Since the beginning of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) Section 404 regulatory permitting process, MoDOT has constructed or has been responsible for constructing approximately 69 sites composed of over 600 acres (excluding mitigation bank sites).  These sites are distributed statewide, and many times are located within MoDOT right-of-way (ROW) or immediately adjacent to ROW.  Generally speaking, MoDOT must monitor these sites for up to five years following their completion to ensure their success before the COE will formally grant a release.  Once these sites are released, MoDOT typically retains them in its realty inventory.  The ultimate intent is to relinquish these properties to a trust or non-profit organization so that they can perform any long-term maintenance and protection.

Wetland Banks

A wetland mitigation bank can be defined as an area of land where all three wetland components, consisting of hydric soils, wetland hydrology, and hydrophytic plants, have been restored and protected to provide compensation for wetland impacts.  A bank site can be created by a government agency, nonprofit organization, or corporation, which acts as the bank sponsor and undertakes these activities under formal agreement with the COE.  The formal agreement specifies the proposed restoration plan that will be undertaken and the number of environmental credits that the bank may potentially generate.  The Section 404 permit conditions will define the required mitigation ratios.  Typically, replacement ratios will be 1.5:1; however, rare wetland types and special aquatic sites can be mitigated at up to 5:1.

To enable a banker to use the credits generated from the restoration efforts at a bank site, the banker must first receive approval from the COE on the geographic service area that the bank will serve.  The primary service areas that MoDOT has adopted for its bank sites are defined a ecological drainage units (EDUs).  The EDU concept was developed by the Missouri Resource & Assessment Partnership (MoRAP).  EDUs consist of grouped watersheds within their larger regional setting.  The regional distinctions primarily consist of variations in climate, geology, soil, landform, and stream character.  The taxonomic composition (i.e., species & genetics) between EDUs is relatively distinct.  The similarities between EDUs (within the same regional context) relate to like species exhibiting the same physiological tolerances, as well as reproductive and foraging strategies.

The COE compensatory mitigation rule was approved in 2008.  The rule establishes a preference hierarchy for mitigation options (i.e., mitigation bank credits, in-lieu fee program credits, and permittee-responsible mitigation projects.  The permittee may use any of these three options to mitigate for project impacts; however, the COE preference is the use of mitigation banks. 

Bootheel Bank

MoDOT’s first wetland bank site was established in Stoddard County, Missouri, near Dexter, in 2003.  This site was constructed by a private farmer, who designed and developed MoDOT’s site in conjunction with his agricultural wetland bank site.  The two banks are only separated by an earthen berm.  Since that time, MoDOT has developed four more wetland mitigation bank sites.

Mari-Osa Bank

MoDOT has established two other wetland bank sites located in central Missouri (Mari-Osa Delta in Osage Co.) and northwest Missouri (Blue Springs Lake, in Jackson Co.)  The Mari-Osa bank site was developed in 2006 and consists of approximately 30 acres that receives the majority of its hydrologic input from the Maries River.  It is primarily composed of emergent and forested wetland types. It is located approximately 12 miles east of Jefferson City, immediately north of the Route 63/50 interchange.

 

Blue Springs Bank

The Blue Springs bank site was completed in 2009 and is within Fleming County Park in Blue Springs, Missouri.  The 30 acre site was a cooperative effort between MoDOT and the COE, is located on COE operations land for Blue Springs.  The site consists of four cells containing 24 acres of new emergent, scrubs/shrubs, and forested wetland habitat.  Some enhancements of existing wetland features at the site were also made.  This area is somewhat unique, in that the hydrology of the cells can be manipulated through the use of inflow from piping supplied by the lake.  Because of this feature, this site has more hands-on management potential to move water in and through the system to achieve the targeted wetland restoration goals.  This site is accessible to the public for bird and wildlife observation opportunities.

 

North Fork Spring River Bank

The North Fork Spring River bank site is a project that was proposed for construction in Fall 2009.  Bank construction was completed in 2010.  It is located in Barton County, Missouri approximately six miles south of Lamar in the southwest corner of Routes 71 and 126.  This site consists of approximately 76 acres of mixed forested wetland, emergent wetland, and an old successional agricultural field.  MoDOT purchased and partially used the site for borrow in the 1970’s when additional Route 71 lanes were constructed.  MoDOT’s development proposal included a plan to enhance the existing forested, thirty-three acres (33) and emergent/scrub/shrub, nine (9) acre wetland components, as well as to create fourteen (14) acre and three (3) acre wetland cells in the old-field portion of the site.

A primary function of the proposed bank will be to provide wildlife habitat, primarily for wetland-dependent species.  The marsh and forested wetlands of the proposed bank will provide habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, water birds, and wading birds.  The remnant shrubs and woods will remain habitat for neotropical migrant birds and local upland mammals.  The proposed bank will also provide amphibian and reptile breeding habitat.

The upper North Fork Spring River watershed is on the 303d list as an impaired water body (ID # 3188).  The 303d listed waters are state identified waters that are not meeting water quality standards.  The primary pollutant is sediment with the section closest to the city of Lamar being designated as low dissolved oxygen levels.  It is unlikely the Bank will contribute toward significant improvement in mitigating low dissolved oxygen.  However, it is anticipated that the Bank will provide sediment retention benefits, as well as increased flood storage capacity.

 

 

 

 

 

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