Dutch Gap Conservation District

Encircled by an oxbow channel on the James River in Virginia, the 800-plus-acre Dutch Gap Conservation District is brimming with woodlands, wildlife, and waterways. To assist with the planning and design of enhancements at this existing park, Schnabel was selected to provide wetland delineation, resource protection area assessment, NEPA environmental assessment services, and geotechnical engineering services.

The project included various visitor enhancement options such as walking trails, trail access points, pedestrian bridges over waterways and wetlands, a canoe launch, and automobile parking. Our services included environmental permitting and planning for proposed enhancements while minimizing environmental and cultural heritage impacts. Throughout this project, we’ve worked closely with the owner and design team to develop projected costs associated with the environmental and geotechnical challenges involved with improvements to the site.

We contacted various state and regulatory agencies to identify environmental resources within the local area and request scoping comments on the proposed project. We assessed potential impacts on natural, cultural, historical, and socioeconomic resources and identified potential project impacts including wetland and resource protection areas as well as Native American, American Colonial Period, and American Civil War resources. With the team, we designed conservation improvements to minimize impacts on these resources and to preserve the existing natural and historic features of the area, which include portions of nearby Henricus Park.