Specialties
Hydrologic and Hydraulic Engineering (Hydrotechnical); Erosion and Sediment Control; Post-Fire Erosion Hazard Assessments; Civil Design; Construction Management; Regulatory Compliance; Civil and Environmental Engineering
Practice Areas
Environmental Management; Water and Natural Resources; Civil Infrastructure
Education
MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, 2010; BS, Civil Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, 2007
Registration
California Professional Engineer, PE 79851; Qualified SWPPP Developer, C79851; Qualified SWPPP Practitioner, #26484
Client Service
On behalf of clients, Miguel addresses issues involving hydrology and hydraulics, civil design, and post-fire assessment. He designs and selects erosion and sediment-control best management practices (BMPs), conducts construction management and oversight, performs post-fire erosion and flood-hazard assessments, and manages National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NDPES) permit compliance. With expertise in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering, he helps manage floodplains (floodplain analysis, inundation mapping, hydraulic structures including bridges, weirs, and spillways), stormwater (storm drain pipe analysis, open-channel conveyance, urban hydrology, and sediment basin design), and watersheds (post-fire hydrology, hydromod, and green street infrastructure). Miguel is proficient in hydraulic and hydrologic computer modeling programs to support design recommendations. These models include HydroCAD, HY-8., SWMM, HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, HEC-RAS2D, FLO-2D, and ArcGIS. Miguel applies his water resource expertise to support municipal, utility, and industrial clients.
A water resource engineer, Miguel has built a successful erosion and sediment-control practice based in NPDES compliance to provide clients with tailored approaches to mitigate water-quality impacts from sediment. He brings extensive technical and field experience selecting and designing erosion and sediment-control BMPs applicable to the Construction General Permit and Industrial General Permit. A career highlight for Miguel was his involvement as the lead Qualified SWPPP Developer (QSD) and Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) for the Oroville Spillways Emergency Project. Miguel developed phased erosion-control plans, led a team of inspectors, prepared limited-threat discharge permits, and completed the notice-of-termination report. Since 2014, Miguel has provided consulting to help mitigate post-fire erosion hazards and has responded to wildfire disasters throughout California. Wildfire responses include the 2020 Creek Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire, two of California’s largest fires. Miguel assesses drainage areas for post-fire hazards, develops mitigation measures to protect infrastructure, and works with BMP contractors during implementation.
Recently, Miguel has developed a civil design practice focusing on water resource engineering. Related projects include open-channel conveyances, culverts, storm drains, sediment basins, road alignments, and grading. Miguel provides design services throughout the project life cycle, including initial concept, 30/60/90-percent construction drawings, specification, engineer’s estimates, bid-package preparation, bid solicitation, contract review, and engineer-of-record services. Several of these projects developed into construction-manager-at-risk projects where Miguel provided construction management, construction quality control and assurance, and contractor oversight.
Contact Miguel at MParames@Geosyntec.com
