Aspen Continues Work On The Littlerock Sediment Removal Project
Palmdale Water District (PWD) recently awarded Aspen a contract amendment to continue work on the Littlerock Sediment Removal Project located in the Littlerock Recreation Area of the Angeles National Forest. Under the direction of the PWD and the USDA Forest Service, Aspen is preparing a full-issue EIR/EIS, providing permitting support, and conducting a public and agency involvement program.
Aspen has been tasked with supporting the PWD in its project engineering design and feasibility efforts for the Littlerock Sediment Removal Project. Our recent hire, Mr. Philip Lowe, will lead the engineering effort which will consist of developing grading plans, disposal plans, grade-control plans and roadway improvements. Philip is a civil engineer specializing in surface water resources. He previously conducted the hydraulic and sediment impact analysis that led to the recommendation of constructing an in-stream grade-control structure to prevent anticipated excavation-related impacts to the endangered arroyo toad habitat upstream of the Littlerock Reservoir.
As part of project design, Aspen recommended a state-of-the-art technology to reduce the cost, expedite the schedule, and provide accuracy appropriate for the engineers and scientist involved. This new technology provided by an Aspen strategic partner, will capture aerial imagery and videography utilizing onboard sensors. It covers an area quickly and cost efficiently at heights ranging from a few hundred feet to several thousand feet above ground. Captured aerial imagery is centimeter-precision pixel resolution in true-color, and when overlapped creates a stereoscopic 3-D rendering of the ground terrain. Using advanced post-processing software, the aerial imagery is rendered into a 3-D data set with X, Y, and Z values. Final data can be digital terrain models, orthoimagery, contours, slope and aspect, and many other spatial data derivatives. This process is becoming a cost-effective method to capture remote-sensed data in lieu of traditional ground surveys or LiDAR data captured using manned aircraft. By this technology Aspen is reducing the project’s carbon footprint and costs in comparison to capturing data via traditional aircraft.