Permanent Easement & Construction Easement
As a part of the Power Line Reliability Project, RCI was retained to provide survey support services for the design and construction phase. RCI’s survey team drafted both permanent easement and construction easement legal descriptions and prepared all supporting figures for recording with Amador and El Dorado Counties.
3.1 Miles Overhead & 25 Miles Underground
RCI also was tasked with all construction staking for the 3.1 miles of overhead power line, 25 miles of underground power line and both substations. The overhead power line began near Salt Springs Reservoir along the western slope of the Sierras near Jackson, California. The line crossed over the mountains to the north and terminated at Lower Bear River Reservoir off Highway 88. RCI provided preliminary staking of all tower structures prior to the start of construction to allow the electrical engineer to verify locations and clearances.
Rough & Steep Terrain Construction Staking
RCI then provided construction staking of 53 towers, many of which were located in extremely rough and steep terrain that was only accessible by foot. RCI was also on-call during construction to work with the contractor and electrical engineer to provide additional survey as needed.
High Level of Accuracy
The construction survey for the underground line was mostly completed using hand held GPS units due to the level of accuracy required. Detailed survey was required where the power line crossed through or near private property where easements had not been secured. Additionally, sensitive plant locations and noxious weed locations were surveyed prior to the start of construction to allow for avoidance or special construction considerations.
Quick Response Time
The construction survey for the substations included multiple surveys during the various phases of construction. An initial survey was completed to delineate the outer limits of disturbance for the timber harvest and site grading of the KM Green Substation site. RCI then provided survey for all structures and towers within both substation sites during the second year of construction.
This was a fast-moving project with four separate construction contractors. RCI was able to respond to contractor requests for survey typically within 24 hours.