Services include electrical, mechanical, structural, and SCADA design.
Overview
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) is Southern California's primary wholesale water supplier and comprises 26 member agencies, providing water to nearly 19 million Southern California residents. MWD has a service area spanning six counties within a 5,200-square-mile area.
Additionally, Southern California has an important stake in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) on Bouldin Island region and its existing infrastructure. As a State Water Project (SWP) contractor, MWD has invested and will continue to invest significantly in the SWP, encourage efforts to restore sensitive fish populations in the Delta watershed, and promote scientific research into the causes of decline in fish native to the Delta.
Project Location
The Project site is within the Delta, which is owned by MWD and located adjacent to the confluence of the North and the South Forks of the Mokelumne River in unincorporated San Joaquin County. It covers approximately 145 acres across two parcels and includes two “marsh-pond complexes,” a tule harvest area, and several connecting access roads.
Situation
The project will conduct scientific studies and collect data on the survivability and ability to multiply the Delta Smelt and other related Native Species under controlled conditions. The aim is to develop techniques for the propagation and potential future reintroduction of the Delta smelt, a threatened fish species, into the Delta. to restore the Delta ecosystem and save a threatened species.
“Supplementation of the wild population of delta smelt with cultured fish is considered a vital step in preventing extirpation from the wild. The recovery of delta smelt is important because it is an indicator species for the ecosystem health and, in part because its presence in designated critical habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta plays a key role in regulations affecting California’s water supply.”
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California “Mitigated Negative Declaration” Report No. 1659 Feb, 2023
https://www.mwdh2o.com/media/zmmcqhrk/delta-smelt-preservation-project_draft_ismnd-wappcs.pdf
Scope of Work
LEE + RO’s services include electrical, mechanical, structural, and SCADA designs for constructing two marsh-pond complexes that will house native fish for experimental study. Each marsh-pond complex consists of a propagation pond, a cooling marsh, and a food marsh that will be constructed in two phases. The first phase is a smaller demonstration pilot, and the second larger phase will capitalize on what was learned in the first phase.
