KS Associates has delivered the largest shore protection project in the firm’s history, and helped to complete the project six months ahead of schedule.
For nearly six years, KS Coastal Engineers have been working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to rehabilitate 1.3 miles of armor stone revetment at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The stone structure along the shoreline of Lake Erie helps protect the marsh from wave energy and natural lake effects. Over time, storm events displaced the stone and weakened the structure, compromising its ability to protect the marsh, which contains some of Ohio’s finest remaining coastal wetlands.
In 2017, ODNR contracted with KS Associates to provide design services to repair the revetment, including the earthen embankment, filter and armor stone, and gravel access roads. KS worked closely with ODNR and prepared conceptual-level opinions of probable costs for the repairs; developed a plan for phasing the project taking into consideration budgets and funding sources; developed a permitting strategy that outlined the required permits and timeframes for obtaining agency approvals; and created implementation schedules for the design and construction of the project.
In August 2022, final design plans and cross sections were submitted to ODNR two months ahead of schedule allowing the project to go out to bid two months early, in September 2022.
In October 2022, bids were received and the construction contract was awarded to Shoreline Contractors in the amount of $5,648,010. The early bid and execution of a contract in December 2022 trimmed the construction duration from approximately 14 months to 10 months. It also allowed the contractor to order and stockpile enough stone to keep the project supplied for the duration of construction. The 1.3-mile revetment required nearly 80,000 tons of armor stone — the equivalent of 4,000 truckloads of 20 tons of stone.
On November 17, 2023, the final punch-list inspection was performed, and the project was officially delivered to ODNR.
KS Associates also provide inspection services for the duration of construction. One of the unique aspects of the project was to ensure that construction operations did not compromise Blanding’s Turtle habitats. These reptiles are listed as “threatened” in Ohio and are one step away from becoming an endangered species. Magee Marsh is one of the few places in Ohio where these turtles can be seen. KS Associates monitored the contractor’s erosion and sediment controls, including the installation of silt fencing and the removal of the fencing after the area was revegetated.
