WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States (WOTUS) associated with White Fox Creek, including wetlands. The proposed site is located within Section 1, Township 90 North, Range 25 West, Wright County, Iowa at Latitude 42.633813 and Longitude -93.743558.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The site consists of undeveloped areas of emergent wetland adjacent to White Fox Creek. Land east and west of the site is currently used for agricultural production. White Fox Creek runs north and south with an existing buffer not in agricultural production. There are remnants of oxbows and open water areas within the bank boundary.
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 authorized by Department of Army Permits. Other Objectives include provide economical efficient and flexible mitigation opportunities, support the national goal of no net-loss of water of the U.S., enhance or re-establish additional wildlife and aquatic habitat by restoring wetlands, oxbows, and riparian buffers and installing in-stream features such as riffle structures, reduce flood intensity and increase flood attenuation by restoring stream meanders
and oxbows and creating floodplain benches and improve water quality by stabilizing streambanks through bank shaping and stone toe protection and establishing native riparian buffer areas thereby reducing sediment and nutrient loading.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION/BANK ESTABLISHMENT: The purpose of the Bank is to provide mitigation credits to satisfy compensatory mitigation requirements for adverse impacts to wetlands and Waters of the United States (WOTUS) within the Upper Des Moines Service Area. The Sponsor would develop credits on 58.22 acres of property they own by creating wetland habitat, wetland and stream buffers, and in-stream features such as installing stone toe protection, shaping streambanks, re-meandering the stream channel, creating floodplain benches, restoration/enhancement of riffle structures, and removal of sediment to reconnect oxbows along a 5,462 linear foot reach of White Fox Creek. The buffer restoration/re-establishment would include removing undesirable vegetation and establishing regionally appropriate native vegetation. The wetland restoration and enhancement would include shallow excavations, small berms, and wetland seeding to increase species diversity. The construction will occur in one phase. The entire area within the bank boundary will have some form of restoration or enhancement. The mitigation bank, as proposed would generate 22.31 emergent wetland credits and 59,640.56 stream credits.
SERVICE AREA: The proposed bank service area will be the Upper Des Moines Service Area in Iowa.
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