Environmental Project Delivery
With ever-increasing complexities – and decreasing timeframes – thorough and insightful project management is essential to a successful endeavor. Confluence offers a suite of project management support, from initial environmental strategy and tribal consultation support to fully integrated delivery of environmental review, permits, and approvals.
Natural Resource Services
We work with clients to develop robust project designs that address and reduce environmental impacts while protecting sensitive habitats and species. Confluence scientists are experienced in the ecology of marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments and the biology and life history requirements of fish and wildlife species. Our ecologists have expertise in wetland, stream, riparian, and nearshore habitats, and routinely conduct field studies and environmental assessments to support project planning and habitat protection. This includes eelgrass surveys, forage fish spawning surveys, and benthic macroinvertebrate assessments, as well as evaluations of shoreline and nearshore habitat conditions such as sediment transport, feeder bluffs, and other processes that influence habitat quality in aquatic ecosystems.
Mitigation & Restoration
We design and implement mitigation measures and plans in freshwater, marine, and upland environments for capital improvements and development projects. Confluence scientists design, implement, and monitor habitat restoration projects to meet mitigation requirements, or as stand-alone projects in streams, rivers, estuaries, and along shorelines.
Regulatory Strategy, Compliance, & Permitting
Successful navigation of the regulatory process is a critical component of many development, infrastructure, and restoration projects. Confluence works with clients to identify permitting requirements early and develop strategies to efficiently address federal, state, and local regulations. Our team routinely supports projects requiring U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, as well as Washington Department of Ecology Section 401 Water Quality Certification for projects affecting waters of the state. We also assist clients in obtaining Shoreline Substantial Development Permits, Shoreline Conditional Use Permits, and Shoreline Variances under the Shoreline Management Act, Hydraulic Project Approvals (HPA) from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for work affecting the bed or banks of state waters, and local critical areas and land use permits addressing wetlands, streams, geologic hazards, and fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas. Confluence prepares permit applications and supporting technical documentation and works with agencies and project teams to help move projects forward while meeting applicable environmental regulations.
Geospatial Solutions (GIS)
Confluence provides comprehensive GIS services to help clients design, build, and implement sophisticated projects based on geospatial information. Our scientists combine spatial data with natural science and regulatory expertise to create innovative analytical and quantitative solutions that meet our client’s regulatory needs. Services include geospatial data collection, geodatabase design and creation, spatial analytics, mapping and visualization, decision-support tools, habitat delineation, and much more.
Aerial Data Collection/UAV Services
Confluence is a leader in using unmanned aerial systems to support marine, freshwater, and built environment projects. We are at the forefront of developing methods to use aerial data to support scientific applications and analyses for our clients. Confluence uses aerial systems to characterize and document project settings including natural and built resources such as eelgrass, wetlands, historic structures, archaeological resources, streams and culverts, and forest resources. By combining aerial survey methods with scientists on the ground, we can both enhance the information collected and reduce the time it takes to characterize many sites. Results can be analyzed and output refined to create products such as maps of vegetative cover based on spectral analyses and digital elevation models. Data also can be integrated into GIS.