At a Glance
A past wetland mitigation project, threatened by a highly variable hydrologic regime, was successfully remediated and enhanced.
Project Description
In 2004, the City of Fort Collins Water Utilities Department constructed a wetland mitigation project to account for about 1.4 acres of wetland impacts resulting from roadway improvements.
After several years, the City recognized that the unpredictable stormwater-driven hydrologic system had created a range of conditions that challenged the success of the project as it had been originally designed.
In 2010, Biohabitats was brought on to review the status of the project and provide the annual U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) mitigation report. The review included a wetland delineation and recommendations for corrective revegetation action. Biohabitats then worked with the Corps to develop a remediation strategy and concept design.
In the summer of 2011, Biohabitats planned and conducted the replanting of 0.8 acres of wetlands using a variety of native sedges, bulrush, willows, and trees specifically selected for the site and placed in strategic locations for maximum survival. A recent wetland delineation revealed that the project had achieved the necessary additional acreage as mandated by the mitigation permit.