Sweetwater Authority approves AECOM environmental work for Loveland trails as residents urge leaving water in reservoir

The Sweetwater Authority Board of Directors on Feb. 26 authorized the general manager to amend an existing contract with AECOM Technical Services and issue a task order to produce environmental documentation for the Loveland Reservoir Trails Improvement Project and a Loveland Reservoir Trails master plan.

The action follows public comment from Karen Wood, executive director of Friends of Loveland Reservoir, who urged the board to retain a historic minimum pool in Loveland to preserve shoreline access for recreation, protect an ecosystem she said depends on the water, and keep water available to fight fires. "Leave some water in Loveland," Wood said during general public comment, adding that an empty reservoir in the winter of 2022–23 harmed recreation and firefighting capacity.

Why it matters: The board’s approval sets the environmental and planning work that will shape trail repairs, a new bridge and observation deck, and how the property connects to other local trails. Those decisions will affect public access, habitat disturbance and timing for construction under a Department of Water Resources grant that funded the project.

Staff presentation and scope General Manager Carlos Quintero said the work is part of a roughly $750,000 grant sponsored by state Sen. Brian Jones and administered through the California Department of Water Resources. Israel Marcus, a Sweetwater Authority staff presenter, told the board staff solicited proposals from three on-call environmental firms (AECOM, Tetra Tech and Dudek), rejected initial bids as too high, and received revised proposals in early February. Marcus said AECOM’s revised price of $179,315 for the task order was about $45,000 below an earlier quote and was the lowest responsive bid.

Staff recommended two related steps: authorize a contract amendment to AECOM for an additional $150,000 (bringing AECOM’s not-to-exceed total on the on-call contract to $300,000) and execute a task order not to exceed $179,315 to complete CEQA compliance, field studies and permitting and to prepare the trails master plan.

Budget and schedule Marcus said the grant package currently shows about $275,000 allocated for permitting, environmental planning and design, approximately $450,000 for construction and roughly $25,000 for administration; about $9,000 has been used for planning and design to date. He noted Nasland Engineering donated preliminary topographic and engineering work pro bono—about $8,000 worth—which staff said stretched the grant funds.

Board questions focused on schedule realism and permitting risk. Director Cox and Director Castaneda both described the grant’s original construction-completion timeline as optimistic; staff said the Department of Water Resources has shown willingness to amend the grant’s schedule and that AECOM’s timeline is more realistic. Marcus explained the environmental review will examine the known footprint for proposed physical improvements, which reduces uncertainty, but acknowledged unexpected discoveries (for example, previously unknown cultural resources or protected species habitat) could require mitigation or design changes.

Public comment and policy request Karen Wood of Friends of Loveland Reservoir asked the board to restore the policy of retaining a historic minimum pool at Loveland so shoreline access, recreation easements under a U.S. Forest Service easement, the reservoir ecosystem and firefighting capacity are preserved. Wood cited recent fires and the reservoir’s role in firefighting.

Board action Director Manny Castaneda moved and Director Martinez seconded the staff recommendation to authorize the contract amendment and task order with AECOM. The motion passed unanimously with Director Martinez Perez absent (Castaneda—yes; Cox—aye; Delgado—aye; Martinez—aye; Morrison—aye; Yamani—aye). The board also confirmed it will provide community engagement opportunities as the master plan and environmental documents are prepared.

What’s next Staff said it may request a formal grant amendment from the Department of Water Resources to revise schedules and reallocate categories if needed. The board will hold community meetings during master-plan development, and staff will provide updates to the senator’s office as the project progresses.

Ending: The board approved environmental and planning work that will determine how Loveland Reservoir’s trails and features are designed and permitted, while a public commenter pressed for a policy change to preserve minimum pool levels for recreation, habitat and firefighting.