A Walk in the Park: The Creation of Mitigation Banks on Public Lands
Nate Ober, PG
Water & Land Solutions
Crested Butte, Colorado
What if there was a way to restore degraded streams and wetlands in our state parks without using taxpayer money? And, what if there was a way to not only restore degraded streams but also add amenities that the public could enjoy? Public property is often overlooked or considered out of reach when planning a mitigation bank, however, many of our state and federal lands contain degraded aquatic resources that need restored. Through public-private partnerships, Water & Land Solutions has been restoring State Parks and Wildlife Management Areas throughout West Virginia providing the public opportunities for recreation and education while improving watershed functions all at the same time.
Tomlinson Run State Park, located in New Manchester, West Virginia, was our first attempt at implementing a mitigation bank on public lands. South Fork Tomlinson Run, a state-stocked trout fishery draining 11 square miles, flows through the center of the park and into Tomlinson Run Lake. The river was impaired from excess nutrients, sedimentation, bank erosion, gabion basket check dams, impounded headwaters, lack of in-stream habitat, and denuded riparian buffers. We saw this as an opportunity to create an enhanced trout fishery with improved access for the public. As nearly 3500 feet of South Fork Tomlinson Run was restored, 2000 feet of accessible trails were created along with 5 accessible fishing platforms and wildlife viewing areas. The restoration did not stop with the improvement to South Fork Tomlinson Run. Four impoundments were removed converting ponds to stream and wetland complexes in the headwaters. This tributary connection now carries food (macroinvertebrates and organic matter for example) from the headwaters to the restored fishery on South Fork Tomlinson Run.
Appling what we learned from Tomlinson Run State Park, the Team at Water & Land Solutions created a second mitigation bank at Watters Smith State Park near Lost Creek West Virginia. Watters Smith State Park a pioneer settlement in 1796 was farmed, logged, and mined throughout the 1800s and early 1900s until it was donated to the state in 1949. Water & Land Solutions restored 14,352 feet of stream, 5+ acres of wetland, installed 7000 feet of new mountain bike trails, and created access for primitive camping within the park. Over 19,500 trees are being planting this spring to complete the improved riparian corridor.
Doing what’s right for the watershed requires the support and acknowledgement of the public. Through public-private partnerships we can restore aquatic resources on public lands and demonstrate what can be achieved through thoughtful collaboration.
About Nate Ober, PG
I’ve managed and designed over 100 miles of stream and wetland restoration projects, drawing from more than 19 years of experience in fluvial geomorphology, ecosystem restoration design, construction management, and post-restoration monitoring.
Providing cost effective solutions for stream and wetland mitigation projects is a passion of mine. This objective has guided my career towards the development of innovative technologies and executing projects with higher quality and lower costs. I bring unique experience in three-dimensional design, machine control construction, LiDAR acquisition and aerial mapping, two-dimensional hydraulic modeling, and Clean Water Act permitting.
The past few years I have been working to bring stream and wetland mitigation to the public. Through private-public partnerships I’m pleased to say that my team has implemented half a dozen projects on public lands, educating the public about ecosystem restoration and providing recreational benefits on public lands.