Montgomery County, Maryland
Mercado Consultants investigated the land next to a failing slope on the on-ramp of I-495 to I-270. An online investigation was performed to determine the existence of any wetlands. USDA Web Soil Survey and National Wetland Inventory Wetland Mapper were consulted to see if there were any wetlands which had already been delineated. Once in the field soil samples were taken, signs of hydrology were identified, and vegetation was assessed. This information was used to determine whether there were any existing wetlands. The stream boundary was flagged, and photos were taken of the stream and the investigation sample point. A joint permit application was filled out by Mercado’s Environmental team for the proposed stream impacts of this slope stabilization job.
Howard County, Maryland
Mercado Consultants was sent to a failing section of Frederick Road in Ellicott City. A pre-visit investigation was conducted using online resources to determine if we were likely to find wetlands. Hydric soils were identified on USDA’s Web Soil Survey, which required onsite soils tests. On site, we looked for evidence of wetlands and delineated the boundaries to the onsite WUS. Soil samples were taken to check for the existence of hydric soil, and vegetation was assessed to see if it was hydrophytic. Photographs were taken showing the condition of the stream at the time of the investigation.
Baltimore County, Maryland
Mercado Consultants was sent to locate and identify trees within investigation areas surrounding existing stormwater management features. Trees of greater than 3” DBH were measured, identified, and their health was assessed by environmental scientists.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
As part of a transportation study to potentially designate Interstates 395 and 295 as High-Occupancy Toll Lanes, Mercado Consultants compiled and organized publicly-available GIS data into an efficient, usable format for use by civil engineers assigned to the project. Sewer, water, and gas as-built drawings were also georectified using aerial photography to determine the estimated locations of various utility structures and networks, and these were then digitized using ESRI ArcGIS software and converted into CAD drawings.In order for Maryland Transportation Authority to update their Stormwater Management facilities, Mercado Consultants was asked to perform a Natural Resources Inventory around their facility. Mercado Consultants began by assessing online resources to determine where wetlands existed using National Wetland Inventory Wetland Mapper, as well as determine the number of sample points that would be required. The presence of wetlands on Wetland Mapper and the heavy forest canopy visible from aerial photography necessitated the need for a field investigation. Mercado’s team of Environmental Scientists identified 3 waters of the U.S. (WUS), 7 wetlands, and 3 forest stands within the property surrounding the MDTA Maintenance and Police Facility. These wetlands, streams and forest stands were all documented, photographed and included in the Natural Resource Inventory. A Joint Permit Application was completed for the client with proposed impacts.
Prince George’s County, Maryland
Environmental scientists from Mercado Consultants Inc. performed on-site investigations in March 2016 and February 2017 to verify information gathered from the research of available documentation. The on-site assessment determined the presence of eight wetlands and two Waters of the U.S. For each wetland, up to three sample points were taken. A total of seven upland sample points were taken adjacent to the wetland points. One sample point was performed to confirm the absence of a wetland.