One of the most important steps in developing a good mitigation project or Bank site is identifying a viable market. So, what makes a good market?
First, it’s important to understand what defines a mitigation market, or service area, as mitigation professionals typically refer to it. The service area is typically defined as the geographical area in which compensatory mitigation can be developed and used to offset the aquatic resource functions lost through actions permitted under §404 of the Clean Water Act.

Generally speaking, the primary service area is established as the 8-Digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed. The primary service area may also be partially defined by having a similar ecoregion. In most cases, a secondary service area is established and consists of one to two directly abutting 8-Digit HUCs.

With the passage of the federal government’s historic infrastructure bill in 2021, the need for wetland and stream mitigation is more important than ever to municipal, energy, transportation, and commercial development projects. And as land suitable for mitigation becomes more costly and less available, reliable site selection/feasibility studies are absolutely critical before investing in a mitigation project.

Selecting an appropriate site to develop wetland and/or stream mitigation is the first and likely the most critical element to developing a successful mitigation project or Bank site.  Numerous factors should be considered and analyzed prior to selecting a site for development.  Feasibility studies, including desktop reviews for soils, hydrology, land use, the existence of utilities, easements, and other encumbrances, water rights, zoning, and other general site constraints need to first be completed. Following desktop reviews, site due diligence studies, including the evaluation of existing natural communities and water resources, are essential for determining a site’s overall feasibility.

Whether it is a baseline study for full stream restoration design, wetland restoration site plan, or large-scale mitigation Bank, our team regularly performs these tasks to help our clients meet their project mitigation goals. CCR’s baseline studies include:

● Detailed drone topographic and LiDAR surveys
● Protected species and habitat surveys
● Wetland and stream delineations and reporting
● Hydrologic determinations
● Stream reference reach studies
● Detailed and rapid stream quantitative functional assessments
● Wetland rapid assessments
● Prior converted farmland studies
● Groundwater monitoring
● Botanical surveys
● Natural community assessments
● Comprehensive soil surveys
● Cultural Resources Survey Coordination
● Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

CCR’ team has over three decades of combined experience developing conceptual mitigation plans and prospectus documents. Developing a mitigation bank is an administrative process and the first step in this process is for the Bank sponsor to create a Mitigation Bank Prospectus. The Prospectus document includes the initial ideas and concepts at the feasibility phase. The Prospectus typically involves selecting a “Preferred” concept that may or may or may not be modified into the last phases of design and the draft Mitigation Banking Instrument (dMBI).

In some cases, a Prospectus document may involve preliminary design (i.e., beginning of the engineering efforts in developing the natural channel design plans and details of wetland restoration and reestablishment efforts. The Prospectus stage is important as it provides the opportunity for the Interagency Review Team (IRT) to review the site and concept plans early, offering early coordination that could provide critical to the success of a project. Ultimately, the development of the Prospectus should help determine potential credit yields for the stream and wetland mitigation being proposed.

Despite large advances in ecosystem restoration science and engineering, many practitioners in the industry still fail to achieve measurable functional lift to the aquatic and terrestrial habitat they seek to restore. While CCR’s team utilizes advanced methodologies to Natural Channel Design (NCD) and wetland restoration to our projects, we believe project success starts with our use of an ecologically holistic, watershed approach. Simply put, we work from the headwaters to downstream and consider everything within the local watershed. Before spending a single hour developing a concept design, our team first develops site specific, measurable, and realistically attainable goals for the project. We believe this approach is critical for developing a successful design plan leading to a sustainable restoration project.

Our techniques for in-stream restoration improves sediment transportation and increases aquatic habitat for the benefit of all aquatic species. Riffles are designed to increase and diversify macroinvertebrate populations as well as to create spawning habitat. Pools are designed with appropriate spacing and depth to better connect to the groundwater table to allow for species migration and survival during periods of drought. Woody debris, such as toe wood, brush mattresses, log seals, log veins, and root wads, is added for habitat diversity, and is a big part of most of our stream designs. Finally, where possible, all our natural channel designs have a strong focus on floodplain connectivity and adjacent wetland riparian communities.

Key workshops and training completed by our staff include:

● Advanced Topics in Hydric Soils
● Assessing and Restoring Headwater Mountain Streams
● Natural Channel Design Review Checklist
● Innovations in Stream and Wetland Restoration
● Level I. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology
● Level II. River Morphology and Applications
● Level III. River Assessment and Monitoring
● Level IV. River Restoration and Natural Channel Design
● TN Qualified Hydrologic Determination Course
● Wetland Hydrology Design Course, NC State University/Swamp School
● Wetland Mitigation Planning Course, NC State University/Swamp School
● Stream Classification and Assessment Course, NC State University and North Carolina
Stream Restoration Institute
● TDEC Level I Fundamentals of EPSC Certification
● Stream Restoration Construction Management Training, Stream Restoration Institute/Lake Wheeler Land Application Training and Demonstration Center

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AND REGISTRATIONS

● Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS)
● TN Qualified Hydrologic Professional (TN-QHP)
● TDEC Level I & II Certified Professionals
● Professional Engineers (TN, AL, MS, GA)

CCR offers a design-build approach to all our projects. One of our partners, Zach Wilbanks. is principal owner of Wilbanks Engineering & Environmental Solutions, LLC (Wilbanks), CCR turns to Wilbanks and its highly qualified team of experienced stream restoration construction engineers and operators to build and implement our mitigation projects. Our team’s extensive experience working together designing and building streams allows us to bring innovative ideas to contractors, partners, and landowners. This partnership with Wilbanks allows CCR to deliver projects with a strong emphasis on expedited schedules, cost control and quality assurance, while adding significant value by solving complex constructability issues during the design phase.

CCR’s professional as-built surveying services provides clients with accurate ground information primarily for stream and wetland mitigation projects for post construction recording as required by the IRT. For mitigation projects, regardless of the state or Corps District, the IRT requires that the Bank Sponsor or Contractor or permittee provide an as-built survey and report once mitigation construction activities have concluded.

The as-built report includes adequate survey data to demonstrate to the IRT that all components of the mitigation Bank/project have been constructed, installed, managed, and planted according to final design plans. Any in-field adjustments made to the original design plans should also be documented and justified (should the change be considered substantial).

The primary purpose of a mitigation as-built report is to provide a baseline for comparison during future success monitoring. A sufficient as-built survey and report should include the installation of permanent monitoring stations for future geomorphic, hydrologic, vegetation, and photographic monitoring.

All mitigation projects require annual post-construction monitoring. CCR’s staff have over 25 years’ experience managing and conducting post-construction success monitoring on Mitigation Bank, ILF Program, and permittee-responsible mitigation sites throughout Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Our staffs’ experience includes monitoring more than 30 statewide mitigation sites for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, multiple projects for the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program, and over 20 private mitigation banks and/or permittee-responsible mitigation projects throughout the Southeastern US.