For the City of San Luis Obispo,
San Luis Obispo County Flood Control District Zone 9, and FEMA

The City of San Luis Obispo experienced widespread bank failure problems along many reaches of San Luis Obispo and Stenner Creeks following the floods of 1995 and 1998.  Questa was retained to  design biotechnical bank stabilization demonstration projects for eight bank failure sites.  The designs incorporated the use of 1) live crib walls, 2) geosynthetically stabilized fill slopes with planted riprap, 3) rock flow deflectors, 4) willow staked fiber rolls and fiber rock rolls, and 5) end-wrapped planted geogrids. Among the aquatic habitat mitigation features used were root wads, rock vortex weirs, and Lunker fish habitat structures.

Our work scope included CEQA documentation, permitting, endangered species consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, development of Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plans, and preparation of Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates.

The projects were constructed in the fall of 1999 and have performed well through several wet winters.