RIBITS (Regulatory In-lieu Fee Bank Information Tracking System)

To determine credits available in your service area, follow this link to the RIBITS website: RIBITS - Find Credits

(NOTE: Enter the project lat/long and press search.)

Wetland Mitigation

Background

Wetlands protect and improve water quality, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, reduce damage caused by storm surges and flooding, and recharge underground sources of drinking water. Given the important role wetlands play in the environment, strict regulations are in place to ensure their protection.

Any person, business, or agency proposing to impact existing wetlands must first make every attempt to avoid and minimize the impact. For the impacts that are unavoidable, the replacement of any loss is required through compensatory wetland mitigation overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

What Is Compensatory Wetland Mitigation?

Unavoidable impacts to wetland areas are compensated for through the restoration and protection of another wetland area – referred to as a wetland mitigation bank. This is part of a set of standards implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Corps of Engineers to promote "no net loss" of wetlands.

What Is a Wetland Mitigation Bank?

A wetland mitigation bank is a wetland site that has been restored and protected by formal agreement between the Corps of Engineers and the wetland mitigation bank sponsor. This agreement includes construction and monitoring standards to ensure quality and performance of the wetland mitigation bank site. A wetland mitigation bank sponsor may be a government agency, non-profit organization, or corporation. The Corps, in cooperation with other Federal, state, or local agencies, determines the amount of environmental credits a wetland mitigation bank can provide. Mitigation credits are then used to offset environmental impacts from projects permitted by the Corps under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

The Wetland Mitigation Process

Any entity proposing a project that impacts an existing wetland must be permitted to do so by the Corps of Engineers based on regulations under the Clean Water Act, which may require compensatory wetland mitigation. One method to satisfy this requirement is to purchase environmental credits produced by a wetland mitigation bank. The Corps determines the amount of credits an applicant must obtain, which is stated in the conditions of the permit. Other methods to satisfy this requirement are in-lieu fee mitigation or permittee-responsible mitigation. These methods may be used when mitigation banks are not available.

Iowa Mitigation Banks within Service Areas

  • Click "+" next to Service Area to expand column.
  • For real time data, go to: RIBITS Home Page
    (Key: E - Emergent, F - Forested, S - Stream)
 Upper Missouri Service Area
  • Owego (E)
  • Silver Lake (E) (Pending)
 Lower Missouri Service Area
  • Coulthard Trust (F)
  • Middle Silver Creek (S)
  • Mosquito Creek (S)
  • Pony Creek (E & F)
  • Trails End (S) (Pending)
 Upper Des Moines Service Area
  • Des Moines River (S)
  • McCorkle Wetland (F)
  • McCorkle Stream (S)
  • Voas (n/a)
  • White Fox (E, F & S)
  • Blair Wetland (E) (Pending)
  • Lambert's Landing (E, F & S) (Pending)
  • Little Walnut Creek (E & S) (Pending)
  • White Fox - Phase 2 (E & S) (Pending)
  • Raccoon Valley (E & F) (Pending)
 Lower Des Moines Service Area
  • Bunker Stream (S)
  • C&W Hunter (E & F)
  • Des Moines River (S)*
  • Trails End (E, F & S)
  • Voas (n/a)*
  • County Line (E, F & S) (Pending)
  • Whistle Stop (S) (Pending)
 Iowa Service Area
  • Dowd Creek (S)
  • Elk Creek (E & F)
  • Lakota (E & F)
  • Pabst (S & E)
  • River Products (E & F)*
  • Cedar River Crossing (E & F)*
  • INHF (E) (Pending)
 Driftless Service Area
  • Elk Hollow (E, F & S)
  • Beaver Bank (S, possibly E/F)
 Cedar Service Area
  • Black Hawk (E, F & S)
  • Cedar River Crossing (E & F)*
  • Dry Run Creek (S & E)
  • Heineman (E)
  • Mitchell County (E)
  • Niebuhr (S)
  • Smoketown (E, F & S)
  • River Products (E & F)*
  • Beaver Creek (S) (Pending)
 Mississippi Service Area
  • Byler Stream (S)
  • Clear Creek (S)
  • Nahant Marsh (E & F)
  • Cedar River Crossing (E & F)*
  • River Products (E & F)*
  • Barber Creek (E & F) (Pending)
  • Honey Creek (S) (Pending)
  • Nahant Marsh (S) (Pending)
  • Land of the Swamp White Oak (E & F) (Pending)
  • Oak Crest (E & F) (Pending)
  • Spring Creek (S & E) (Pending)
 Banks with Original Service Areas (check RIBITS for coverage)
  • Cedar River Crossing (E & F) (Parts of Cedar, Iowa and Mississippi Service Areas)
  • River Products (E & F) (Parts of Cedar, Iowa and Mississippi Service Areas)
  • Des Moines River (S) (Parts of Upper Des Moines and Lower Des Moines)
  • Voas (E) (Parts of Upper Des Moines and Lower Des Moines)

Illinois Mitigation Banks within Service Areas

  • Click "+" next to Service Area to expand column.
  • For real time data, go to: RIBITS Home Page
    (Key: E - Emergent, F - Forested, S - Stream)
 Northern Service Area
  • Afton South Prairie (E)
  • Bronzeback (E & S)
  • Northern IL (E & F)
  • Skare Park (S)
  • Zuma Woods (E & F)
  • Pecatonica (S) (Pending)
     
  • IL DOT Lagrange (E & F)
  • IL DOT Morris (F)
 Southern Service Area
  • Sangamon (E, F & S)
 Eastern Service Area
  • No banks available
 Western Service Area
  • No banks available
 Central Service Area
  • No banks available

Iowa and Illinois Mitigation Bank Service Areas