Past industrial land uses have rechanneled the Buffalo River and hardened its shoreline. As a result, historic aquatic habitat was lost through dredging or fill, resulting in a river that was declared 'biologically dead' by the federal government in 1969. To reverse this trend, the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has committed resources to a number of habitat restoration projects along the Buffalo River.

The Buffalo River Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Ellicott Site Project has removed a derelict wooden dock structure and years of accumulated debris along one stretch of the River in order to establish both aquatic and terrestrial riparian habitats. Rootwads and locked log structures have been installed to enhance fish habitat and to protect the proposed plantings in this dynamic river system, which is prone to ice scour and storm surge events. This location is becoming a recreation and development hotspot and is highly visible to residents and visitors alike. 

The scope of work included the preparation of Contractor Quality Control, Environmental Protection, Emergency Response, and Accident Prevention Plans prior to the commencement of work. A primary duty was daily Third Party Field Oversight in order to meet the Corps' requirements for quality control and adherence to plans, specifications, and government safety requirements. Other duties included the preparation of an Activity Hazard Analysis for each definable feature of work, weekly site safety meetings, offsite safety training for the Contractor, management of the Corps' online Quality Control System, and work progress documentation.

Services provided:

• Emergency Response Plan
• Environmental Protection Plan
• Site Safety Inspection