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About Horizon

Horizon Water and Environment, LLC (Horizon) is a multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm specializing in planning, watershed science, and environmental compliance for water and natural resource projects. We are experts in CEQA/NEPA, environmental laws, regulatory requirements, and permitting. Areas of technical expertise include impact evaluation, hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, water rights, stormwater management, streams, wetlands, biology, botany, ecology, air quality, climate change, habitat conservation, archeology, cultural resources, historic architecture, and ecosystem restoration.

Our clients include federal, state, and local agencies as well as private entities and nonprofit organizations. We specialize in working with water supply agencies, flood control districts, regional planning agencies, cities, counties, and the State of California.

Established in 2008, our main office is in Oakland, California, with a second office in Sacramento. Horizon has 25 employees and is a certified Small Business Enterprise by the California Department of General Services, Office of Small Business and DVBE Certification. We are also certified as a small, local business with Alameda County, the City of Oakland, and the Port of Oakland.

Our Work Approach

Our work begins with carefully understanding our client’s needs and objectives.  From that basis we develop a workplan to meet our clients schedule and cost objectives.  We take pride in producing clearly written and legally defensible environmental planning, analysis, and compliance documents. We use our technical experience, regulatory expertise, and exceptional communication skills to successfully achieve our clients’ objectives. Horizon excels at project management, honoring the project schedule, and maintaining project costs to contracted levels.  We strive for practical solutions based on our analysis and evaluation of environmental conditions and data, both in the field and office.

We focus on the specific needs of our clients and bring a high level of dedication and responsiveness to all of our projects. We have staffing capacity to accomplish large projects with accelerated schedules. Our work is guided by the following fundamental principles:

  • Careful listening and attention to client needs
  • Practical solutions through innovation, creativity, and simplicity
  • Rigorous scientific and professional quality standards
  • Clearly written and legally defensible environmental planning, analysis, and compliance documents
  • Complete project organization and management
  • Honest and clear communication with clients and stakeholders
  • Principal-level commitment to all projects

Our approach to developing environmental solutions is based on first understanding the natural, managed, or impacted system. This includes recognizing fundamental physical and biological processes including hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, biology/habitat, soil, geology, and climatic considerations. From this basis, sustainable water, land management, or infrastructure approaches are sought that achieve client needs while also protecting natural resources. Our proven success with environmental compliance and permitting is built on this deep understanding of natural systems and expertise with regulatory statutes and guidance.

Behind all of our work lies a profound respect for the wisdom and beauty of the natural world and a sense of shared responsibility for its protection.

A Recognized Leader

Horizon is known for developing environmentally sound approaches to implement and maintain water supply and flood management projects. We are a recognized leader for successful CEQA and permitting for flood management projects and developing award-winning stream maintenance programs.  We have a record of permitting success with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Horizon is also known for its experience in conducting CEQA compliance for complex and controversial regional and statewide projects.  We have led successful projects for many State of California agencies including the California Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Food and Agriculture, General Services, the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Public Utilities Commission, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the California Highway Patrol.  We are skilled at identifying and incorporating environmental requirements into agency regulations and programs, to streamline project (or program) implementation and minimize the need for subsequent CEQA documentation.

Firm Leadership

Founding Principal

Kenneth Schwarz, Ph.D

 

Watershed and River Planning, Stream Maintenance, Permitting, CEQA, Water Resources

Ken is the founding principal of Horizon Water and Environment. He is a recognized expert in the fields of geomorphology, hydrology, and watershed management. For over 26 years, he has directed complex projects throughout California involving erosion and sediment management, flood and stormwater management, stream maintenance and capital programs, land use planning, water rights, habitat conservation, and ecosystem restoration. Ken is an expert in environmental regulations and specializes in using his technical background to develop successful permitting strategies for the USACE, SWRCB, RWQCBs, CDFW, USFWS, and NMFS, as well as local county and municipal approvals. Ken has directed many CEQA investigations for water resource projects, including developing many IS/MND and EIRs for river management, flood maintenance, water supply infrastructure, and ecologic restoration projects. Ken conducts hydrologic and geomorphic analyses and produces watershed and stream management plans, hydrologic reports, stream assessments, sediment and erosion control evaluations, water rights petitions, restoration designs, and conservation plans. Ken’s watershed and stream projects balance the needs of local government planners with regulatory requirements and the interests of watershed stakeholders.  Throughout every project, Ken maintains a strong focus on project cost and schedule. Ken has served as an expert witness for court proceedings and state-level hearings. He is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, where he teaches a graduate course in hydrology and geomorphology.

Principal

Thomas Engels, Ph.D.

 

CEQA, NEPA, Energy Projects

Tom has more than 25 years of experience in environmental consulting, specializing in CEQA, NEPA, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act compliance, expert witness testimony and CEQA/NEPA case law, energy and water resources planning, and project management. Tom regularly manages large-scale projects, including CEQA and/or NEPA documents, environmental permitting, integrated natural resources management plans, and feasibility studies. Tom has taught courses on CEQA, NEPA, Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act compliance, and conflicts between environmental law and science for clients and universities. He is an adjunct instructor at the University of San Francisco and teaches a graduate-level course in CEQA/NEPA compliance.

Director

Janis Offermann, M.A., RPA

 

Cultural Resources and Archaeology

Janis has over 40 years of experience in the fields of archaeology and cultural resources management within California. She meets the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s professional qualifications as an archaeologist and is a Registered Professional Archaeologist. Her career includes 26 years with the State of California: 17 years at the California Department of Transportation and 9 years at the Department of Water Resources, where she was the statewide cultural resources manager for the department. Her time with the State has made her proficient in applying CEQA to cultural resources, and she assists clients implementing the Assembly Bill 52 legislation that requires State agencies to consult with Native American tribes on projects. Janis also has extensive experience working with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and coordinating those efforts with federal agencies, such as the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Federal Highway Administration. On the state level, Janis has worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Office, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the State Lands Commission. Her expertise includes northern California prehistoric archaeology and Native American consultation.

Director

Brian Piontek, M.S.

 

Biological Services

Brian is an environmental scientist, biologist, and permitting specialist who has successfully managed and/or completed 100+ environmental technical studies, special status species investigations, and environmental compliance surveys.

Senior Associate

Debra Lilly, B.A.

 

Environmental Compliance

Debra has 25+ years of experience managing CEQA/NEPA projects for water/wastewater infrastructure, land development, and linear projects. She has managed a wide range of projects, from addenda and categorical exemptions to quick-turnaround IS/MNDs and complex, statewide EIRs involving close coordination among the client, project team, subconsultants, and agencies in multiple locations.

Sandy Wieder, B.A.

 

Business and Contracts Manager

Sandy Wieder brings over 25 years of experience in accounting, business management and human resources to Horizon Water and Environment. Sandy serves as the business and administrative manager and oversees the company’s financial, contracting, insurance, human resources and administrative activities.

Careers

Join our Team

Horizon seeks bright and talented environmental professionals. General requirements include a strong educational background in a relevant environmental science, physical science, life science, or engineering field.

View Career Opportunities

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