Star Bend Boat Ramp

Project Name: Star Bend Boat Ramp Upgrades, Feather River, Yuba County, CA. Project Deliverables: Wetland Delineation, Biological Assessment, Cultural Resource Inventory, Restoration Plan, Hazardous Materials Disposal Plan, Work Awareness Training, Biological Monitoring, Agency Negotiation, Regulatory Permit Applications and Coordination. Resources Dedicated: Wetland Biologists and Botanists from Bole & Associates conducted surveys for sensitive wetland habitats and assessments for the federally endangered Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle. Staff Environmental Planners coordinated permit requirements and designed avoidance measures to prevent adverse impacts to federal and state endangered fish, amphibian, insect and plant species. Project Duration: Designed to avoid critical impacts to federally protected migratory fish species, the project was completed within a six weeks “window” during the summer of 2009. High water events during two consecutive winters significantly altered the Feather River bed and raised silt deposits within the Star Bend boat basin rendering the boat ramp unusable to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Swift Water and Technical Rescue Team. The boat ramp is the only access to the Feather River for rescue operations below the treacherous falls associated with Shanghai Bend. To prevent impacts to federally protected migrating and spawning fish species, the entire dredging project was limited to a six week “window” during the summer. The boat basin was isolated from the river using a specially designed bladder dam, and over 5,000 cubic yards of silt were removed and transported to an engineered disposal site during day and night operations under continuous biological monitoring by Bole & Association’s biologists. The project was completed ahead of schedule with no adverse impacts to the environment.