Hood River Civil Engineering — Columbia Gorge Office Since 2020

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area has been federal law since 1986, and it created a permit environment unlike anything in the surrounding region. Having an office here means we know the terrain, the wind, the winters and the summers, the agency calendars, and the codes and thresholds that separate success from an endless review cycle.

We opened our Hood River office in 2020. We serve developers, school districts, resort operators, and agricultural landowners across the region — throughout both Oregon and Washington — on projects ranging from streetscape and roadway projects to multifamily infill and rural winery sites. The PNW is a local market — one we live in, work in, and play in.

Some of the Jurisdictions We Work In

Our Hood River team regularly submits and manages grading permits, stormwater plans, and site civil packages in the following jurisdictions:

• City of Hood River
• City of The Dalles
• City of White Salmon
• City of Bingen
• Hood River County
• Wasco County
• Klickitat County (WA)

We coordinate with regional agencies including the Columbia River Gorge Commission, Oregon DEQ, ODOT, PacifiCorp, Hood River Electric Co-op, and Hood River Watershed Group depending on project scope and location.

The Scenic Area Overlay — What It Actually Means

The Gorge National Scenic Area divides the region into three tiers, and each one operates differently. Special Management Areas require Gorge Commission review for visual impact, vegetation management, and consistency with the Scenic Area Management Plan — sometimes including formal public hearings. General Management Areas fall under county jurisdiction and follow Hood River County or Wasco County codes. Urban areas within the City of Hood River operate under city zoning, urban renewal overlays, and downtown design standards.

Knowing which tier your site falls in — and what that means for your permit timeline — is the first thing we establish. Projects that cross tier boundaries require parallel submittals, and the sequencing matters.

Stormwater & Erosion Control

Oregon DEQ stormwater requirements apply across the region, but Gorge conditions add specificity that standard templates don't address. High-wind erosion rates here far exceed what most SWPPP documents are calibrated for. Low Impact Development principles are increasingly required on development within the Scenic Area boundary. We size detention, design infiltration systems, and write erosion control plans that hold up under both agency review and Gorge weather — not plans imported from a Bay Area project or a Portland suburb.

Project Types

Typical Gorge and Pacific Northwest projects include:

• Institutional projects (K–12 schools, civic, institutional campuses)
• Market rate housing and mixed-use development
• Streetscape and roadway projects
• Large scale commercial and retail
• Industrial
• ADA compliance and path-of-travel design
• Stormwater engineering
• General civil engineering
• Land planning
• Subdivisions and partitions