Holland Engineering and Niswander Environmental, on behalf of Rochester University, recently completed an emergency mussel survey for the Clinton River Bank Stabilization Project.
Adams Ridge includes 18 four-unit townhouse-style apartment buildings on a 29.4-acre property in Holland Charter Township, Ottawa County, MI. This was a challenging site as portions of the property are encumbered by floodplain, wetland, and existing easements. Additionally, a county drain is located along the south and east sides of the property.
Have you looked at a map online lately? Ever look up your property to see your parcel lines? If you have, you are probably more familiar with the term GIS than you think. Geographic Information System, or GIS, is the framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data, and then organizing and creating a visual representation for you to look at, aka your parcel map.
As part of a mussel survey and relocation project, biologists at Holland Engineering completed snorkel surveys of the Huron River in metro Detroit. Due to the new mussel protocol requirements and tight project deadlines, this project had to be completed quickly and efficiently.
Freshwater mussels are filter feeders who burrow in the substrate of rivers, streams, and lakes throughout the world. The U.S. alone is home to some 300 species. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Nature Conservancy, approximately 70 percent of mussel species in North America are extinct or endangered. Michigan contains four federally listed species (six including two not found in the state since 1930) and twenty-six additional state-listed mussel species (all federally listed species are also listed in the state). Two of the state-listed species will be reviewed by the USFWS for possible federal listing before 2023.
Earlier this summer, our Environmental Group presented at a U.S. Department of Agriculture “Working with Wetlands” field day at Vic Rogers Farm in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Attendees included local farmers in Berrien County, various local conservation program representatives, and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) staff.
The Cordova, Illinois cleaning is a unique event with many different groups working together along the Mississippi River. Holland Engineering Biologist, Larissa Herrera, volunteered for the Cordova Mussel Event in Cordova, Illinois this summer. The event is sponsored by the US Army Corps of Engineers and has been taking place for over 15 years. The …
Our GIS and Environmental Groups have found a way to make data collecting more efficient. Using the Collector for ArcGIS App, Holland Engineering has expedited the process of collecting and uploading data from the field. Collector allows our GIS Team to upload layers, such as workspace or right-of-way, directly to the app. Our Environmental Group …
We are excited to announce that Nick J. Gressick, MS has joined Holland Engineering’s Environmental Group as a Senior Biologist. Nick has a comprehensive background in wetlands and aquatic ecology. He has worked extensively with the Michigan Nature Association and was a previous employee of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). He has expertise …
