WSC lives by the spirit of work hard, play hard, and give back! Recently, we did just that for an important cause as we ran together in the Miracle Miles for Kids 10k benefiting the Family Care Network, Inc. (FNCI). The organization provides support for crucial needs, including family-based programs, for children, youth and families impacted by trauma.

The local Miracle Miles is FNCI’s largest annual fundraising event. Our team included 14 employees, family members and friends who joined nearly 2,400 race participants for a beach run from Morro Rock to Cayucos Pier.

Miracle Miles for Kids 2017

The Central Coast community showed incredible support through this event, raising more than $150,000 to go toward FNCI’s efforts. Furthermore, WSC was the seventh most successful fundraiser, contributing $800 including a company match.

Miracle Miles for Kids 2017

The WSC team was organized by the WSC Rocks Committee (#WSCRocks), which leads employee activities that promote community involvement, staff development, health and well-being, and team building activities.

Recently, WSC Rocks led the first company-wide fitness contest. The Inland Empire office won the inaugural fitness competition trophy with the highest per-person fitness score. Representing the San Luis Obispo office, Assistant engineer Kendall Stahl won the individual competition by exercising for 46 hours over the four-week period. Kendall received a gift card for her incredible effort. Congratulations to Kendall and the Inland Empire office!

WSC, which has twice been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Fastest Growing Firm, added 12 new professionals and opened three new offices since the start of 2016. These advancements support our goal of sustainable growth to increase our capabilities, add value, and foster a positive workplace culture.

Our new additions bring diverse backgrounds, experience, and education to our engineering, marketing, and administrative support teams. They have already successfully delivered projects to clients, incorporated new ideas into our work, and become integral members of the WSC family.

The new offices in Portland, Camarillo, and San Jose enabled WSC to reach new clients and increased our ability to serve existing clients. Additionally, the San Luis Obispo headquarters moved into a beautiful and spacious office conveniently located next to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.

Not only is WSC growing, we made strides to invest in our employees by becoming an employee-owned company with the addition of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan; providing tuition reimbursement to four employees; and supporting the WSC Rocks Committee which plans camping trips, happy hours, and other fun staff events. All the hard work paid off in 2016 as WSC carried a 94 percent retention rate, and was recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Best Places to Work firm.

New hires in order of date hired:

• Rebecca Nissley, Assistant Engineer
• Heather Freed, MS, Assistant Engineer
• Scott Duren, PE, Senior Engineer
• Adam Donald, MS, Assistant Engineer
• Kay Merrill, Project Administration
• Holly Tichenor, Marketing / Communications, Client and Business Development
• Mariah Simeroth, Marketing / Graphic Design
• Kendall Stahl, MS, Assistant Engineer
• Kirsten Plonka, PE, Senior Engineer
• Samantha Schreiner, Engineering Intern
• Paul D’Santi, Technician / CAD Operator
• Kirk Barron, Marketing / Communications and Marketing Coordination

WSC was recently named the construction management consultant for the largest dam removal project in the United States, the $450 million Klamath River Dam Removal Project, which involves the decommissioning of four hydroelectric dams and along a 373-mile stretch of the Klamath River in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

The non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation will oversee the project if it is approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Iron Gate Dam, Copco No. 1 Dam, Copco No. 2 Dam, and J.C. Boyle Dam will be decommissioned, and there will be localized river restoration where the dams are deconstructed. For more information on the project visit www.klamathrenewal.org.

WSC will soon begin providing construction management support during the early stages of the project and throughout the physical removal of the dams, which is expected to begin in 2020.

WSC is a national leader in the field of dam removal and will bring the experience of serving as the program and construction management consultant on the largest dam removal in California, the $83 million Carmel River Reroute and San Clemente Dam Removal and River Restoration Project. That project is in the final closeout period and will serve as a model for future projects as other old dams reach the end of their useful lives and are torn down due to safety and environmental concerns.

Carmel River Reroute and San Clemente Dam Removal and River Restoration Project

The removal of San Clemente Dam, which was owned by California American Water Company, was the culmination of a massive public-private partnership which will result in approximately 25 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for endangered South-Central California Coast Steelhead Trout and improved habitat for threatened California Red-Legged Frogs. WSC will remain the construction management consultant during a 10-year period of monitoring and habitat establishment, which is already underway.

Carmel River Reroute and San Clemente Dam Removal and River Restoration Project

San Clemente Dam was removed in December 2015 and work continued into 2016 when the Old Carmel River Dam was removed and a stretch of the Carmel River was restored. Other key milestones in 2016 included : The removal of Sleepy Hollow Ford low water crossing and the construction its replacement, the 150-foot Sleepy Hollow Bridge; demolition of the Carmel Valley Filter Plant, water tanks, chlorine storage plant, and Dam Keeper’s House; and the completion of the Tularcitos High Road Access Route.

California American Water Company will donate 925 acres of land to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for public use after the development of a long-term management plan.

For more information in the project visit www.sanclementedamremoval.org.

In May 2016, WSC opened our first office outside of California, located in Portland, Oregon. This opportunity better positions us to serve the Pacific Northwest.

The Portland office is conveniently situated off Highway 205 near Mt. Talbert Nature Park. The office is staffed by Scott Duren, Holly Tichenor, Alec Vowels and Samantha Schreiner. Our team is hard at work serving clients in Oregon in a variety of capacities. We are hiring to fill positions at the Portland office. Check out the WSC careers page for more information.

Address:
12901 SE 97^th Avenue, Suite 370
Clackamas, OR 97015
Phone: (503) 419-6336
Fax: (971) 275-1911

Every year ending in five or zero, California water providers are required to prepare Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) to enable long-term resource planning and project existing and future water demands. Water suppliers that either provide over 3,000 acre feet of water per year or serve more than 3,000 urban connections are required to submit a UWMP to California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR). Each UWMP evaluates supply, supply reliability, demand, demand management measures, supply and demand comparisons, recycled water, and optionally climate change impacts, for the next 20 years. For more information, see DWR’s website.

In the preparation of their Guidebook for the 2015 UWMPs, DWR called on WSC to contribute as part of their Guidebook Advisory Committee and through support in developing energy intensity calculation methodologies.  WSC has leveraged this insight and knowledge to bring value-added services to all of our clients, as well as confirm that each submitted UWMP will be accepted by DWR.

For the 2015 round, WSC will be submitting 17 UWMPs for various districts across California in July. WSC has been hired by the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Victorville, Riverside, Pismo Beach, Lompoc, and Camarillo, California American Water Company (Sacramento, Monterey, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego Districts), Soquel Creek Water District, San Lorenzo Valley Water District, Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District, and Big Bear City Community Services District. Additionally, WSC will be completing a Regional Urban Water Management Plan (RUWMP) for the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. This RUWMP will consist of ten individual agencies whom will have a chapter dedicated to addressing their approach to meeting their individual agency requirements for normal, single dry year and multiple dry year scenarios.

For the 2005 and 2010 round, WSC submitted 13 UWMPs, all deemed completed and accepted by DWR without the need of revisions.  WSC will continue to coordinate with DWR staff to ensure each agency’s 2015 UWMP is deemed complete, and is confident that all UWMPs will be accepted by DWR without the need for revisions.

Submitted 2010 UWMPs are available on DWR’s website, as well as summaries of 2010 UWMP Data.