At a Glance
This project lays the groundwork for the USACE’s pursuit of six potential ecological restoration projects based on Biohabitats’ development, as well as, cost and ecological evaluation of twelve design alternatives.
Project Description
Biohabitats recently helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s (USACE) Buffalo District in an effort to determine if a Federal Interest exists in pursuing six potential ecological restoration projects within the Lake Erie watershed and the USACE’s jurisdiction. The USACE’s primary goals for these projects are to enhance fish and wildlife resources and restore and protect aquatic ecosystems that improve the environmental quality and are in the public interest.
Biohabitats developed Determination of Federal Interest (DFI) fact sheets for each site, performing data collection and review, field reconnaissance/plan formulation, and evaluation of alternatives including reconnaissance level cost estimates and ecosystem benefit scenarios for each alternative. The six project sites included Mentor Marsh (Lake County, Ohio), Dugway Creek (Cuyahoga County, Ohio), and Buffalo Outer Harbor, Cornelius Creek, LaSalle Park, and Scajaquada Creek (Erie Co., New York). The DFI fact sheets will help the USACE prioritize restoration options and guide the implementation of initiatives that will result in improved water quality and habitat conditions for the plant, animal and human communities in those watersheds.