Eagle Rock Lake Remediation

Chevron Mining Inc./Village of Questa/US Forest Service

Carson National Forest , New Mexico

A Master Plan, Construction Documents and Construction Administration was completed for the redevelopment of the Eagle Rock Lake Recreation Area within the Carson National Forest near the Village of Questa, New Mexico. Eagle Rock Lake is an existing 3+ acre lake along the Red River that is a USFS day use recreation area. As a part of the EPA directed actions of the adjacent Chevron Questa Mine Site, Chevron Mining Inc. (CMI) reached an agreement with the EPA to perform clean-up and removal actions at the Eagle Rock Lake and the adjacent Red River, including: removing historic tailing spill deposits along the Red River riparian corridor; removing contaminated sediment at Eagle Rock Lake, and; installing Lake storm-water control structures.

Eagle Rock Lake is a very popular day use area providing picnicking, hiking and fishing activities for the nearby residents of the Village of Questa as well as other visitors to the National Forest. As a result of the clean-up and removal actions the Lake and the majority of the site required major reconstruction while remaining a USFS day use area. The project included: visioning, goals development programming, concept planning and a master plan to guide the redevelopment. Upon master plan approval construction documents were developed. The project included: improved parking and pedestrian circulation; accessibility improvements; restrooms; trails; shoreline fishing areas; site furnishings; wayfinding and interpretive signage; picnic shelters; restoration and landscape improvements. A large part of the project is coordination with clean-up efforts, to improve fishing access and habitat in the lake and the adjacent Red River. On-site workshops and two public meetings and coordination meetings with the stakeholders including the U.S. Forest Service.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized this redevelopment project with the Greenovations Award.

FiLL p.l.l.c. principal Phil Hendricks Jr. ASLA served as the: principal-in-charge, project manager, lead planner and landscape architect while at a previous firm.