WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Spring Creek. The project/review area is located on an approximately 39.29-acre parcel along Spring Creek located south of 180th Street, north of 163rd Street, east of 118th Avenue, and west of 110th Avenue, northeast of the City of Ottumwa in Sections 8 and 11, Township 73 North, Range 13 West; Latitude 41.1355368, Longitude -92.3795330 in Wapello County, Iowa.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site is located in a rural area and the surrounding area consists of floodplain, terraces and hillslopes with Spring Creek emptying into Cedar Creek just over ½ mile downstream, then eventually the Skunk River. The proposed bank area has not historically been straightened, as up and downstream of the area has, but agricultural and farming practices occur adjacent to the stream with a portion of the riparian buffer being farmed with row crops.
PROJECT PURPOSE/BANK OBJECTIVES: The fundamental objective of compensatory mitigation is to offset environmental losses resulting from unavoidable impacts to waters of the United States (WOTUS) authorized by Department of the Army Permits. Other objectives for improvements made along 5,440 linear feet of Spring Creek and 32.84 acres of riparian buffer within the proposed Spring Creek Mitigation Bank include: • Enhance and create additional wildlife habitat • Improve water quality by restoring native vegetation within the riparian buffer and stabilizing streambanks to minimize erosion, effectively reducing sediment and nutrient loads within the watershed. • Provide additional flood storage within the watershed during high-flow events within the watershed and establish a floodplain connection during frequent flow events. • Sell stream mitigation credits for projects developed by other entities.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION/BANK ESTABLISHMENT: The bank sponsor proposes to complete activities on 39.29 acres of privately owned property that would result in the establishment of stream mitigation credits. The goal of the bank is to restore 5,440 linear feet of Spring Creek to generate 66,349.01 stream credits. The bank sponsor would use many different in-stream restoration methods that include rock riffles to provide grade control, riffle/run/pool/glide habitat, channel widening, bank reshaping, stone toe protection, and other “soft” stabilization methods, such as root wads, to restore stream stability and reduce erosion. The applicant also proposes to reconnect Spring Creek to its floodplain by installing floodplain benches. Riparian buffer creation and enhancement will generate credits by removing undesirable vegetation and row crops and establishing native vegetation. The proposed work would benefit the onsite stream functions by improving sediment trapping, nutrient cycling, stream shading, energy dissipation, natural moderation of floods, bank stability, and delivery of organic matter to the stream.
SERVICE AREA: The proposed mitigation bank will be in the Mississippi Service Area.
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