMP
Donna An, PMP, is the Principal of Actaeon, LLC, an Asian-American, woman-owned construction firm specializing in aquatic resource restoration and stormwater management. She is a Certified Project Management Professional and ecosystem restoration specialist with over 16 years of project management experience and 10 years of direct construction experience in delivering successful stream, wetland and shoreline restoration projects, including four (4) design-build projects. Ms. An bridges the gap between the design and construction phases by enabling construction teams to provide constructability reviews, fully adopt design goals, precisely interpret plan specifications and accurately assess site conditions. Throughout the life of a project, she has provided constructability reviews for in-house design teams as well as municipalities and reviewed and responded to regulatory agency comments on challenging permit applications. She has planned and executed construction for clients such as DOEE, MDOT SHA, MD MTA, Army Corps of Engineers, DC Water, Prince George’s County, Anne Arundel County, MD DNR, Smithsonian Environemntal Research Center and Audubon Naturalist Society.
Her experiences as Project and Construction Manager and background in environmental management enables her to lead her construction teams with a keen understanding of stream and forest ecosystems, prescribe minimally invasive practices, identify opportunities to increase restoration potential during construction with necessary quality control and actively implement adaptive management to ensure fully functioning projects. Augmenting this ability with skilled stakeholder management has consistently created cohesive team environments that deliver value-engineered features to clients.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-an-pmp-83322731/
About Joe Arrowsmith
Joe Arrowsmith, PE is Deputy Director of Straughan’s Engineering department, responsible for oversight of the ecological restoration team. Mr. Arrowsmith is passionate about the protection, enhancement, and restoration of natural resources. His experience includes the design and construction of stream restoration, wetland restoration, and living shorelines. He holds special expertise with the implementation of restoration projects as part of approved TMDL Action Plans for MS4 Compliance. He is a “beaver-believer” and advocates for restoration approaches based on natural systems and methods.
www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrowsmith