ESCO Associates is a small firm specializing since 1986 in technical work relating to applied plant ecology. Specific work is typically in the areas of vegetation in baseline surveys, monitoring vegetation of reclaimed areas, rare species surveys, wetland delineation and mitigation design, and restoration design and oversight.. Such work has been conducted in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, California, Nevada and Texas. ESCO has extensive experience in the plant taxonomy of the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain area.
ESCO also has extensive experience in quantitative sampling of vegetation, combining high standards for plant taxonomy and data accuracy with expeditious completion of statistically / legally mandated sample-based evaluation.
Included below are brief descriptions of examples of ESCO work in the categories listed:
Restoration Design and Oversight
Lakewood Pipeline (City of Boulder) - Since 1996, ESCO has assisted the owner in development of restoration approaches for the construction of a highly sensitive water pipeline. Project details were refined through reviews by Boulder County, the U.S. Forest Service, and public hearings. Design requirements were incorporated into project specification documents and on-going field presence in an oversight capacity has been provided to assure optimal revegetation / erosion control outcomes.
Betasso Penstock Pipeline (City of Boulder) - from 2008 to 2010, ESCO has participated in revegetation design, construction oversight, and monitoring of this high-pressure penstock installed on exceedingly steep terrain in Boulder Co., Colorado.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal (USEPA) - Since 1993, ESCO has participated in design, construction oversight and monitoring of RCRA and CERCLA closure sites at this former U.S. Military and private industrial site.
Rocky Flats Nuclear Plant Site (USEPA) - ESCO has participated in development of revegetation specifications, construction oversight, and monitoring at this former nuclear weapon material processing site over the period of 2003 to 2010.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Photo-voltaic Test Site (USDOE) - In 2010, ESCO established test plots at the Jefferson county, Colorado test facility to assess revegetation alternatives associated with disturbances caused by photo-voltaic energy development. Varying plant species, planting techniques, and effects of panel shade are all being evaluated.
Wetland Delineation
Belle Ayr Mine Wetland Delineation (Alpha Coal West) - in 2010, ESCO conducted a wetland delineation within a proposed mine expansion area in Campbell Co, Wyoming. Delineations were performed following the COE Regional Supplement for the Great Plains region.
Little Grassy Creek Wetland Delineation (Sage Creek Coal CO.). In 2009, ESCO conducted wetland delineations and completed GIS mapping of boundaries used to support a Prior Corps. Notification (PCN) package under Nationwide Permit 21. Delineations were performed using both the COE Regional Supplements for Arid West and the Western Mountain, Valleys and Coast regions.
Taylorville, IL.Coal Gasification Project: -- In October 2010 wetlands were delineated along proposed rights-of-way for approx. 13 miles of electrical transmission line and 25 miles of reclaimed water line for coal gasification project in Christian and Macon Counties, Illinois. Delineations were performed following the COE Regional Supplement for the Midwwest region. Field data were collected using Trimble GeoXH GPS units and ArcPad version 7.0.
East Texas Gas Pipeline Project (Tenaska) - In 2010 ESCO performed wetland delineations along more than 70 miles of proposed gas pipeline right-of-way in far east Texas using the COE Coastal Plain Regional Supplement criteria. Field data were collected using Trimble GeoXH GPS units and ArcPad version 7.0.
Guanella Pass Road Improvement Project (FHWA) - In 1995 and 1996, ESCO surveyed an area 200 feet to either side of the existing road and to either side of the centerline of proposed realignments along the 24 mile length of the road for the presence of wetlands. Wetlands were delineated using the 1987 COE Delineation Manual criteria.
Cottonwood Pass / Taylor River Road Improvement Project (FHWA) - In 1996, ESCO surveyed areas to either side of the existing road and to either side of the centerline of proposed realignments along the 30 mile length of the road for the presence of wetlands. Wetlands were delineated using the 1987 COE Delineation Manual criteria.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal (USEPA) - In 1998, ESCO completed wetland survey and delineation on the approximately 27 square miles included within the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (National Wildlife Refuge) site. Wetlands were delineated using the 1987 COE Delineation Manual criteria.
Other Clean Water Act, Section 404 Experience
Beyond the delineation of wetlands at the "front" end of the 404 process, ESCO has worked with both design and construction of mitigation wetlands and the quantitative and qualitative monitoring of wetlands constructed as a result of Section 404 regulations.
Boulder Reservoir Wetland Design and Construction - 11 ac. of wetland restoration was undertaken in compensation for expected impacts of the expansion of Boulder Reservoir in Boulder Co., Colorado. ESCO designed the project and oversaw the earthwork and seeding of this very successful project.
Galleria Wetland Monitoring - ESCO designed and conducted quantitative monitoring of the Galleria Metropolitan District mitigation wetlands near Cherry Creek Reservoir in Englewood, CO during the period of 1994 through 1995, until the Corps of Engineers released the area from liability.
Colorado Centre Metropolitan District Mitigation Wetlands - ESCO designed and conducted planting of 12 ac. of wetlands in El Paso County, CO in a flood water detention structure. Until financial demise of the developer, monitoring was also undertaken on this project.
Riparian Inventory
ESCO Associates was the vegetation subcontractor for a "Greenline" survey of portions of the San Rafael and Price River drainages in East-central Utah. This work used the BLM-developed method to ascertain "functional condition" of riparian ecosystems of the study area. It combined quantitative and qualitative data collection and the challenging logistics of accessing remote stream reaches.
Coal Mine Revegetation Success Assessment
Peabody Black Mesa / Kayenta Mine Complex - From 1992 through 2009, ESCO has conducted quantitative studies of revegetated areas at this large coal mining complex in Navajo County, Arizona, assessing percent plant cover, biomass production, woody plant density, and species diversity. Collected data have satisfied needs for interim monitoring of reclaimed area vegetation as well as tests of vegetation characteristics for purposes of bond release. ESCO has also assisted in the field collection of plant samples for the purpose of selenium analysis at these sites.
Seneca Coal Company Seneca II and II-W Mines - From 1987 through 2010, ESCO has conducted quantitative studies of revegetated areas at these coal mines in Routt County, Colorado, assessing percent plant cover, biomass production, woody plant density, and species diversity.
Big Sky Coal Company - From 1993 through 2010, ESCO has conducted quantitative studies of revegetated areas at this coal mine in Rosebud County, Montana, assessing percent plant cover, biomass production, woody plant density, and species diversity.
Alpha Natural Resources Coal Company - Since 1995 and continuing through 2010, ESCO conducted revegetation monitoring at the Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte Mines in Campbell County, Wyoming for the purpose of assessing percent plant cover, biomass production, and species diversity. Since 2000, the Belle Ayr Mine monitoring has also included monitoring of reconstructed wetlands pursuant to the requirements of the applicable Corps of Engineers 404 permit.
Kennecott Energy Company - Between 2000 and 2009, ESCO provided services in interim vegetation monitoring and bond release testing at the Kennecott mines in Moffat County, Colorado (Colowyo Mine) and in Campbell County, Wyoming (Cordero and Caballo Rojo Mines).
Copper Mine Reclamation Assessment
BHP (Magma) Nevada, Robinson Project - In 1995 and 1996, ESCO performed several studies related to revegetation of disturbances associated with this long-term copper mining area in White Pine County, Nevada. Natural plant succession on waste rock piles as old as 70 years was examined and related to soil conditions. In another study, test plots assessing varying revegetation methods and materials were quantitatively examined and compared. Yet another study assessed the effects of an inadvertent release of copper tailing on native sagebrush community on plant community composition and the metal content of plants were compared to undisturbed areas.
BHP (Magma) Pinto Valley Mining Division - In 1996, ESCO assisted BHP Pinto Valley in Pinal County, Arizona in establishing permanent sample sites for the quantitative assessment of revegetation of copper tailing sites. Soils information from many of these sites is also being reviewed for the purpose of interpreting revegetation results and assessing appropriate levels of cover to achieve desired erosion control on the tailing sites at Pinto Valley.
Surveys for Threatened / Endangered Species
Honeycomb Project (Shell Oil) - In 2004, ESCO conducted rare plant searches in the Piceance Basin (Rio Blanco County), Colorado in relation to proposed oil shale development.
Guanella Pass Road Improvement Project (FHWA) - In 1995 and 1996, ESCO surveyed an area 200 feet to either side of the existing road and to either side of the centerline of proposed realignments along the 24 mile length of the road for the presence of Federally listed, US Forest Service Sensitive, or Colorado Natural Heritage Inventory-listed rare or imperiled plant species.
Cottonwood Pass / Taylor River Road Improvement Project (FHWA) - In 1996, ESCO surveyed areas to either side of the existing road and to either side of the centerline of proposed realignments along the 30 mile length of the road for the presence of Federally listed, US Forest Service Sensitive, or Colorado Natural Heritage Inventory-listed rare or imperiled plant species.
Surveys for Ute Ladie's-tresses Orchid (Spiranthes diluvialis) - Over the period since its listing as threatened by USFWS in 1991, ESCO has conducted numerous field searches for this plant in areas of El Paso, Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer, and Weld Counties in Colorado and in Campbell Co., Wyoming. Some of these searches have included other sensitive species such as the Colorado butterfly weed (Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis) and the blowout penstemon (Penstemon haydeni).