Moosa Creek Ecosystem Restoration Reduces Flooding

Date: Presented at StormCon 2024 in Reno, Nevada on August 28, 2024
Speaker: Richard Besancon
Credits: 0.75 PDH / Approved for all Envirocert International, Inc. (ECI) Certifications: Approval #PDH-0042

Burns & McDonnell partnered with Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to plan and construct the Moosa Creek Riparian Restoration Project, which restored an out-of-use golf course, creating a protected natural riparian habitat. The work supported overall environmental and flight safety improvements at MCAS Camp Pendleton. The project entailed grading the project site to manage storm flows and flood flows in the Moosa Creek floodplain, while balancing the ability to restore vegetation. Burns & McDonnell performed hydraulic modeling for Moosa Creek using HEC-RAS to support the design and permitting process as well as verify water surface elevations to support plant growth. The modeling was challenging because the area is considered a high sedimentation area and the existing regulatory model elevations varied from surveyed elevations by as much as seven feet. In coordination with San Diego County Flood Control, it was decided to obtain a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to produce a model that matched the current site conditions. The presentation will explore how the project remained during major storm events.

Session duration: 45 minutes

About the Presenter

Richard Besancon is a senior project manager at Burns & McDonnell Engineering. Rick began his career in the civil hydraulics group and has had his career evolve into channel restoration and stabilization as well as ecosystem restoration. Rick uses his experience in stormwater design and modeling to guide these projects to successful ends. Rick has worked at Burns & McDonnell for over 28 years and has executed projects throughout the United States.