Environmental Engineering
Blackhawk Engineering Inc. provides stormwater design and modeling services for all developments requiring treatment and control of stormwater runoff. These can range from a swale design with vegetative buffers for a simple, rural site, to a complex basin-wide model for larger developments or those where conveyance or flooding problems have been identified. We use the Interconnected Channel and Pond Routing model (ICPR3), EPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), and other models, as well as calculation spreadsheets developed by Blackhawk Engineering, Inc.
In addition to the stormwater pond itself, a good engineering design should also consider how water is conveyed to and from the pond. Curbs and curb inlets, catch basins, pipes, and swales and ditches must all be properly sized and designed. We use a variety of methods to analyze the site’s stormwater conveyance system, including the Hydraflow software, FDOT methodologies and tabulations, and our own spreadsheets.
BHE’s professional engineers have extensive experience in stormwater design and permitting. We will identify the ruling agencies and their requirements at the beginning of the project, and provide a stormwater design that will meet the requirements of all agencies involved.
Stormwater Design Services Include:
- Stormwater Design and Computer Modeling
- Floodplain Analysis
- Hydraulic and Conveyance Analysis
- Stormwater permitting, including local, DEP, and Water Management District permits
- Erosion Control Design and Best Management Practices
- NPDES permitting for construction activities
In addition, we also provide stormwater services for homeowners and small businesses. If you have drainage or flooding problem, we will visit your site and perform an inspection, and make recommendations on how to fix the problem. We also perform “No Rise” Certifications for structures constructed along the river, and “Letter of Map Amendments” (LOMAs and LOMRs) needed for FEMA insurance rate adjustments.
Environmental Services Include:
- Natural Features Inventory
- Environmental Impact Analysis
- Landscape Design and Tree Impact Analysis
- City and County Environmental Permitting
- Septic tank permitting and design
- Water and Wastewater design and permitting
- Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments (ESAs)
- Dredge and fill permits
- Environmental Resource Permitting
- Flood and drainage studies
At Blackhawk Engineering, we believe that smart growth and environmental enhancement are not mutually exclusive goals. A good design can maximize profit for the developer while at the same time preserving sensitive features and the environmental aesthetic. We provide the comprehensive Environmental Services needed to permit both small and large projects.
Ms. Carmen Bourgeois Green, P.E., heads our environmental services department. As an undergraduate at the University of Florida, she worked in the wetlands permitting program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Her Engineering Masters work included courses in wetlands ecology. She has worked on a number of projects where creative design has been required due to wetlands and other sensitive environmental features,
Ms. Green began her career as a project manager for the wastewater grants program at the Department of Environmental Protection. Later, she worked on the design of large and small wastewater treatment plants, including onsite systems. She served on the Leon County Septic Tank Advisory Committee. Previously, she was a member of the Leon County committee to streamline environmental permitting procedures.