Past PROJECTS Examples

Project Type: Construction, Maintenance

With its gated villages and quiet streets, Serrano is known for combining peace and security with breathtaking views of the Sierra foothills. Serrano’s idyllic natural features include miles and miles of biking trails, hundreds of acres of open space and a championship golf course.

Restoration Resources has played a major role in creating the natural setting at Serrano. RR contracted with the El Dorado Hills Development Company (EDHDC) to implement the first phase of EDHDC’s revegetation projects. The project included the Silva Valley Parkway site, the Village Green Parkway Split site, and the Village Green Parkway West site. RR also provided plant and irrigation maintenance for three years following acceptance of construction and installation work.

Silva Valley Parkway site deliverables:

• Construction of two pond complexes with accompanying dams, spillways, and water level control structures
• Installation of revetment mattresses downstream of the spillways
• Construction of decomposed granite trails, pedestrian bridges, and the excavation and placement of granite landscape boulders
• Installation of an automatic drip irrigation for approximately 1,200 riparian trees and shrub seedlings
• Seeding approximately 7 acres of native grasses and 1.25 acres of seasonal wetlands

Village Green Parkway Split site deliverables:

• Reconstruction of an existing dam
• Installation of a new spillway and culvert
• Construction of decomposed granite trails, pedestrian bridges, and the placement of granite boulders and the construction of decorative rock outcroppings
• Automatic drip irrigation supplied to approximately 3,800 riparian trees and shrub seedlings
• Irrigation supplied to numerous drainages high on surrounding hillsides to mimic seeps and supply water down the drainages to irrigate approximately 1,000 riparian tree and shrub seedlings
• The project also involved the seeding of approximately 9 acres of native grasses

Village Green Parkway West site deliverables:

• Construction of 6 earthen check dams and 2 mortared stone dams within a steep narrow drainage
• Water ponds behind the dams support marsh and riparian vegetation
• Water is supplied by natural runoff and by the irrigation system
• Construction of over 4,000 feet of paved trail and pedestrian bridges
• Placement of on-site granite boulders and construction of decorative rock outcroppings Automatic drip irrigation supplied to approximately 1,700 riparian trees and shrub seedlings Hydro-seeding of approximately 1.5 acres of native grasses and wildflowers

Project Highlights:

• All of the water required for the project is delivered through a reclaimed water system.
• RR designed and constructed numerous aquatic vertebrate habitat structures within the stream channel and each of the created ponds to encourage colonization of the site by western pond turtles.
• Wood duck and owl nesting boxes were constructed and placed in several of the mature oak trees lining the stream channel.
• RR installed approximately 2,000 native trees and shrubs in riparian and upland habitat areas and approximately 500 marsh plant plugs within the newly created wetland areas. Each plant received weed control measures and plant protection kits.
• All of the disturbed and graded areas were seeded with appropriate native grasses and forbs. Erosion control measures were applied to all sloped surfaces within the project site.
• Maintenance on the plants and trails was extended through spring of 2000.

Client: Del Webb & Pulte Homes and Sun City Lincoln Hills Community Association

Project Type: Design/Build/Maintain

This series of projects provided the bulk of federally required wetland mitigation which allowed this 3,500+ acre development to go forward on schedule. The added aesthetic appeal of created and restored habitats within open space preserves enabled the developer to realize record sales and unprecedented profits from the project. Sun City Lincoln Hills is said to be Pulte/Del Webb’s most profitable project ever.

Restoration Resources subsequently designed and constructed several other habitat enhancement projects for this client unrelated to any regulatory compliance issues.

Project  Highlights:
The Sun City Lincoln Hills project has extended over a period of seven years, with some of the open space maintenance and remedial action services still ongoing today. The first three contracts were with the Del Webb Corporation prior to its purchase by Pulte Homes. These required Restoration Resources to design and construct mitigation wetlands adjacent to or in three drainages within the 600+ acre, on-site open space preserve.

RR designed or re-designed and constructed:

• In-stream grade control structures
• Flood-flow diversion structures
• Wetland basins
• Armored inlet and outlet weirs
• Native vegetation plantings

Over time it became clear that by creating and restoring wetland and associated upland habitats within open space areas running along drainages, the developer was actually providing highly regarded amenities to the residents. This was demonstrated by the premium placed upon lots bordering on the open space, which matched the premium placed upon lots bordering on the golf courses ($100,000 per lot at the time of original sale).

The project created habitats including:

• Perennial wetlands/fresh water marsh
• Salmonid rearing habitat
• Re-alignment of perennial stream channels with adjacent floodplain habitats
• Seasonal wetlands
• Riparian wetlands
• Riparian woodlands
• Native grasslands
• Valley oak-dominated uplands

All told, the scope of work encompasses approximately 50 acres of wetlands and riparian wetlands; 5,000 linear feet of re-aligned and created perennial stream channels; and 10 acres of restored native adjacent uplands.

Special Challenges:
Challenges encountered and mastered on these projects included extremely difficult soil conditions ranging from unconsolidated sand and gravel to densely compacted heavy clay layers more than 20 feet thick; over-bank flooding from significant streams and irrigation water supply canals; and working within the timeframes necessary to keep pace with construction of such a massive residential development.