Snapshots Project

One Watershed, One Plan

Numerous Watersheds across Minnesota Statewide, MN

One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) is a program through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) that supports partnerships of local governments to develop prioritized, targeted, and measurable comprehensive watershed plans. The 1W1P approach departs from traditional efforts that are guided by county or other jurisdictional boundaries. Instead, it encourages upstream and downstream local partners to collaborate to develop a unified, comprehensive water management plan that drives efforts and projects in the same positive direction.

HEI's team has worked with and continues to work with partners in various watersheds throughout Minnesota to develop these groundbreaking projects through facilitation, plan writing, and implementation services.

As of May 2023, HEI's team has helped local partners lead (or is currently leading) more than half of the local 1W1Ps in the state as shown in the graphic.

The most recent watersheds HEI's team has completed plans for include Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers, Long Prairie River, Clearwater River, and Otter Tail River.

HEI's team has helped local partners lead (or is currently leading) more than half of the local 1W1Ps in the state.

Learn more about HEI's 1W1P experience: https://bit.ly/HEI-1W1P-2023

County Road 147 Grade Raise

Norman County Highway Department Halstad, MN

HEI was hired by the Norman County Highway Department to complete a grade raise of County Road 147. This project helped support pedestrian safety while commuting to the nearby school as well as enhance flood protection for the community. The project entailed filling in a failed ditch on the south side of the road and creating a sidewalk so residents could travely safely to school. HEI's team developed a creative solution to drain the area between the homes so the ditch was no longer necessary.

The roadway's elevation was raised so the installed embankment under the roadway could act as a freeboard closure for the levee system in Halstad, MN. The levee system provides flood protection to the community. Our team also coordinated with Norman County and the Wild Rice Watershed District during construction administration. The project was completed in 2021.

Cottonwood Parkview Addition

Wachter Family Revocable

Bismarck, ND

Trust

Cottonwood Parkview Addition is a 70.2-acre mixed-use development located along Washington Street in south Bismarck. The project features a well-balanced mix of uses and was designed as a walkable community area adjacent to existing community parks and recreation features.

HEI provided civil engineering services to advise and facilitate navigating through significant stormwater management and floodplain concerns. The project included an extensive evaluation and design to comply with the City of Bismarck’s stormwater and floodplain ordinances. HEI also provided surveying and construction management services. The project was constructed in three phases. With the final phase of street construction completed in the fall of 2022, the whole addition is ready for new homes—with many already built.

Learn more about this project: http://bit.ly/3LbkmEU

Otter Creek Lake Restoration Project

Tama County Conservation

Tama County, IA

The goal of this project is to restore water quality and improve aquatic habitat and recreation in Otter Creek Lake. The project includes enhancements to the adjacent park, such as stream restoration and playground and accessibility improvements. Our team has supported this project by developing a prioritized improvement plan, engineering design plans and permitting, and supporting construction administration.

Three sediment and phosphorus retention basins and a low-level drawdown structure were constructed in late 2021. Construction of a large sediment basin and dam is currently underway, along with dredging to remove sediment from the lake and construction of shoreline, angling, and habitat improvements within the lake. HEI also conducted breach routing and design modifications, in coordination with Iowa Department of Natural Resources dam safety officials, to confirm the large sediment basin did not jeopardize the safety of campers and other park users. Construction is anticipated to be completed in late 2023.

Wetland Delineation and Monitoring Projects

North Dakota and South Dakota Departments of Transportation

Statewide, ND and SD

As shown in the map, HEI's environmental team has gone into the field numerous times on behalf of the North Dakota and South Dakota departments of transportation to complete wetland delineation and monitoring projects.

These types of projects are required by governmental agencies to offset roadway impacts and to receive permit approvals. Our environmental team's years of experience and adaptability to the evolving requirements has benefited our clients' projects so they can move forward seamlessly. Our environmental team looks forward to the upcoming field season.

Getting to know

Sara Mechtenberg

Sara is a Senior Environmental Engineer making a difference right from her hometown of Omaha, NE. She plays two relatively different roles in the work she does, from the design and development of construction documents for water resource projects, to water quality and stormwater management planning.

Sara found her path by bonding with people who also loved the outdoors and didn't mind getting dirty. Between balancing her impressive career and home life, it's a wonder how Sara can get it all done! She is married to her husband, Bryan, and has three energetic kids, Connor (9), Lyla (7), and Bella (3). Add in their Golden Retriever puppy and they have quite a houseful!

Q&A

Describe what you like about your job/role and being part of our team. It’s the people and the type of work we do together. I’ve worked with the same core group of people for the entirety of my career, and we undoubtedly feel like family at this point. We’ve been lucky to find truly good people to grow our company, and they make it so I enjoy coming into the office and working hand-in-hand on our projects. We have fantastic clients that strive to make a difference in the community. It’s rewarding to see the work we do implemented and experience the benefits they provide. It simply feels good to do good work with good people!

Fun Facts

Dream car —

A suburban, oh the trunk space!

Favorite hobbies — Soccer, reading, landscaping, walking/ hiking/running, watching kids activities, and socializing.

Most memorable vacation — 10-year anniversary to Park City, UT. We hit the prime week of fall foliage colors. Every turn was breathtaking.

Tell us about the projects you are currently working on. I’m in the midst of wrapping up several design jobs that will be going out for construction soon. This includes: Standing Bear Boat Ramp Replacement in Omaha, NE (which not only is a new boat ramp but also several structures for angler access and fisheries habitat), Three Mile Lake Restoration in Afton, IA (which includes numerous sediment control structures, shoreline improvements, and fisheries habitat), and the Walnut Creek Sediment Basin Restoration in Papillion, NE (which includes dredging and spoils site management of a sediment basin protecting Walnut Creek Lake).

I’m also wrapping up two planning projects: the Southern Sarpy Watershed Management Plan and the Kirkman’s Cove Lake Water Quality Plan. Luckily, those are wrapping up because we had one of our biggest wins in a while with the Weigand Marina Renovation on Lewis and Clark Lake that I will be managing.

What professional advice would you like to pass along to others?

Take ownership in your work, try to be enjoyable and pleasant to work with (no one wants to fire someone they like), get to know your co-workers and enjoy the day-to-day interactions. Put effort into communicating about your projects and do it to the best of your abilities; this helps to be successful both internally and with clients.