Corkscrew Regional Wetland Mitigation Bank (Lee County, Florida)

An aerial view of the site (looking NW). Restoration has just commenced in Cell 5 (dark soil). Spring 2005.

An aerial view of the site (looking NW). Restoration has just commenced in Cell 5 (dark soil). Spring 2005.

The 635 acre Corkscrew Regional Mitigation Bank is owned by South Florida Water Management District and was originally permitted and developed by Mariner Properties Development, Inc. under contract with the District.  In 2008, EarthMark Southwest Mitigation, LLC, purchased the mitigation bank from Mariner to become the mitigation bank operators.  KLECE was the primary consultant in the property assessments, restoration design, agency coordination, and permitting of this regional mitigation bank under both Mariner Properties (1996-2008) and EarthMark (2008-2009).

The primary components of this bank include the restoration of over 390 acres of drained pastureland to a native hydric pine system matrix containing cypress, marsh, prairie, wetland hardwood, and upland areas.  In addition, approximately 240 acres of native wetlands and uplands will be enhanced through hydrological improvements, exotic vegetation control and maintenance, and implementation of prescribed burns.  The restoration of the Corkscrew Regional Mitigation Bank will provide freshwater, forested, and herbaceous wetland mitigation credits that may be used to offset development project impacts to wetlands within portions of Lee, Hendry, and Collier Counties. Historic site evaluations, site-specific water budgets/hydrographs, geotechnical review, and surrounding land constraints were used to determine final design parameters.

Restoration commenced in May 2005 with the majority of the hydrological and habitat restoration completed in 2008.  All activities on-site were conducted under the direct supervision of Kevin L. Erwin, the Qualified Mitigation Supervisor (QMS), with site visits by KLECE ecologists occurring on an as needed basis each week (typically daily). The restoration and project management included managing surface water on-site, removing invasive exotic vegetation, seeding, planting, prescribed burning, GPS data collection, contracting and supervising subcontractors, and monitoring.  All restoration procedures were applied to optimize ecological enhancement of wetland and/or surface water resources.  The restoration activities through October 2009 have been successful.  Most importantly, the hydrological restoration of the site has been successfully completed and should be sustainable with proper management.  Addition signs of restoration success is the high wildlife utilization of the site  including 10 threatened or endangered species:  wood stork, Audubon’s crested caracara, American bald eagle, American alligator, eastern indigo snake, Florida ribbon snake, Big Cypress fox squirrel, sandhill crane, snail kite, and Florida panther.

Photo History of Corkscrew Regional Mitigation Bank:

Pasture before restoration.
Pasture before restoration.
Removing invasive exotic vegetation.
Removing invasive exotic vegetation.

Using prescribed fire as a management tool.
Using prescribed fire as a management tool.
Disking former agricultural fields in early stages of restoration.
Disking former agricultural fields in early stages of restoration.

Seeding hydric pine flatwoods restoration area (2005).
Seeding hydric pine flatwoods restoration area (2005).
Planting bare root pine tree seedlings (2007).
Planting bare root pine tree seedlings (2007).

Before hydric pine restoration (2005).
Before hydric pine restoration (2005).
Hydric pine restoration area (2008).
Hydric pine restoration area (2008).

Main control structure for managing water levels (2009).
Main control structure for managing water levels (2009).
Releasing water to maintain appropriate water levels (2009).
Releasing water to maintain appropriate water levels (2009).

Filled and graded ditches to become hydric pine flatwoods.
Filled and graded ditches to become hydric pine flatwoods.
Filling agricultural ditches (2008).
Filling agricultural ditches (2008).

Breaching existing berm to restore sheet flow (2008).
Breaching existing berm to restore sheet flow (2008).
Restored sheet flow through breached berm (2008).
Restored sheet flow through breached berm (2008).

Monitoring restoration progress.
Monitoring restoration progress.
Created freshwater marsh (2008).
Created freshwater marsh (2008).

Red shouldered hawk
Red shouldered hawk
Mixed flock of wading birds (2009).
Mixed flock of wading birds (2009).

Young water mocassin (2008).
Young water mocassin (2008).
Big Cypress fox squirrel (2008).
Big Cypress fox squirrel (2008).

Alligator tracks (2008).
Alligator tracks (2008).
Sunrise over created marsh (2008).
Sunrise over created marsh (2008).


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Posted Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 10:07 am and filed under Ecosystem Restoration, Mitigation Banking, Projects, Wetlands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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