MDOT SHA EPD Mitigation Monitoring

Project Description

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration is required to monitor its mitigation sites to ensure that they meet state and federal permit requirements.

Biohabitats is monitoring four of the agency’s mitigation sites. Biohabitats is monitoring Marbury Run, a 2,325-linear-foot stream restoration project, annually for years 1-4 post-construction. This includes surveying ten valley-wide cross sections and the longitudinal profile, conducting a vegetation survey, visually inspecting and photo-documenting the restoration area, conducting one post-storm field visit, and producing a monitoring report.

At Smith Farm, a 34-acre wetland creation, restoration, and enhancement, Biohabitats’ FAA licensed drone operator conducts one aerial drone survey of the project area per year, for three years, to capture vegetation coverage. Biohabitats is monitoring an 814-linear-foot stream relocation and floodplain stabilization project for years 7-10 post-construction. For years 7 and 10, Biohabitats walks and photo-documents the project area, evaluates all designed structures, assesses stream health and quality, surveys vegetation and identifies the extent and percent cover of invasive species, conducts one post-storm field visit, and produces a monitoring report. For years 8 and 9, Biohabitats conducts a walkthrough assessment and prepares a memorandum summarizing channel and vegetation conditions, invasive plant colonization, and problem areas.

Biohabitats is monitoring a one-acre lead remediation, Palustine Forested wetland restoration and stream stabilization site annually for years 7-10 post-construction. For years 7 and 10, Biohabitats performs hydrologic/hydric soil monitoring for four consecutive weeks, surveys vegetation, identifies the extent and percent cover of invasive species, photo-documents conditions at fourteen locations, conducts a visual assessment to note changes in stream morphology and/or stability concerns, captures aerial photos using a UAV, and produces a report that compares monitoring results to those of previous years. For years 8 and 9, Biohabitats conducts a walkthrough assessment of the project area and prepares a memorandum summarizing channel and vegetation conditions, invasive plant colonization, and problem areas.