BCI Engineers and Scientists

BCI was selected by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to evaluate and design low-flow protection devices to help restore perennial flow to the upper Peace River. This part of the river completely dries out, sometime for weeks at a time, from artificial flow losses through karst openings induced by regional groundwater withdrawals.

BCI staff members are working to improve understanding of the fluvial geomorphology and riparian habitats of low and mid-order freshwater streams of peninsular Florida from Putnam County to Highlands County. To date, BCI has developed a new stream corridor classification system that facilitates the restoration or creation of natural streams that are properly fit to their watershed and valley conditions.

This project incorporates an alternative mitigation strategy for wetlands impacted during construction of the Polk Parkway. Rather than replace impacted wetlands in a disjointed setting, BCI was contracted to replace the wetlands in extensive, adjacent habitats managed for long-term viability and protection.

BCI was hired by CF Industries to develop and pilot-test a stream  restoration construction approach utilizing an innovative hydraulic carving method. This approach requires fewer design parameters than conventional methods, thereby simplifying design and reducing the potential for errors. It harnesses forces that normally take decades to form natural channels on their own and accelerates them to occur over a matter of weeks.

BCI was hired by the Lake County Water Authority to perform engineering services on Lake Beauclair, Lake Griffin, and the Clermont and Harris chain of lakes.  In the Lake Beauclair project, BCI enhanced the navigability, habitat, and water quality of the 1,100-acre Lake Beauclair by 1) removal of over 1.2 million cubic yards of organic sediment, 2) a partial-lake pump-down, and 3) installation of aquatic vegetation.

BCI was hired by The Quikrete Companies, Inc. to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) on an area for potential development for an ongoing mining operation. The project required soil characterization and land-use criteria and development requirements.

St. Johns River Water Management District’s (SJRWMD) Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) program, mandated by state water policy, establishes minimum flows and/or levels for lakes, rivers and streams, wetlands and groundwater aquifers. MFLs define the magnitude, frequency and duration of high, average, and low water events necessary to prevent significant ecological harm to aquatic habitats and wetlands from permitted water withdrawals. The MFLs program is subject to rule and  provides technical support to the District’s regional water supply planning process and the consumptive use permitting program.

BCI has been providing comprehensive field and technical services to the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) for several years. Our work has involved on-site support to nearly ten SJRWMD project managers on a full-time basis.

BCI was retained to perform all environmental monitoring and eporting services to support Plaza Materials' Environmental Monitoring Plan and Water Use Permit (WUP). For six years BCI conducted wetland assessments in accordance with the Wetland Assessment  Procedure (WAP) format provided by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) in June and October of each year.

BCI was retained to perform all environmental monitoring and reporting services to support the City of Plant City's Environmental Monitoring Plan and Water Use Permit (WUP) for three years. BCI began this project by collecting and collating existing data  provided by the City including, but not limited to, historical monitoring data, photographs of wells and staff gage locations, ecological monitoring data, and calculations supporting previous permitting.

Gilshey Branch is a tributary to the Peace River at a Central Florida surface mining operation. The mine operator, The Mosaic Company, tasked BCI to design a complete reconstruction of 4.3 miles of natural stream channel, its roughly three square mile basin, and the surficial aquifer system from the available loamy mine spoil and sand tailings. BCI also provided hydrogeomorphic design of 400 acres of floodplain forest, freshwater marsh and wet prairie.

This project enhanced the navigability, habitat, and water quality of the 1,100-acre Lake Beauclair by removal of over 1.2 million cubic yards of organic sediment, a partial lake pump-down, and installation of aquatic vegetation. BCI Engineers & Scientists, Inc. provided a preliminary design report for the project. This entailed assessing the water and sediment quality for nutrients, pesticides, metals, and geotechnical/agronomic characteristics to determine the beneficial uses of the dredged material.

Conducted detailed residential flood Impact evaluation of upper Kissimmee River Chain of Lakes as a result of change in regulation schedule required to support Kissimmee River Restoration and developed ARC info GIS database to locate, characterize, and dimension thousands of residential dwellings, roads, septic tanks, docks, drainage systems, and other improvements.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District selected BCI to assist with the assessment, design, and construction supervision of hydrological restoration of District-owned lands.

BCI was contracted to perform environmental mapping of Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) along the FDOT-maintained right-of-ways along Interstate 75 and Interstate 275 in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties, Florida in the Fall of 2006. The mapping was performed using Trimble.

BCI was retained by E.R. Jahna to develop a new 15,000-acre sand mine in the Green Swamp. The Green Swamp is an area of critical environmental concern. The development of the new mine required comprehensive environmental assessments as well as significant wetland assessment. To begin the project, BCI developed detailed, thematic GIS coverage to determine the amount of hydrologic, environmental and mine/reclamation planning needed. In addition, comprehensive geotechnical evaluations were conducted to establish the extent and characterization of the resources available.

Alligator Creek is actually a 40-foot wide, 15-foot deep canal cut through the City of Starke and outlying areas through a former stream and floodplain system that discharges to Lake Rowell. The District retained BCI's services to help restore this system to a more naturally functional stream and to stabilize its failing banks.

Lake Morton is a 40-acre water body, forming one of the City of Lakeland's cultural and recreational showpieces.  It is located in the City's Historic District, annually hosts one of the state's best art shows (Mayfaire), and has a large population of easily approachable native and exotic waterfowl which attract many people to the lake.  The birds include a population of elegant mute swans, the City's popular symbol.  These large birds had overgrazed the edge of the shoreline causing it to steadily erode with an average of 15 feet of land lost around the lakeshore.  BCI designed, permitted, and supervised the rebuilding and stabilization of more than a mile of shoreline around the lake.