Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Phase 9/10

Our subsidiary, OHLA USA, Inc., developed 14 dust control areas using locally sourced gravel cover, regional vegetation, and sustainable shallow flooding on a 3.6-square-mile portion of a dry lakebed for the $239 million Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Phase 9/10. The lakebed featured a saturated, unstable soil, which hampered the movement of rubber-tired rock slingers. The project team partnered with a major vendor to develop a low-ground pressure rock slinger, equipped with rubber track chassis that provided necessary traction and prevented sinking. The four modified rock slingers helped move nearly 800,000 tons of rock and form a two-inch-thick ground layer over a 78 million square foot surface area, achieving contract compliance with 20% less material. The scope of work also included nearly 45 miles of pipe installation for shallow flooding and to irrigate the newly planted vegetation. Soft soil prevented the crews from digging standard pipe trenches, as the walls would likely collapse. OHLA USA designed a “pipe boot” that enabled the team to place pipe and bedding sand around it simultaneously.

The project’s remote location complicated the task, as the nearest concrete batch plant was some 70 miles away. The team mitigated the issue by setting up a batch plant on site. 

Owens Lake, a designated Nationally Significant Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society and America Bird Conservancy, serves as a migratory stop-over site for shorebirds and waterfowl during spring and fall migration. The construction was performed in the affected areas after the birds continued on their route.

The project was awarded the Partnered Project of the Year Award for Civil Construction Projects Ruby Level Award by the International Partnering Institute.