Soil, Water, and Vegetation Studies

Ecological Restoration of the North Prudhoe Bay State No. 2 Exploratory Well Site, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska (1992–present)

Client: ARCO Alaska, Inc.

ABR initiated a long-term tundra restoration project to establish a mosaic of wetland habitats through surface manipulation and plant cultivation.  Surface manipulation involved removing gravel and excavating basins to promote the establishment of wetland hydrologic and pedologic conditions.  Plant cultivation techniques included seeding with native-grass cultivars and transplanting sedge plugs and grass sprigs to create moist meadow and marsh habitats.  Evaluation of wetland development included monitoring hydrology, thaw settlement, soil properties, vegetation response, water quality, and aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance.  For more information on this study contact jkidd@abrinc.com.

Aquatic Assessment Of The Chena River, Fairbanks, Alaska (1997–1998; 2000, 2002)

Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1997-2000), U.S. Army (2002)

(Prime contractor: late 1997-2002; CH2M Hill, Anchorage)

(Prime contractor: early 1997; Harding-Lawson Associates, Anchorage)

ABR conducted an aquatic assessment of the Chena River adjacent to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. We assessed the biotic health of the Chena River using benthic macroinvertebrate community metrics in 1997 and 1998. Field sampling included collecting stream invertebrates during different seasons at multiple sites along the river. We compared a river reach that is known to be affected by contaminant inputs with upstream reference locations. In 2002, we initiated a long-term monitoring program to periodically assess sediment quality with a battery of invertebrate toxicity tests. For more information, contact Robert Burgess at bburgess@abrinc.com.

Damage Assessment and Cleanup Consultation at Kolva Basin Oil Spill, Komi Republic, Russia (1995)

Clients: The World Bank & JSC Komineft and Hartec Management Consultants

ABR staff consulted as on-site environmental scientists during the containment of a series of oil spills along the Kharyaga-Usinsk pipeline located in a remote region of the Komi Republic in northern Russia, near the Arctic Circle.  Ecological damage was assessed in a variety of ecosystems using SCAT (Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team) teams. ABR assisted in the interpretation of aerial photography and maps using GPS/GIS technology to delineate affected ecosystems, and Rusian personnel were trained to collect the necessary scientific data, including field mapping and verification.  The volume of oil was estimated to help plan cleanup strategies.  Test plots were established in all ecosystems to monitor cleanup techniques and ecosystem recovery.   For more information on this study contact tjorgenson@abrinc.com.

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