Representative Projects »
Stream & Watershed Restoration
Project: Hydrogeologic Characterization
& Realignment —Meridian Valley Creek
Client: Montgomery Water Group
Location: King County, Washington
Restoration activities for this project include realigning the
existing creek channel, which currently drains into Big Soos Creek
via a concrete flume. As part of the proposed realignment and channel
design, Jim characterized soil and shallow groundwater conditions
in the project vicinity—in particular, the expected surface
water-groundwater interactions. Work included:
 Drilling
/ logging 15 boreholes, completing 12 shallow wells, and monitoring
seasonal surface and water levels
Measuring
soil permeability (in situ)
Evaluating
soil and water data to estimate expected flow gains and losses along
the proposed creek
Assessing
the effect of the proposed creek on wetland hydrology
Recommending
a design for the creek
Project: Proposed Cow Creek
Realignment, Lake Meridian Outlet
Client: City of Kent
Location: King County, Washington
Restoration activities for the Lake Meridian outlet area include
realigning the lake outflow through a forested area to improve fish
habitat. The current outlet creek flows through a series of wetland-detention
basins within a highly developed commercial / residential neighborhood.
NLW supervised a crew of Washington Conservation Corps in characterizing
the soil and shallow groundwater and in constructing piezometers.
Work included managing a crew of six, drilling and logging soil
boreholes, installing 14 piezometers in upland and wetland soils,
and measuring surface water and groundwater levels.
Project: Blue Slough Habitat Restoration and Reconnection
Client: Local Property Owner
Location: Snohomish County, Washington
Blue Slough, a former side channel of the North Fork Stillaguamish River, is an ideal area for restoring habitat for salmon and steelhead. NLW is examining site features and hydrologic conditions to assess the feasibility of reconnecting the slough with the river. The success of these measures depends on many factors; however, water must be available in sufficient quantities to flow to the through the culvert. NLW’s work on this project has included:
Investigating the status of water rights in the area
Constructing hydrogeologic cross sections to conceptualize subsurface flow to Blue Slough
Compiling and analyzing water level data to assess the relationship between slough water levels, groundwater, and river stage
Helping the landowner write grant applications for a sediment removal project
Project: Watershed Management
and Baseline Data Acquisition
Client: Squaxin Island Tribe Department of Natural
Resources
Location: Mason County, Washington
Jim Mathieu managed a consultant team that helped the Squaxin
Island Tribe establish a monitoring system in the Cranberry Creek
watershed near Shelton, Washington. The goals of this project were
to understand the creek’s “water budget,” to optimize
operations, and to enhance flows. Jim also assessed the status of
water rights and inventoried the available environmental data. The
monitoring stations NLW established along the creek allow the Tribe
and others to document baseline flow, stage, and water temperature.
Deliverables included an interim report on gauging stations, historic
creek flows, and select conditions in the watershed.
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