After a flood breached the Tourist Park Dam in 2003, its delayed reconstruction led to vegetation filling the empty reservoir. Submission of a wetland permit application appeared to be the last hurdle to rebuilding. In contrast to earlier reviews, the agencies required compensation for the newly formed wetlands within the reservoir limits. Our environmental scientists performed a late-season wetland delineation that brought the apparent impacts down to 11.6 acres and secured the permit.
We negotiated lower mitigation ratios and use of the Tourist Park reservoir as an appropriate mitigation site. Our planners designed a mitigation plan to provide 14.4 credits, based on restoration of aquatic bed, emergent and shrub wetlands and a large riparian conservation easement. The plan included grading plans, soil amendments, plantings, seedings and erosion controls as well as invasive plant controls and wetland performance standards and monitoring format.
