The San Francisco Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers recently awarded Contra Costa Water District’s Los Vaqueros Reservoir Recreation Facilities Relocation Project with its 2013 Outstanding Parks & Recreation Project award. The project was completed by a design-build team made up of contractor Teichert Construction, NV5 Inc., and other consultants.
Initially, the NV5 team completed a re-design of the site plan and gained County approval for the project. NV5 engineers oversaw everything from survey and design to permitting and construction during the relocation effort.
The $13 million project moved existing recreation facilities at the reservoir’s south entrance up the hill to higher ground. The relocation project was part of an overall project to expand the fifteen-year-old reservoir’s capacity.
Jay Radke, NV5’s project manager, said that one of the biggest challenges was moving and rebuilding on-site water treatment facilities. “With the remote site location, extending potable water lines to the site was not a viable option. On-site treatment and storage
of water taken directly from the reservoir were challenges, but there were significant improvements made to the system for increased reliable drinking water as well as fire protection.”
Los Vaqueros Reservoir stores water for the District’s 500,000 customers in central and east Contra Costa County. It also offers flood control and recreation activities, including fishing and miles of hiking and multi-use trails.