Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Thomas Slocum is a Washington State Liscenced Professional Civil Engineer and is the principal engineer at Conservation Project Workshop. With over 30 years of engineering experience Mr. Slocum provides professional engineering services to our clients in a collaborative, open workshop approach. We work with clients to complete: Engineering assements, engineering designs and drawings, permitting applications, grant writing, and staff mentoring in managing engineering construction projects. The workshop’s technical specialties include: Creek, wetland and estuary habitat restoration and enhancement, Restoring fish passage, riverbank and shoreline stabilization, bioengineered stormwater management, and environmental permitting and program management.
Selected Recent Project Experience
The following projects, for which Mr. Slocum was the engineer of record, are representative of Conservation Project Workshop’s work.
Skagit Forks Wetland Reconnection 2021
Clients: Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG), Skagit Conservation District, Wash. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Project Description
Worked with WDFW to develop a project to reconnect 5 acres of isolated wetland rearing habitat for juvenile salmon along the South Fork of the Skagit River. Wrote grant applications for funding detailed feasibility and hydraulic modeling studies. Completed the engineering design, specs and bid documents, and worked with SFEG on permitting and construction management.
Wapato Valley Conservation and Mitigation Bank 2016-2020
Client: Private Foundation
Project Description
Long-term engineering support to the staff of a private foundation for developing plans and permits for a 320-acre, privately-owned environmental mitigation bank program in Washington State. The design included multiple construction phases of wetland restoration, relict side channel reconnection, levee and floodgate removal, structural upgrades to other levees and road access improvements.
Greenbank Marsh Tidal Wetland Reconnection Design 2020
Client: Private Homeowners’ Association
Project Description
Completed engineering feasibility studies and designs for removing a deteriorating tidegate and stormwater outfall and restoring tidal hydrology into a 20-acre backshore lagoon and marsh. Teamed with the HOA board to write grant applications to fund detailed site investigations, conduct long-term public outreach and consultation, and complete county, state, and federal permitting.
Crescent Harbor Salt Marsh Restoration 2009
Clients: US Navy, Skagit River System Cooperative
Project Description
Engineering design for removing a tidegate to allow full tidal inundation and access to juvenile Chinook rearing habitat in the Crescent Harbor salt marsh on Whidbey Island. Coordinated design with previous U.S. Navy channel construction. Dike breaching necessitated designing a crossing structure for a sewer to the Oak Harbor wastewater treatment plant.
Maddox Creek Fish Passage Barrier Removal 2020
Clients: Skagit County Public Works, Skagit Conservation District, Mount Vernon Parks Dept.
Project Description
Engineering design and construction management for removal of a 210-foot-long barrier culvert under 25-feet of fill in a city park in Mount Vernon, Washington. Design included a roughened channel stream bed with extensive use of bioengineered habitat features and riparian planting. Worked to resolve initial resistance from local landowners and city agency staff.
Lake Terrell Dam Fish Passage Barrier Removal 2016
Clients: Whatcom Conservation District and WDFW
Project Description
Engineering design and construction management for removing a timber dam from the outlet of WDFW’s Lake Terrell wildlife unit and replacing it with a 200-foot roughened channel. The design included an off-channel bypass structure to retain WDFW’s ability to lower the lake level for algae management.
Appel Farm Floodgate Barrier Removal 2017
Clients: private landowner, Whatcom County Public Works, USDA NRCS, Whatcom Conservation District (WCD)
Project Description
Engineering design and specs for replacing two barrier floodgates on a Nooksack River tributary with “muted tidal regulated” floodgates that allow fish passage over a wide range of flow conditions, while still providing flood management functions. Applied WDFW fish passage guidelines in a novel context, including determination of optimal floodgate closure settings to balance habitat and flood management objectives.
Bertrand Creek Bank Stabilization 2019
Clients: Private Landowner, Whatcom County DPW, WCD
Project Description
Prepared engineering design and contract documents to stabilized active bank erosion using bioengineered techniques at a private property near Lynden, Washington. Involved coordination with a Whatcom Co. DPW project to replace the West Badger Road bridge immediately downstream of the bank erosion site.
Fidalgo Cove Shoreline Stabilization 2014
Client: Private homeowners’ association
Project Description
Worked with a condominium HOA to design, permit, obtain grant funding and manage construction of a bioengineered shoreline stabilization project in Anacortes, Washington. Outreach included introducing bioengineering concepts to the HOA members after storms destroyed the previous riprap armoring along their property.
Deception Pass State Park Bulkhead Removal and Beach Restoration 2013
Clients: Washington State Parks, NW Straits Foundation
Project Description
Completed engineering design and construction management to remove 800 feet of creosote timber bulkhead from the Cornet Bay unit of Deception Pass State Park and replace it with a natural gravel beach and re-forested back beach area. Worked with NW Straits Foundation staff to obtain construction grant funding and complete permitting requirements.
Orcas Island Transfer Station Stormwater MAnagement Design and Permitting 2016, 2020
Client: Orcas Recycling Services
Project Description
Worked with a local non-profit to plan, design, and permit stormwater management facilities for new construction at the Orcas Island solid waste transfer station. Designs included a series of bioretention swales that met Washington Dept. of Ecology’s low impact development guidelines.
Whidbey Island Rain Gardens 2012, 2014
Clients: Sno-Island Libraries, Island Co. DPW, Whidbey Island Conservation District
Project Description
Worked with local government staff to design and manage construction of bioretention “rain garden” cells to intercept and filter parking lot runoff at the Freeland Library and the Island County Annex Building.