Consulting Projects:

Fisheries Habitat Enhancement and Sustainability Program / Bioengineering Demonstration and Education Project. Location: Bow River through Inglewood in Calgary, AB. Client: Alberta Environment and Parks and City of Calgary. Year: 2016. Terra Erosion Control was retained by the Prime Consultant Hemmera Envirochem Inc. for this project to assist as a Soil Bioengineering Subject Matter Expert with conceptual, preliminary, final design and specifications development of soil and ground bioengineering applications on 5 sites along the Bow River.

Memorial Off-Ramp Moderate Erosion Site Re-habilitation Project. Location: Bow River, Calgary Alberta. Client: City of Calgary. Year: 2015 to present. Terra Erosion Control was retained by the Prime Consultant Klohn Crippen Berger for this project to assist with conceptual, preliminary, final design and specifications development for the riverbank protection at outfall B73 site using ground bioengineering applications. Construction supervision is scheduled for the spring of 2017.

Harvie Passage Disaster Recovery Project. Location: Calgary Alberta. Client: Alberta Transportation. Year: 2015 to present. O2 Design and Planning Calgary office and Terra Erosion Control have been retained by the Prime Consultant Klohn Crippen Berger for this project to provide landscape architectural services and the incorporation of soil and ground bioengineering support for the reconstruction of Harvie Passage within a recreational whitewater amenity. Construction supervision is schedule for the fall of 2016 and spring 2017.

Riverdale Avenue SW Retaining Wall Replacement Project. Location: Elbow River, Calgary Alberta. Client: City of Calgary. Year: 2015 to present. Terra Erosion Control was retained by the Prime Consultant Klohn Crippen Berger for this project to assist with conceptual, preliminary, final design and specifications development for the riverbank protection at the Riverdale site using ground bioengineering applications. Construction supervision is scheduled for the summer and fall of 2016.

King Creek Vegetation and Staking. Location: Kananaskis Region, AB. Client: Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Parks Division, Kananaskis Region Operations Support, Infrastructure (Alberta Parks, now AEP). Year: 2015. Terra Erosion Control was retained to assist Kerr Wood Leidal Calgary office, to provide a revegetation and staking plan for a flood protection dike and regraded floodplain along King Creek adjacent to the Administration Complex in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The dike and floodplain regrading were proposed as part of remediation measures from the 2013 flood.  The design included soil and ground bioengineering and revegetation measures to improve the ecological and aesthetic components of the design.

Storm Outfall 03 Rehabilitation, Rainbow Valley park, Location: City of Edmonton. Client: Drainage Services. Year: 2013 to 2015. This project was implemented for the City of Edmonton and administered by Stantec Consultants in October and November of 2013. An alternative proposal was submitted by Terra Erosion Control (TEC) and accepted by the city for the use of vegetated soil wraps in addition to the vegetated riprap in order to stabilized the streambank to a steeper slope gradient (i.e. 1.5:1.0) and negate the requirement for relocation of a pedestrian path. Landscaping was completed during the spring of 2014. Soil / ground bioengineering structures were constructed by TEC with locally harvested live cuttings of willow (Salix bebbiana / exigua / scouleriana) and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera). Site was monitored during 2014 and 2015.

Streambank Slope Stability, Flood Control and Riparian Assessment and Evaluation for the City of Calgary. Location: Calgary, Alberta. Client: Amec Earth Environmental Calgary Office. Year: 2010 to 2012. The designed guidelines were developed between 2010 and 2012 for the City of Calgary Water Resources. They were developed in conjunction with prime consultant and biologist group Cows and Fish. Terra Erosion Control contributed to the development of the assessment procedures and was instrumental in developing Appendix C of the guidelines, which selected suitable soil, ground, and water bioengineering applications based on site specific conditions and objectives. Since its inception, the guidelines have been used by most engineering consultants working for the City of Calgary, Water Resources, as well as local community groups within and around the Calgary region. These guidelines have triggered interest and are considered valuable planning tools by other municipal jurisdiction and regional group in the province of Alberta such as the Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership (ALIDP) and the City of Edmonton.

Sedimentation and Erosion Control - Grandin Ravine Upgrades. Location: City of St Albert, Alberta. Client: City of St Albert Capital Project Branch. Year: 2013 to 2015. Assisted Stantec Consultant with conceptual, preliminary, final design and specifications development and the installation of 30 vegetated log check dams. The installation was implemented within the eroded Grandin Ravine over 800 linear m. The project included a 2 years repair and maintenance program.

The Riverbank Restoration Project, Trail, BC. In 2005, Terra Erosion Control Ltd. (TEC), in collaboration with AMEC Earth Environmental, developed a soil bioengineering design / prescription for the Teck Metals Ltd.'s riverbank restoration project. The objectives were to reduce / control soil erosion, establish native vegetation and improve the visual, wildlife and fish habitat values on a challenging hillside and adjacent riverbank below a lead zinc smelter. The prescription included 3.4 ha of steep slope hillside, with a slope gradient ranging from 20 to 80%, and approximately 960 linear metres of riverbank along the Columbia River. A vegetated riprap design was developed to protect approximately one third of the shoreline. The design was composed of class I and II riprap, a gravel filter, live cuttings of willow, black cottonwood dogwood combined with structural materials and soil amendments. Both the hillside and riverbank design were implemented between 2006 and 2008 and the results were found to be successful. (See Monitoring Results)

A modified version of the vegetated riprap design was developed by TEC to protect storm water outfalls for the City of Edmonton and is now used as a standard design approach (see the innovative technique Vegetated and Complex Riprap Application and the Outfall 101 Project).

Consulting and implementation of projects within the reconstructed waterways (swales) of mine dumps has led to the development of a site specific design by TEC.  This design aims to establish native vegetation and control surface erosion within reconstructed waterways and has been implemented and proven very successful to date (see Monitoring Observations 2010 to 2014 / Habitat Creation).

Oil sand industry - assessment for rehabilitation of mining sites, 2003. >>the Syncrude project

Camisea project- a major development to transport natural gas in southern Peru, 2002.
 

Terra Erosion Control Ltd. specializes in biotechnical slope stabilization, soil, water and ground bioengineering and road deactivation.

We provide assessments and assistance with; conceptual approaches, preliminary design, final design, specifications for implementation, order of magnitude cost estimating and construction supervision for stabilizing landslides, repairing slopes, streams and riverbank failures while creating and enhancing habitat, in turn providing environmental benefits. Our committed, experienced, professional team uses a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.

Soil Bioengineering Consulting Services:

 

Consultations

 

  • Communication with client and interdisciplinary team
  • Site history research and development of objectives

 

 

Site analysis

 

Site visit, evaluation and assessment of site conditions:

  • Erosion or failure type / cause of problems
  • Geology, soil and hydrology evaluations
  • Identification of vegetation complexes
  • Site access and limitations 

 

Designs

 

Development of site rehabilitation designs based on ecological principles and field experience, often combined with conventional engineering approaches:

  • Soil bioengineering application types and options
  • Site specific vegetation, soil amendments and materials
  • Sedimentation and erosion control plans

 

Drawings

 

Original and / or to complement existing drawings (i.e. add soil bioengineering components):

  • Quality Assurance (QA) review of exisiting drawings
  • Plan views, cross sections
  • Detailed sections, notes and specifications 

 

Implementation Planning

 

  • Low impact access with limited site disturbance
  • Schedule and timing for implementation
  • Construction specifications and implementation procedures
  • Maintenance and repair programs

 

 

Estimates

 

  • Order of magnitude cost estimates based on field experience and cost effective solutions

 

 

Project Implementation Supervision

  • Collection and handling of live material
  • Site preparation
  • Installation of structures 

 

Evaluation and monitoring of completed work

  • Survival of vegetation
  • Erosion
  • Invasive and noxious weeds 

Soil Bioengineering Education Services:

 

Presentations

 

  • History of and introduction to soil and ground bioengineering processes
  • Examples of application types for surface slope stabilization, streambank protection, soil erosion and seepage control, reduction of sediment delivery, and habitat enhancement
  • Examples of various applications on project sites monitored over years

 

 

Workshops

 

  • History of and introduction to soil bioengineering processes
  • Field training on species identification and collection of live materials
  • Onsite installation of soil bioengineering techniques

 

 

Courses

 

  • History of and introduction to soil bioengineering processes
  • Soil bioengineering within stream environments
  • Soil bioengineering for steep slopes
  • Erosion control and sediment traps

Training Projects:

Elk River FLOOD SOLUTIONS STRATEGY - Elk River Watershed Alliance - Soil Bioengineering for Streambank, Slope and Riparian Site Rehabilitation Workshop and Field School. May 5 and 6, 2016. This course explored techniques and options involved in the restoration, reclamation, and stabilization of streambanks and slope stabilization using a combination of structural materials, vegetative cuttings, plantings, and other specialized techniques. This course discussed the decision making process in evaluating options to site re-habilitation, approaches to difficult-access sites minimizing disturbance and the use of specialized equipment. It also includes stream isolation approaches based on site specific conditions and how to set up and operate maintenance and monitoring program.

Syncrude Project: Installation of erosion control blankets and live cuttings on a mine site.

Bighorn Project: Live gravel bar staking on the Bighorn River.