Featured Projects

The Problem:

The Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District (KMPUD) needed a new 27.7-mile underground power line connecting the PG&E Salt Springs Reservoir hydro-generation facility to the KMPUD Blue Substation at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Situated at the Sierra Nevada crest in Alpine, Amador, and El Dorado counties in California, this project was crucial for the entire Kirkwood area since it depended entirely on a diesel generator for power. With high elevations, mountainous terrain, limited vehicle access, and persistent late-season snow with slow melt, the project faced significant challenges, especially for survey work that required extensive fieldwork.

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The Solution:

Having enjoyed a strong relationship as the primary surveyor for Kirkwood Mountain Resort, the survey crew was engaged to assist KMPUD with this significant project. An ambitious project schedule was undertaken and started by verifying the existing LiDAR control network on the California Coordinate System, using both GPS and traditional survey methods. Traditional methods were necessary because the terrain made GPS observations very difficult, and the presence of trees hindered GPS satellite reception.

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The Results:

The surveyors provided precise and complete survey-grade control for the entire route, which served as the foundation for all subsequent tasks. Utility lines were also field-located along the entire length of the route. In addition to the control network, the survey crew carried out a thorough topographical survey in four separate areas where the power line had been rerouted from the original scope of work, and contour data was unavailable. The survey played a key role in successfully completing the power line extension.