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Deer Creek campground project

New recreational opportunities at Deer Creek and Rockport Reservoirs

By Completed Project, News and Updates

Looking for a new campground for you and your family to enjoy for the rest of the 2023 season and beyond? We’ve got just the place — in fact, we’ve got two! 

Meridian Engineering has been hard at work with the state of Utah-DFCM, and the Department of Natural Resources to bring you more recreational opportunities, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve recently finished two of the four state-funded projects. 

The DNR Northeast State Park campground and day-use projects for both Deer Creek and Rockport Reservoirs are now complete! Keep reading to learn about what these sites have to offer all of Utah’s nature lovers.

Rockport Reservoir

The first project to cross the finish line is the brand new day-use area at Rockport Reservoir’s Cedar Point. The project was completed last September by PRT Builders and recently celebrated the official ribbon cutting on July 6, 2023.

While this stunning reservoir already offers ample year-round recreational opportunities for fishing and camping, we’ve greatly added to its appeal and functionality with the following installments:

  • 12 new scenic picnic sites
  • 10 pavilions
  • An access road
  • Parking stalls, including ADA stalls
  • Two new restrooms 

Rockport Reservoir is located off SR-42 and is easily accessed by I-80 by turning right at the Wanship exit. 

Deer Creek Reservoir

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On July 12, 2023, we celebrated the opening of the new Fox Den campground at Deer Creek Reservoir. This outstanding development adds 31 new campsites to the area, each fully loaded with full hookups, new restrooms, and an upgrade to the overall water and sewer systems for campsites near the marina.

According to Deer Creek State Park Manager, Ranger Stephen Studebaker, the Fox Den increases the reservoir’s camping opportunities by a third.

Deer Creek Reservoir lies at the base of towering Mount Timpanogos in the southwest corner of Heber Valley. Its primary park activities are water-based, including boating and sailing, swimming, water skiing, windsurfing, and year-round fishing.

How We Did It

We didn’t accomplish this great feat alone! Meridian Engineering started by assembling a team of qualified state park-savvy consultants to bring these projects to reality; hats off to GSH Geotechnical, SPE Architects, MGB+A, Colvin Engineering, and WHW Engineering!

Meridian’s innovative contributions include coordination with existing utility agencies and stakeholders for utility impact analysis, UAS flights and conventional topography surveys, and civil site design phases for all four projects, including grading and drainage plans, stormwater retention plans, and construction administration. 

The new developments at Deer Creek and Rockport Reservoirs will enhance recreational activities tremendously for years to come, while easing the growing local demand for campgrounds and day-use activities.

What’s Next?

Big things are underway at the northeast side of Jordanelle Reservoir! Meridian Engineering and our partners are currently working on an exciting expansion of the Ross Creek day-use area beach expansion. The project will provide an array of new installments, including the following features:

  • 11 beach cabanas
  • 12 traditional picnic cabanas
  • trail access
  • enhanced parking improvements
  • new restrooms
  • a new entry station

Ross Creek is expected to be fully opened for Labor Day 2023. In addition to this beach expansion, we’re also working on the Rock Cliff RV and van campground on the eastern end of Jordanelle, and are set to be ready in the fall of 2024. This campground will offer 24 RV sites, 18 van sites, 9 tent sites, and 3 new restrooms.

Head over to Rockport and Deer Creek Reservoirs to take advantage of the new recreational opportunities, and keep your eyes peeled for these exciting new projects from Meridian Engineering!

Daybreak Library - civil engineering project

Meridian Engineers: A Day in The Life

By News and Updates, Team Members

Why is being a civil engineer in Utah a great career? One of the most important reasons may well be that Utah’s growth isn’t slowing down. In fact, projected growth in Utah shows the population increasing from 3,284,823 in 2020 to 5,450,598 in 2060 — a 66% increase.

This strong, steady growth means more development across the state for highways, businesses, schools, and more. The engineers at Meridian Engineering are a talented and dedicated group that’s not just meeting Utah’s needs for expansion but delivering projects that are advancing engineering standards in the state.

To learn more about Meridian, the day-to-day of our engineering department, and why it’s a great place to work, keep reading for an inside look at our operation.

About Meridian Engineering

Meridian Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a civil, transportation, and land surveying firm. Located in South Jordan, Utah, our company is in the heart of the Salt Lake City metro area, the area that’s experiencing the most growth in Utah.

As a top full-service civil engineering and land surveying firm, our projects and people have gained the notice of industry leaders in Utah. Recently, for example, we’re proud to have worked on a few of Utah Construction & Design’s most outstanding projects for 2022: the Salt Lake County Kearns Library, ARUP Building 4, Architectural Nexus Office Renovation, and Jacobsen Construction Corporate Headquarters . In addition, one of Meridian’s own, Brad Mortenson, PE, PLS, won Utah Council of Land Surveryors’ 2021 Surveryor of the Year award, and held the nomination for 2022 Engineering Educator of the Year. Meridian is an exciting place to work for those looking to advance their career and learn from the best.

Meridian provides a select number of services, which allows us to carefully control quality for exceptional results including:

  • Civil Engineering
  • Right-of-Way Design
  • Land Surveying
  • LiDAR Scanning
  • GIS/Mapping
  • Transportation Engineering

Let’s take a closer look at the Civil Engineering department.

Daily Life for Engineers at Meridian

As a streamlined team, every facet of a project — from utility planning to bioswell design — requires close collaboration. A typical day in our office sees project managers and principals working together with the rest of the team to push projects past the finish line.

At their desk, much of the civil planning and infrastructure design our engineers accomplish is done with Civil 3D software. This industry-wide software can support and improve the large-scale projects Meridian brings to life. Our engineers are often using Building Information Modeling to improve preliminary designs, adjusting designs in the model-based digital environment to problem solve for real-world issues, or documenting project goals, and site design tasks.

For project managers, Job and site meetings often fill the calendar; regularly meeting with the architect, contractor, or other engineering teams guarantees smooth transitions and clear communication across complex projects.

At any given time, our Engineering Department also has interns and EITs (Engineers in Training) working toward their state licenses. Job training at Meridian comes with plenty of applied experience. Our all-hands-on-deck mentality means these team members get to meaningfully contribute to current projects to grow their engineering knowledge.

Why Meridian is a Great Place to Work

Our engineers love the challenge that civil engineering presents each day, but there are other reasons they love their jobs, too! Meridian makes sure our company is a rewarding place to work.

Perks & Benefits

  • Events – Meridian hosts bimonthly lunch and learn events for continuing education, and periodic company recreational events for our team members, including summer gatherings for both you and your family at fun locations like Hogle Zoo or Lagoon.
  • Spacious office space – Our new office features high ceilings, plenty of natural light, and fresh, modern finishes. It’s an inspiring and inviting place to work during the week and a ping pong table.
  • Health Insurance & 401(k) – Our great benefits package offers health, vision, and dental insurance coverage as well as retirement savings plans with an employer match.
  • Career development – Our involvement with some of the top engineering associations benefits employees, too. Engineers are encouraged to attend trainings, events, and courses from the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Public Works Association or Utah Facilities Operation & Maintenance Association and Meridian covers the cost.
  • Flexible work week – Schedules are built for individual staff that are working to both fulfill clients’ needs and our employee’s needs.

Great Clients & Unique Projects

Meridian is not a cookie cutter firm; unlike some firms that specialize in one area, we do various types of projects for a range of clients. From private residences to 80-million-dollar commercial developments, we provide challenging and interesting work that’s packed with variety. Some of our most notable recent clients include Blue Sky, DFCM, State and Private Universities, Local K-12 School Districts, and some of the best architectural firms in the state.  

Lodge at Blue Sky
Lodge at Blue Sky

A Generous Company Policy Handbook

When projects have tight deadlines, we know longer hours may be needed to produce the highest quality of work in a shorter amount of time. While most salaried engineers never see “overtime” pay, we instituted a policy where you receive a paid at an hourly rate for every hour you work over 40 hours a week. It’s our way of recognizing our team’s hard work and preventing burnout.

Are You Ready to See Yourself at Meridian? Contact Our Team

While projects change, our opportunities for civil engineers are always here. We’d love to show you why it’s a great place to work as an engineer at Meridian! To learn more about our current openings and submit your resume, visit our Careers page.

DNR North East State Park campground and day use projects are progressing nicely.

By Project Progress

Meridian’s civil engineering team is working with the State of Utah-DFCM, and the Department of Natural Resources to finish four separate recreation projects cohesively. These projects consist of Jordanelle Reservoir’s Rock Cliff RV and van campground and Ross Creek day use area improvements, Rockport Reservoir’s Cedar Point new day use area, and a new campground at Deer Creek Reservoir along with waterski boat improvements.

Construction for each site is slated to begin this spring. Deer Creek, Ross Creek and Rockport construction are expected to be complete during the fall of 2022. Rock Cliff is scheduled for completion fall of 2023. These expanded areas are anticipated to enhance recreational activities at each of the reservoirs for years to come while meeting local public demand for camping and day use activities.

 
Rock Cliff Campground site plan and new entrance station
Deer Creek Campground site plan
Rockport Cedar Point Day Use site plan
 
Ross Creek Entry – Day Use site plan
Ross Creek Parking – Day Use at Jordanelle Reservoir

Acquisition TIP #4

By Knowledge Base

Right of Way Acquisition TIP #4: Land Research and Title

The Nov/Dec edition of the Right of Way magazine (pg. 22) features an intriguing article authored by Rob Scimeme. He details the initial land research and title work needed for utility projects. Suffice it to say that his words of wisdom don’t only apply to linear projects; there are critical points to be highlighted for any project that is determining right of way acquisition requirements. 

Conduct a project walk down for the initial route and involve team members from engineering and survey firms, construction groups, and stakeholders. During the walk down, gather pertinent data, assess field conditions, and determine needs for property rights.

Create a line list of the affected properties and research public land records; capture boundary lines, identify potential environmental effects, utility easements, crossings, and historical land records. Take into account considerations for conflicts and develop alternative approaches.

Ascertain current ownership types and land use. Ensure the proper party is engaged to acquire the needed rights, help identify unique property characteristics, estimate acquisition timing, and provide feedback to determine an appropriate design and acquisition approach. 

Upon completing these initial steps, it’s time for extensive title research. Use a reputable company familiar with your project type and has access to a title plant. They will conduct the examination and issue a report containing the search results, including the legal ownership and the property’s legal description. It also reveals clouds on the title, such as restrictions and encumbrances, that potentially impact the title’s transfer. 

Conducting these practices is imperative to expose existing issues early on and help avoid costly surprises. 

Contact the experts at Meridian Engineering and allow us to help you deploy your strategic initiative.

-authored by,

Tammy Evans, MRP, SR/WA
Acquisition Manager

Meridian Engineering

tevans@meiamerica.com

 

Acquisition TIP #3

By Knowledge Base

Right of Way Acquisition TIP #3: Complexities of Relocations for Projects with Federal Funding Participation

Wherever a transportation project is anticipated to acquire real-property rights for federally funded or federal-assisted programs or projects, it’s mandatory that proper relocation planning, advisory, and coordination preparations are performed consistent with federal regulations CFR title 49 part 24.205. At the early stages of project development, and where appropriate, any action by an Agency causing displacement should be scope according to the complexity and nature of the activity and bring forth resources needed to carry out timely and orderly relocation services.

Relocation planning shall be done in such a manner that recognizes the problems associated with the displacement of individuals, families, businesses, farms, and non-profit organizations. It shall develop solutions to minimize the adverse impacts of displacement.

Contact Tammy Evans, Meridian Engineering, Inc. for a free half-hour consultation. With over 10-years of relocation planning and experience, she can assist you with pre-requisite planning and provide the supportive resources needed to meet your program’s goals.

-authored by,

Tammy Evans, MRP, SR/WA
Acquisition Manager

Meridian Engineering

tevans@meiamerica.com