Wetland Mitigation Design, Permitting, & Monitoring

Home > Ecology Services > Wetland Mitigation Design, Permitting, & Monitoring

We have extensive experience in wetland mitigation design which we have successfully implemented on a variety of projects with different goals and objectives. The design of a particular wetland mitigation project is entirely site specific and is catered to individual project needs. Our staff is highly skilled in the area of wetland mitigation construction coordination in which we ensure that the mitigation contractor is educated on the details of the mitigation plan and is capable of carrying out the mitigation program. We also make certain that our client stays informed and involved throughout the entire construction process. We use wetland mitigation assessments as a tool to qualitatively characterize the ecological function of wetland mitigation areas both prior to construction and after mitigation activities have taken place. We measure the ecological success of mitigation areas through wetland mitigation monitoring. We have also used all the above listed skills on numerous wetland mitigation banks.

Wetland Mitigation Design

We have designed numerous wetland mitigation projects and have ensured their success through proper planning and site selection. By considering local topography, soil and subsurface conditions, vegetation, hydrology, and adjacent land uses; we are able to enhance, restore, and replicate the functions of natural forested and herbaceous wetland systems. Our technical competence in this field relates to our understanding of conceptual mitigation objectives, as well as our understanding of the functional attributes of existing wetlands. An example of a wetland mitigation project we designed and recently implemented is Riverstone. (link to projects page)

Planting Plan (Click to enlarge)

Wetland Mitigation Construction Coordination

Clear and specific mitigation plans are essential to any mitigation program and will govern the physical construction aspects of a mitigation project. Although our mitigation plans provide the specifications needed to employ a successful mitigation program, wetland mitigation construction coordination is imperative to ensure that the mitigation contractor is educated on the details of the mitigation plan and is capable of carrying out the mitigation program. We also make certain that our client stays informed and involved throughout the entire construction process. Our great attention to detail and on-going supervision is vital during construction activities to ensure conformance with the mitigation plan. However, unexpected problems can occur during construction and our coordination services are also necessary to make appropriate field changes which meet the overall intent of the mitigation program and confirm permitting requirements are not compromised.

Wetland Mitigation Assessments

For a project that results in unavoidable wetland impacts, a wetland functional assessment is required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies to determine the functional loss of the wetlands impacted and the compensatory mitigation that will be required to offset the loss. Our ecologists stay up to date on existing and developing wetland assessments, including the Hydrogeomorphic Approach (HGM), Florida’s Uniform Mitigation Assessment Methodology (UMAM), the Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (WRAP), South Carolina’s wetland mitigation calculation sheets, and the North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method (NC WAM). Each of these methodologies evaluates wetlands based on criteria which include geographic location, landscape support, upland buffers, vegetation, hydrology, and wildlife utilization.

Wetland Mitigation Monitoring

We provide wetland mitigation monitoring services to measure the ecological success of wetland mitigation areas. Our monitoring is linked with performance standards established in the regulatory permits for the overall project; therefore, our monitoring results can be used to determine if a mitigation area is achieving permit success. Aspects of our wetland mitigation monitoring efforts include vegetative community composition and coverage with particular attention to exotic and nuisance species, water level and rainfall analysis, and wildlife monitoring, including fish and macroinvertebrate sampling.

Wetland Mitigation Banks

Mitigation banking is a method of achieving wetland mitigation for permitted wetland impacts in which permittees purchase credits from a mitigation bank in lieu of doing the mitigation themselves. We have experience in designing successful wetland mitigation banks, as well as managing and monitoring them. Aspects of wetland mitigation bank design we can assist with include site searches, mitigation planning, potential credit generation under different scenarios, and mitigation cost estimates. We have a Qualified Mitigation Supervisor on staff to oversee all facets of mitigation bank site implementation, management, and monitoring, as well as corrective actions, if necessary.

© 2024 Passarella & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Support by Gifted Owl | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Accessibility Policy