Thursday, June 18, 2015
David Flick, Principal and Founder of Terra Technologies, is proud to announce the issuance of a Public Notice by the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the proposed establishment of the Blue River Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank which will be operated by Swallow Tail, LLC.
Located at the most downstream stretch of the Blue River in Kansas, this 54 acre mitigation site is a rare opportunity to establish a large mitigation site in the heart of urbanizing Johnson County. This location contains the Blue River’s confluence with Negro Creek, a significant perennial tributary, and is situated between an approved wetland and stream mitigation site and a portion of the Blue River Parkway. The habitat improvements on this proposed mitigation bank would be used as compensation for impacts to wetlands and streams within the immediate watershed of the Blue River in Kansas and a small portion of an adjacent watershed.
The proposed mitigation bank site has been ecologically degraded by decades of agricultural activity and a portion of the site now contains abandoned baseball fields. To restore the lost aquatic ecosystem functions at this location, Swallow Tail, LLC has proposed to plant approximately 31 acres of forested riparian buffer along the many streams within the site, enhance about 4 acres of existing riparian buffer, establish or restore more than 15 acres of herbaceous floodplain wetlands, enhance 0.5 acre of existing herbaceous wetland, and establish 2 acres of upland buffer.
In addition to these habitat restoration activities, several in-stream mitigation activities are planned. A major component of the restoration design is to address the past shortening and channelization of a long stretch of Negro Creek through the re-establishment of its original path. A smaller intermittent stream is also proposed to be restored to its original alignment and a small perennial stream would be improved by addressing stream incision and a blockage to aquatic organism travel. The Blue River would also be improved through stream bank excavation to create a new small floodplain that would connect to the stream channel more frequently and thus improve water quality, decrease stream velocities, and reduce downstream flooding. Several stream barbs would also be constructed along portions of the Blue River to address local stream bank erosion.
The public notice will expire on July 17, 2015.
For more information about mitigation services, contact your local office of Terra Technologies.
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