Trends Summer 2019 | Page 13

ENGINEERING AROUND ENDANGERED SPECIES The Endangered Species Act, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service, affects every construction project in the country. That’s why Ayres Associates’ Jan Ash remained cognizant of the environmental impacts of the Captiva project every step of the way. Ash made sure to take the proper steps by conducting surveys and assessments of the aquatic habitat to determine an innovative solution to install the power cables on North Captiva Island that would allow endangered species, like the small-tooth sawfish and manatees in the area, to live in peace with each other. Due to continuous coastal development, both the small-tooth sawfish and manatee population have declined dramatically. Since one of the main threats to endangered species is loss of habitat, it is vital that engineers minimize environmental impacts so that threatened/endangered wildlife populations can recover or maintain their populations. instance, at one point early in construction, the directional drilling contractor inadvertently damaged surrounding mangroves. “Ayres promptly addressed the issue with the agency and generated a mitigation plan that would satisfy the requirements of the USACOE,” said Varlam Molina, senior standards and material specifications engineer of Lee County Electric Cooperative. Ayres’ mitigation plan was able to promptly fix the issues of the impacted area, outlining the planting of compensatory quantities and the size of mangroves. Meanwhile, the state of Florida was in a state of emergency in response to the year’s excessive red tide – a harmful algal bloom in the ocean and in Pine Island sound – which caused worker discomfort and delays in the project. Despite these obstacles, Ayres tackled every hurdle head on and made sure to keep the project moving. Construction for the alignment cables is now complete, and the project is currently in its final stage of monitoring. In the end, the project will provide residents and businesses with a reliable power source for the next 50 years. “We were very satisfied with Jan Ash’s professionalism. She always kept us abreast of project progress, and when we had an unforeseen situation in the field, she handled it with care and promptitude,” Molina said. “Ayres’ professionalism, and having Jan Ash on your team, was a wonderful experience. We look forward to working on another project together.” AyresAssociates.com │13